Helicopter sport in Belarus. The level of helicopter sports in Russia, or why Russian helicopter pilots have little chance of losing

11 out of 15. That is how many times the Russian helicopter pilots managed to win in the team and individual competitions of the World Championship. There are no such achievements on the account of hockey players or football players of the Russian national team. Nevertheless, almost the whole country knows the name of Ovechkin or the twin brother of Vasily Berezutsky. And, for example, about the merits of the crew of masters of sports international class Maxim Sotnikov and Oleg Puodzhyukas are hardly one of a thousand Russians.

Let's help restore justice (at least within the framework of this article!) And give the deserved attention to such an amazing helicopter sport.

Helicopter sport: originally from the USSR

Many mistakenly consider Europe to be the birthplace of helicopter sport. And although for the first time the World Helicopter Championship was really held in Germany (1971) and without the participation of Soviet pilots, the idea international competitions belonged to the Soviet Union. In addition, the world championship program included many developments of the USSR Helicopter Sports Federation, where at that time 12 domestic competitions had already been held.

Mi-1 helicopters participated in the first all-Union competition, which was held in Kaluga in 1958. Later, the Ka-26, Mi-2 and. In the entire history of Soviet helicopter sport, 47 records were set and more than 1,200 masters of sports were trained.

Today, the FVS (Helicopter Sports Federation), established in 1994, is responsible for the development of this direction in Russia.

Activities of the Russian Helicopter Sports Federation

The main task of the Federation is to organize (on its own initiative) and conduct (at its own expense) regional, regional and all-Russian competitions; raise champions and bring this sport to the masses.

The work of the federation is regulated by the Presidium headed by Irina Grushina, who is both the president of the FVS and the delegate of Russia to the FAI commission (from the French Fédération Aéronautique Internationale - international aviation federation), where it represents the interests of our country.

The Federation unites 50 regions of the country, each of them has been assigned the status of a regional branch of the FVS. The leadership is actively fighting for the presence of other subjects: its main goal is to popularize helicopter sports throughout the country.

Despite the fact that the FVS of Russia is a voluntary and non-profit organization, once a year it reports on the use of its property, publishing data in the public domain. The federation's budget is formed mainly from membership and charitable contributions, as well as funds from performances at various competitions, exhibitions and shows.

An important point is included in the Program for the Development of Helicopter Sports until 2020: to increase interest in this type of activity through publications in the media and the Internet. Simply put, create a favorable information noise. And who knows, maybe in a few years the amount of news from helicopter competitions in the Facebook feeds will be the same as the DiCaprio memes today.

Delegates, i.e. representatives of local helicopter schools, gather every four years at the FVS Conference, at which each of them has the right to propose their own topic for the meeting, and decisions are made by majority vote (everyone has one vote - equality triumphs!). By the way, about equality. If you look at the list of candidates for the national team for the 2016 World Cup, it becomes clear: female pilots participate in competitions on an equal basis with men (10 out of 26).

World Cup: Russians on top

Top Athletes of the Russian championship are selected for the world championship - the system is transparent. World helicopter competitions are held under the auspices of the FAI every two (rarely three) years. The list of its participating countries includes more than a hundred states, and our country belongs to the “active” category. This means that all disciplines of helicopter sports according to the FAI regulations are practiced on the territory of Russia. Simply put, Russian championships correspond to international standards and already within the framework of home competitions, our athletes “rehearse” the world championship.

Either this fact, or high-quality Soviet-era training, or the courage inherent in the Russian mentality (or maybe all together?) Help our helicopter pilots regularly take the podium at international championships - to be at their best in every sense of the word.

In one interview, Irina Grushina said: “We have no chance of not winning, because today we are really the strongest in the world.” And it was in 2012, in fact, the words of the President of the FVS and today are not just an expression of ambition, but an objective reality. And we can be proud of this (to know - at least!)

World competition program

Helicopter competitions at the international level usually include 4 main elements:

Navigation

Crews fly a 90 km course with three turning points, a search area, and a dropping area for pins and sacks of rice, and then arrive at the exact time.

Flight for accuracy

Helicopters move at a height of 2-3 m forward-backward, left-right and diagonally along a given route. The corridors they must follow are marked on the ground with white paint. In addition to the movements, participants perform two full turns in two directions (left and right), and at the end of the exercise they land the helicopter on a five-centimeter line.

