Russia: NF Pilots Fly Over Atlantic

Flights of deck-based aircraft started on Northern Fleet (NF) aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov on Sunday, Dec 18, as long as weather conditions became better.

Most experienced pilots practiced takeoffs and landings on the deck of the Russian aircraft carrier located in the Northeast Atlantic. Air Squadron Commander Col. Nikolai Deriglazov was the first who took off the carrier’s deck.

When he was practicing aerobatics, NF Fighter Regiment Deputy Commander Col. Pavel Podguzov carried out first deck landing.

In the next few days, naval aviators plan to continue improving their flight skills in different regions of the Atlantic. Apart from fighter pilots, aircrews of helicopters are also conducting training flights; the helicopters are based not only on the aircraft carrier but on other escort ships, i.e. NF antisubmarine ship Admiral Chabanenko and Baltic Fleet (BF) frigate Yaroslav Mudry. Throughout the cruise, helicopter pilots have performed 5 training flights so far.

Long-range cruise of Russian Navy’s carrier group implies full-scale combat training of deck-based aviation in different climatic zones of the World Ocean.

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Naval Today Staff , December 20, 2011; Image: mil