For the first time in its history, the Russian aviation school in Krasnodar will enroll female students to train them as military pilots.
According to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, there are many young women who want to become military pilots. “We receive hundreds of letters [from them],” he told journalists in on August 12.
The future profession is in very high demand among girls. Just two weeks after the Defense Minister’s announcement, more than 150 applications were sent from different regions of the country, including the Far East, Caucasus, Crimea and Sevastopol.
The first group of female cadets at the Krasnodar Higher Military Aviation School will include only 15 young ladies.
The final selection will be based on the results of the unified state exam. Female-recruits will also have to undergo a medical examination, pass psychological tests and demonstrate excellent sports training.
Enrollment candidates to the Krasnodar Higher Military Aviation School take a tour of the school during the Doors Open Day.
Starting from September 10, female candidates will begin to pass qualifying tests. The theoretical training program will start on October 1.
On Saturday, August 26, the Krasnodar School held the Doors Open Day for enrollment candidates, during which applicants were introduced to the university, training base and modern aviation equipment.
During their visit to the school, girls could try their skills at the Yak-130 simulator and “fly” over Krasnodar.
Krasnodar School’s future aviatrixes will be ready to fly military planes by 2020. If they fulfill the Defense Minister’s expectations, they’ll join a long lineage of female Russian pilots.
During WWII nearly 600,000 female military aviators fought against German Nazis and over 90,000 of them received Hero of the Soviet Union military awards. Some of them were fighting in separate all-women air regiments and dubbed "Night Witches," because they terrified German troops with the distinctive roar of the Soviet planes during their night flights.
The modern Russian Army has about 45,000 female contract soldiers, who fulfill their military duties along with the men. The total number of young women, related to the Russian Army, exceeds 326,000 and increases every year.
Enrollment candidates to the Krasnodar Higher Military Aviation School taking a tour of the school during the Doors Open Day.