Cargo delivery

As part of this task, a crew member, or operator, half leaning out of the cab, tries to place the load tied to the cable in special containers. The coherence of the crew is very important here: only by listening to the instructions of the partner, the commander will be able to direct the helicopter to the right place.

Slalom

At a height of 3 to 5 m, helicopters with buckets filled with water fly between the goalposts, and at the end of the exercise they put it on a table with a diameter of 1 m.

Before the start of each exercise, participants gather at the start line, undergo an express inspection for technical serviceability, receive equipment (if necessary) and instructions for further actions.

Athletes can also take part in the all-around (scores for 4 elements are summed up) and team competition (points for elements performed by several crews of one team are summed up).

The obligatory elements demonstrate the jewelry technique and the polished skills of the pilots, but are not always spectacular. To add to the show, spectacular events such as parallel slalom, helicopter races, individual freestyle or bottle opening are included in the championship program (see video below). And although the points for them in the individual or team standings are not taken into account, they are added to the karma of the pilots - as a thank you for the pleasant emotions delivered. Pilots also receive separate cups for them.

Rules and some features of the competition

Helicopter sports are subject to the rules of Russian law regarding the conduct of sports events and use of airspace. As in other sports, in order to be eligible to compete, athletes must undergo a medical examination (including anti-doping testing) and provide a certificate of compulsory medical insurance and a life insurance policy against accidents.

More accurate information and full versions official documents can be read on the website of the FVS of Russia or FAI (in English).

This general information. As for the particulars, we will talk about a couple of significant ones below.

Adult pilots with at least 15 hours of flight time in a helicopter (including at least 10 hours of them according to the competition program) and a pilot certificate are allowed to compete.
From 3 to 5 crews are allowed from one country to participate in team competitions (no less, no more). An exception is made only for the champions of last year's championship: they are given a chance to defend the title, regardless of the number of crews already declared from the country.
The use of any means capable of facilitating the performance of exercises (from autopilot to a mobile phone) is prohibited during the championship. Moreover, this ban applies not only to pilots, but also to panel of judges. Only the use of a walkie-talkie, a navigation bar and a calculator is allowed.
Only helicopters with two crew members participate in the competition. One pilot (crew commander) is allowed to control the helicopter, the second acts as a navigator.

You can use a helicopter of any manufacturer and any model. Piloting is allowed on rented cars and models owned by aviation schools. The main thing is that the technical characteristics allow the elements to be performed.
The results of the competition can be challenged either by verbal claim, or, if she did not give desired result or was not taken into account, with the help of a written protest. According to the same scheme, you can declare any violations and controversial situations. It should be taken into account that a fee will be required for filing a formal protest, which will be refunded if the complaint is upheld.
There are weather restrictions, in particular, visibility should not be less than 2 km, and the nearest cloud level should be at a distance of 300 m from the ground. Requirements may vary depending on the legal regulations of the country in which the competition is held.

What do we end up with? Bright view sport with a history rich in achievement. So why are the competitions on it not shown on federal channels (only occasionally in the news feed)? Perhaps because, in the minds of the majority, helicopter sports are still suitable only for the elite and are available only to the elite (“and in general, it’s better to take the ball and go run around with the guys in the yard”). Yes, not every city has a helicopter complex. Yes, training in flight schools is expensive (on average, a full course in piloting a Robinson R44 costs 1.5 million rubles). But in terms of sensations and atmosphere, helicopter sports cannot be compared with any other. In addition, you can not study privately, but become a student of the flying club and engage in sections, making, as a rule, a symbolic amount (for example, DOSAAF of Russia, which trains athletes and coaches for our national team, has a membership fee of 30 rubles).

Athletes from 11 countries of the world will take part in the competition, including crews from Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, China, Poland, Ukraine, France, Switzerland, Russia. About 7 thousand people, including show business stars, famous businessmen and politicians, will become guests and spectators of the championship.

President of the Helicopter Federation of Russia Irina Grushina: “For our country, which does a lot for the development of aviation sports, it is a great honor to host the main sports forum of the best helicopter pilots on the planet, especially since helicopter sport was born on Russian soil more than half a century ago. The significance of the event is enhanced by the fact that by decree of the President of the Russian Federation the championship was included in the program for celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Russian Air Force. For us, this is not only a great honor, but also a great responsibility. We will make every effort to ensure that the competitions are held at the proper level, become a real celebration of aviation and sports.”

Official organizers of the championship: Federation of Aviation Sports of Russia, Federation of Helicopter Sports of Russia, DOSAAF of Russia, Moscow Regional Aviation Technical sport Club ROSTO. The World Championship is held with the support of the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Moscow Region, the Administration of the Serpukhov District of the Moscow Region, the Air Force of the Russian Federation, under the control of the International Helicopter Commission of the International Aviation Federation (CIG FAI). The general partner of the championship is OJSC Russian Helicopters, the official partner is UTair.

The venue for the World Cup will be the Drakino airfield, located in a picturesque corner of the Moscow region, 100 km south of Moscow, not far from Serpukhov. The airfield is part of the Drakino sports and entertainment park.

The championship starts on August 22 with a solemn opening ceremony. Flights under the competition program will take place on August 23-25, and on the final day, Sunday, August 26, spectators will enjoy exciting “helicopter races”, the performance of the legendary Berkuty aerobatic team, an aviation and sports festival and closing ceremonies and awarding the winners.

The competition program consists of 4 compulsory disciplines: "navigation", "flight for accuracy", "cargo transportation", "slalom". All exercises include elements of search and rescue operations and require the athletes to have impeccable piloting technique, mastery of the helicopter and complete mutual understanding in the crew.
Medals will be awarded in individual all-around and team events. The top three rookie pilots with less than 250 flight hours will also receive special awards. Separate prizes will be raffled off in the "freestyle" exercise. Pilots will perform an arbitrary set of aerobatic maneuvers with the possibility of using musical accompaniment and colored smoke.

After the 47th Russian Helicopter Championship held in Ulyanovsk in June, the final composition of the Russian national team was formed. Behind team championship five crews with the highest rating based on the results of performances in helicopter sports competitions in 2011-2012 will compete. The colors of the Russian flag in the team competition will be defended by: Maxim Sotnikov - Oleg Puodzhyukas, Victor Degtyar - Petr Vasiliev, Alexander Zhuperin - Nikolay Burov, Alexey Mayorov - Sergey Kostin, Lyudmila Kosenkova - Elena Prokofieva.

9 more crews will compete in the individual championship, including Honored Masters of Sports George Weeping And Vladimir Gladchenko, Shpigovskaya Galina And Gubar Love, the current absolute champion of the world and world air games Korotaeva Viktor in crew with Yuri Petrenik. Coaches also expect a lot from young pilots Sergei Tupikov And Alexey Pintelin, Margarita Afanaskina And Evgenia Zamula. IN great shape there are crews Andrey Orekhov And Viktor Kalinin, Yuri Yablokov And Vadima Sazonova, Artem Kurpitko And Pavel Abramochkin, Anna Nadymova And Tamara Amelkina. 4 more pilots will compete for a separate prize in the freestyle discipline.

Russian crews will perform on Mi-2 and R-44 helicopters. Foreign participants will compete on EC-120, AS-350, R-22, R-44, BO-105, Gazelle and Bell-206 helicopters. A group of foreign helicopters from European countries will gather at the Russian border to follow the Belgorod-Orel-Serpukhov route to participate in the World Championship.

Member of the International Jury David Hamilton (New Zealand), Konrad Geissler(Germany), Jacques Escaphr(France). Main judge competitions - Wolfgang Perplis(Germany), his deputy - Valery Bolvachev(Russia). Championship Director - Irina Grushina, flight director - Sergey Kiyaev.

The Belarusian team took second place at the World Helicopter Championship in Minsk. In addition, one of its crews was among the winners in the individual competition for the first time, BelTA learned from Belarusian Federation aviation sports.

As noted in the BFAS, this best performance Belarusian helicopter pilots in history. The Russian team won in the team standings, having won all the previous championships. Closed the top three Polish pilots. Among the crews, Maxim Sotnikov and Oleg Puodzhiukas, who represent Russia, have already become two-time champions. In second place were their compatriots Andrey Orekhov and Vadim Sazonov. The bronze of the world championship in the most famous discipline - slalom for the first time was won by Belarusians Aleksey Mochansky and Anton Danchenko.

Slalom is considered one of the most famous and exciting disciplines in helicopter sport. While the pilot is flying the aircraft, the operator must lower the bucket on the rope, fill it with water from the barrel, carry it through the gate and put it on the table. Moreover, the judges measure the water level with a ruler and punish with fines if it spills during the flight. All this requires the crews to be extremely accurate, agile and lightning-fast.

Belarusians have also succeeded in certain disciplines. In particular, the crew of Vladimir Bugaev and Andrey Rogonov took gold in the parallel transportation of goods. Pilots train at the Vitebsk flying club.

“The Belarusian team has surpassed its previous results. If at the last championship she had only one team place, now there are awards in the individual competition. You have to understand that in helicopter sport you cannot immediately become a champion - it is always a systematic development. And we see that it is more than successful: Minsk and Vitebsk pilots are among the best helicopter pilots in the world. They showed good results in almost every discipline,” said Anton Bystrov, Secretary General of the BFAS.

Russian pilot Oleg Puodzhyukas noted that the championship in Minsk was organized at the highest level. “It is clear that helicopter sport is supported in Belarus,” he said. - Russia and Belarus are all one school. We also taught the Poles, who are already beginning to press us in a good way. So sport family increases. We try to share our experience with other countries.”

36 crews from different countries took part in the World Championship. The most numerous was the Russian team - 13 crews. Helicopter pilots from Poland, Austria, Germany, China and Ukraine also arrived in Minsk. All crews performed exercises on two models of helicopters - Robinson R-44 and Mi-2.

Recall that Belarus has applied to the International Aviation Federation (FAI) to host the World Cup in the spring of 2016. Jacques Berlot, President of the International Helicopter Commission CIG FAI, in response, personally visited the competitions in Minsk and highly appreciated the level of their organization. In January last year, Minsk was officially chosen as the venue for the 2018 Helicopter World Championship. The main stage of preparation was the test championship, where 27 crews from five countries competed for medals in seven disciplines.

Helicopter sports- a type of aviation sport in which competitions are held using helicopters, i.e. rotary-wing aircraft equipped with several propellers (main rotors) driven by an engine (engines) that create the lift necessary for flight. These machines are capable of vertical takeoff and landing, move in any direction and hang in the air for a long time in one place.

The designs of the first rotary-wing aircraft appeared as early as 1475 - it was then that Leonardo da Vinci had the idea to create a vertical take-off device. However, his "ornitottero" had little resemblance to modern helicopters. The idea of the first prototype of the helicopter was proposed by M.V. Lomonosov in 1754. His "aerodynamic (air-breathing) machine" was supposed to rise into the air with the help of twin propellers (on parallel axes) and did not imply the presence of a pilot. A century later, the French inventor Ponton d'Amecourt designed another rotorcraft called the Aeronef.

However, these bold projects were never implemented. The designs created at the beginning of the last century were more successful - the inventions of the brothers Berge and M. Leger (France) were able to take off from the ground to a height of 50 cm to one and a half meters and stay in the air from several seconds to 1 minute. Flights became much longer and more controlled only after the invention of the swashplate, the scheme of which was published by engineer B.N. Yuryev back in May 1911, but due to lack of funds, he could not patent his invention. Unlike Yuriev, G. Botezat, who emigrated from Russia, was not short of money, since he was fulfilling an order from the American army, and his invention was patented.

Nowadays, the scope of helicopters is quite wide. Aircraft of this type are used for various operations of the armed forces (patrol and border protection, landing, reconnaissance, transfer of troops, provision of ammunition, etc.), special forces and police, in medicine and rescue work (rescue of the victims and their delivery to the hospital ), in commercial transport, in agriculture (for pest control). Specially equipped helicopters are used in construction (crane helicopters), firefighting (fire-fighting helicopters equipped with water tanks) and aerial photography.

Competitions, where helicopter pilots could demonstrate their skills, began to be held in many countries of the world from the middle of the last century, and quickly gained considerable popularity. The first World Helicopter Championship was held in early September 1971 in Bückeburg (Germany). Since then, the European and World Championships in this species sports are held regularly, every 2-3 years.

The term "helicopter" comes from the words "twirl" and "fly". There are several versions regarding the origin of this term. For example, some experts have argued that this word was created for the name of the first machine equipped with a propeller capable of taking off vertically, and is an abbreviation of the words "vertical" and "fly" (this statement is incorrect, since the first gyroplane, which was originally called a helicopter, was not capable of vertical takeoff). In addition, there is an opinion that this word was created by analogy with the French "gyroplane" ("rotorcraft"), or the first part of the term perpetuates the name of the company that produced helicopters - "Vertol" (an acronym for "Vertical Take-off and Landing aircraft" - "vertical takeoff and landing aircraft").

Helicopter, rotorcraft, gyroplane, turbolet are synonyms. This is not entirely true. Rotary wings (the propeller is used during flight, like a wing), as well as tiltrotor planes (using screws for takeoff, and later for flying, like aircraft propellers), are considered one of the helicopter schemes, equipped with engines, but they have some distinctive properties (for example, when emergencies can turn into a gliding flight, which helicopters are practically incapable of). The gyroplane was also classified as a helicopter for a long time. The confusion arose due to the consonance of the names of both aircraft (before the war, a helicopter was called a helicopter, an autogyro - a gyrocopter, gyroplane, rotoplane) and some common design features(for example, the presence of a screw). However, it should be noted that a gyroplane, unlike a helicopter, flies exclusively in the propeller autorotation mode, and the horizontal speed is given to it by a propeller fixed in the front of the fuselage (while a helicopter with an engine can also use the propeller flight mode), not equipped with an automatic swash plate. The gyroplane is not capable of vertical takeoff and landing, but, like rotorcraft, it can go into gliding flight. The turbolet, which is a stand for checking the operation of engines and is not at all equipped with propellers, in its own way technical specifications closer to vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, and similar to a helicopter only in the ability to vertical takeoff and hover in one place.

Mass helicopter sport originated in Europe. Helicopter sports federations really existed in many European countries, but various kinds of championships in this sport began to be held in the USSR back in 1958. In flights (at low altitude and along a certain route) and landings for accuracy (on small areas limited by ten-meter obstacles), piloting techniques and other exercises, not only members of DOSAAF (Voluntary Society for Assistance to the Army, Aviation and Navy), but also military teams competed. - Air Force (Air Force) and the State Committee of the Council of Ministers of the USSR for aviation technology. By 1971 (when the first world championship in helicopter sports was held), 12 USSR championships in this sport were held in the Soviet Union (while, for example, in Germany - only 3).

The idea of holding the first World Helicopter Championship belonged to the German flying club. Wrong opinion. The German flying club was only instructed to prepare the first competition of this kind. The initiator of the World Championship was the Helicopter Committee of the FAI (Federation Aeronautique Internationale) after a proposal was received from the USSR in 1959 to organize the helicopter championship of the eight Soviet Republics in Paris. A second application was received in 1960 again from the Soviet Union - now an urgent demand was put forward to hold a world championship in this sport, and in the event of a refusal by the USSR committee, it made a proposal to hold competitions of this kind in Moscow on its own. The German Aeroclub was one of the first to show interest in the FAI proposal to hold the World Helicopter Championship, and under the leadership of Otto Rietdorf (later a member and first vice-president of the FAI Helicopter Commission) immediately began to develop an exercise program for future competitions and to hold the national championships of Germany . It should be mentioned that the USSR team did not take part in the first world championship in helicopter sports, although many ideas that were developed by the Helicopter Sports Federation of the Soviet Union since 1958 were used in compiling the competition program.

The exercise program offered to pilots competing for the title of European and World Champion has remained virtually unchanged since the first helicopter championship. No, the modern program has undergone many modifications - some exercises have been partially changed, others have been excluded, and new ones have been added instead. For example, "helicopter slalom", in which it was necessary to carry a 5-kilogram load through 10 gates (two-meter rods dug into the ground a meter apart) in a certain sequence in a minimum time, is somewhat complicated. Now, as cargo, each of the pilots is given a bucket of water attached to a long halyard. It should be carried through 12 gates, and at the end it should be placed in the center of the table, the height and diameter of which is 1 m. Not only the correct passage through the gate is taken into account, but also the level of water remaining in the bucket after completing the task. The "rescue operation" exercise, during which the crew had to deliver medical equipment (halyard with a 5-kg load at the end) to the "rescue zone" (50 × 50 meters) and lower it into a 40 × 40 cm hole located on the layout of the sloping roofs, replaced with "delivery or postman". "Navigation" and "flight for accuracy" remained practically unchanged. As additional exercise the program also includes "individual freestyle" and tasks designed to increase the entertainment of the competition: "bottle opening" (the pilot uncorks beer bottles installed a few meters above the ground using an opener attached to the fuselage), "parallel slalom", "parallel flight for accuracy", "parallel transportation of goods". Freestyle and exercises of increased entertainment are not included in the overall standings of the Championship.

Most world records in helicopter sports belong to Soviet athletes. According to statistics, before the beginning of 1991, most of the world records - 49 out of 123 officially registered ones - were set by athletes from the USA, in second place were helicopter pilots from the USSR (47 records). But athletes from the USSR, and later from Russia, really occupied the first places in the world championships more often than others, in particular, the title of Absolute World Champions until 1991 was awarded to the USSR team twice (in 1973 and 1978). After the collapse of the Union, the Russian team was awarded this title 6 times - at all 6 world helicopter championships (in 1992, 94, 96, 99, 2002 and 2005), in 5 of which the team took 1st place, in one - second place .

Women in helicopter sport appeared only in the late 80s of the last century. Completely wrong opinion! Initially, in this sport, women competed on an equal basis with men. For example, in the Soviet Union, starting from 1973, according to the results of the competition, the title of the Absolute Champion of the USSR was awarded to both men and women. And at the first World Helicopter Championship competitions were held for female pilots: the first place was won by Hana Reich from Germany and Dorothea Schrimpf from Colombia, the second - by Christel Terjun and Irene Teufel (West Germany), the third - by Mendy Finlay from England and the Belgian crew . Nowadays, competitions of this kind are held on the condition that at least 3 countries will put up purely female crews for the World Championship. Then the title of the World Champion (continent) among women is drawn, otherwise the fair sex compete either as part of mixed teams or prove their skills by competing with male pilots.

Single and double helicopters take part in the World Helicopter Championships. No, only cars with a crew of two are allowed to compete in this kind of competition.

There can be no more than 5 crews in the national team. Yes, a national team can consist of a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 crews. However, the number can be increased if the Absolute World Champions (among men or women) wish to defend the received title - they have the right to participate in the competition as additional crews. And if a country cannot enter the minimum number of crews (three) required for the competition for the team championship, it has the right to apply for participation only in the individual competition.

A competitor or team dissatisfied with the results of the refereeing or any situation that has arisen during the competition must file a protest through the team leader. It should be noted that the protest must be accompanied by a mandatory fee, which will be returned to the team if the protest is upheld (sometimes, even if the protest is rejected, the fee can be fully or partially returned to the athletes) and evidence of the violation. It is possible to solve the problem without filing a protest - in the event of a dispute, the participant (team) within 2 hours after the announcement of the preliminary results of the competition must apply to the authorized official, first orally, and then in writing (this kind of appeal is called a claim, and not accompanied by a cash contribution). If the claim of the participant (team) was not properly considered, he has the right to file an official protest.

Only certain weather conditions are suitable for competitions in helicopter sports. Yes, and for different exercises weather conditions may vary slightly. For example, exercises 2, 3, 4 can be performed at a wind speed of about 7.7 m/s (15 knots/hour), and successful completion of exercise 5 is possible only at a slightly lower air flow speed - 4 m/s (8 knots/hour). ). Cloudiness is also important (minimum height - 300 m) and visibility on the horizon (at least 2 km). In some countries, these parameters can be changed (in the case when the flight conditions in force in the state are more stringent than the above).

Both crew members can fly the helicopter. Wrong opinion. Only the declared pilot has the right to touch the levers (with the exception of emergency situations), violation of this rule leads to immediate disqualification of the crew.

During the competition, pilots are not allowed to use various equipment that facilitates the performance of tasks. Indeed, the rules of international competitions prohibit the use of not only an autopilot, autostabilizer, radar, radio altimeter, but also a mobile phone or any other means of communication (although for emergencies each car is equipped with a VHF transmitter). Moreover, referees and assistant referees are also prohibited from using personal mobile phones during the competition. And if the pilot, who is seen in violation of this rule, will be fined 100 points, then the judge, who used any means of communication during the performance of his duties, is excluded from the Panel of Judges.

If a technical malfunction of the helicopter is detected at the start line, the departure time of the machine for the exercise will be changed, and the pilots will be able to correct the problem. Depending on what kind of start line in question. If about the pre-start line (line "P"), where participants arrive 10 minutes before the start of departure and where, after inspecting the car for the presence of means of communication, they receive the equipment necessary for the exercise (a pin with a halyard tied to it, loads (bags of rice weighing in 1 kg or a bucket of water)) - the above statement is true. In addition, for each minute of delay at the preliminary start line, the crew receives 5 penalty points (but not more than 25). But if the competition flight is interrupted after crossing the line of the execution start (line "D", where the helicopter must move 5 minutes before the start of the competition and where the crew receives an envelope with instructions and a flight card) - neither postpone the start nor repeat the exercise the crew has already will not be able to, whatever the reason (technical failure, lack of fuel, etc.). A false start (both early and late) from the "D" line incurs 200 penalty points to the crew.

From August 22 to 26, the 14th World Helicopter Championship took place at the Drakino airfield near Moscow, not far from the city of Serpukhov.

An event of this magnitude is a rarity for Russian helicopter sports. World championships for helicopter pilots are held once every three years, since 1971, and only for the third time in our country. We have already received the world's best helicopter pilots in 1978 in Vitebsk, and in 1994 in Moscow.
This time athletes from 11 countries came to visit us: Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, China, Poland, Ukraine, France, Switzerland and Russia.
50 crews performed on various types helicopters. Mi-2, Robinson R-44, Eurocopter EC-120, Eurocopter AS-350, Robinson R-22, BO-105, Gazelle, Bell-206, Hughes 300, Guimbal Cabri G2.
On August 19, the championship participants from European countries landed at the Drakino airfield. They gathered at the Russian border, were met by representatives of the organizers and, accompanied by the Russian side, flew in their helicopters along the Belgorod-Orel-Serpukhov route. The first, one of the most difficult stages of the World Cup, took place. And although the flight did not count, the organizers and pilots made every effort, overcame many difficulties in order to arrive at the competition on time.
Wolfgang Perplis (Germany) headed the panel of judges, Valery Bolvachev (Russia) became the deputy chief judge.
On August 22, at the opening ceremony, participants and guests of the championship were greeted by: Head of the Serpukhov Municipal District Alexander Shestun, Hero of the Soviet Union, Hero Russian Federation, Head of the Mission Control Center, Pilot-Cosmonaut Sergey Krikalev, FAI President John Grubbstrom, President of the FAI International Helicopter Commission David Hamilton, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Moscow Region Anatoly Nasonov, FAI Secretary General Jean-Marc Badan, President of the Federation of Aviation Sports of Russia Vladimir Ivanov, Honorary President of the FVS of Russia, Hero of the Soviet Union Vitaly Pavlov, Deputy Chairman of the Central Council of DOSAAF Viktor Chernov. All of them wished the participants of the competition success in the upcoming fight. Then, to the anthem of Russia, Viktor Korotaev and Nikolai Burov, the absolute champions of the 13th World Helicopter Championship held in Germany in 2008, raised the flags of Russia and the FAI over the airfield and the President of the Russian Helicopter Sport Federation Irina Grushina announced the 14th Helicopter World Championship Open. At the end of the ceremony, 11 helicopters carried the flags of the countries participating in the competition over the airfield.
On the same day, the governor of the Ulyanovsk region Sergey Morozov came to the World Championship in Drakino to discuss with the organizers of the World Championship and representatives of the FAI the holding of the World Air Games in his region in 2015.
The next day, August 23, the competition began. In accordance with the regulation on holding the World Helicopter Championships, the program of the World Championships includes 5 exercises. Four of them: exercise No. 1 "navigation with precise arrival on time and dropping cargo", exercise No. 2 "flight for accuracy", exercise No. 3 "Cargo transportation", exercise No. 4 "slalom", are mandatory and go to the overall standings . Exercise No. 5 "freestyle", athletes perform at will. Each of the disciplines is reminiscent of the exercises that military pilots and rescue pilots perform to improve their flying skills, where the highest piloting skills, attention, interaction, excellent knowledge of maps, ability to navigate the terrain, a steady hand, are required from the crew, good vision, accuracy. Mutual understanding is very important for the crews, since the pilot in many cases controls the helicopter only at the prompt of the operator.
The medals in discipline No. 2 "flight for accuracy" were the first to be played. An exercise in which the crew must fly across the site without flying out of the bounds, make two 360-degree turns, in a certain time, make an accurate landing. The winners were: Alexander Zhuperin and Nikolai Burov (Russia), David Monks and Caroline Hugh-Cooper (Great Britain) came second, Evgeniya Kurpitko and Vladimir Strienok (Russia-Belarus) came third.
The second exercise that was played that day was exercise No. 3 “cargo transportation”, which is the delivery of cargo on a halyard into three containers in a given sequence at different lengths of the halyard. Prize-winning places were taken by: 1st place - Victor Degtyar, Petr Vasiliev (Russia), 2nd place - Sergey Tupikov, Alexey Pintelin (Russia), 3rd place - Alexey Mayorov, Sergey Kostin (Russia).
On August 24, athletes competed in exercise No. 1 "navigation with accurate time arrival and cargo drop", one of the most complex exercises helicopter sports, the successful implementation of which often decides the fate of prizes in the all-around. The crew plots a route, takes off, in the search area, identifies targets, finds turning points, drops two weights at the target, finishes, drops the pin into the “roof” hole.
In this discipline, there was no equal to the crew consisting of Maxim Sotnikov, Oleg Puodzhyukas (Russia). Andrey Orekhov, Viktor Kalinin (Russia) were second, Evgenia Kurpitko, Vladimir Strienok (Russia-Belarus) were third. Leadership in the all-around was taken by the crew of Zhuperin Alexander, Burov Nikolai (Russia).
For the weekend of August 25 and 26, the organizers of the championship have planned the most spectacular events.
On August 25, in the morning, the athletes competed in exercise No. 4 "slalom". The crew had to: take off with a bucket on a halyard, scoop up water from a barrel, carry a bucket, in a certain sequence, through 12 gates, put it in the center of the table from a height of 11 meters and save as much water as possible. Maxim Sotnikov, Oleg Puodzhyukas (Russia) coped with the task best of all, the second place was taken by the crew of Prikhodko Lyubov, Sergey Schwartz (Ukraine-Russia), the third place was Alexander Zhuperin, Nikolay Burov (Russia).
In the evening, the athletes competed in exercise No. 5 "freestyle". Performances in this discipline cannot leave indifferent even people far from aviation. Figures, aerobatics, at the limit of the technical capabilities of helicopters, were performed by aces of helicopter sports, accompanied by music, colored smoke and elements of theatrical performances. Bravo to Elena Zhuperina (Russia), the only woman who performed in this exercise and dared to fight with the most titled pilots! According to the judges, the best were: Siegfried Schwartz (Austria), Quentin Smith (Great Britain), Maxim Sotnikov (Russia).
According to the results of the all-around absolute champions world became Zhuperin Alexander and Burov Nikolay. The second place was taken by Sergey Tupikov and Alexey Pintelin. The third place was won by Maxim Sotnikov and Oleg Puodzhiukas. The entire podium was occupied by Russian athletes!
Among the women's crews, the winners were Kosenkova Lyudmila, Prokofieva Elena (Russia), Shpigovskaya Galina, Gubar Lyubov (Russia) took the second place, our young athletes - Afanaskina Margarita and Zamula Evgenia (Russia) took the third place.
The best among juniors were: Vladimir Bugaev (Republic of Belarus), Tony Iberler (Germany), Nikita Laptev (Republic of Belarus).
In the team standings, unconditionally, the first place was taken by the Russian national team, the second Great Britain, the third Germany.
On August 26, helicopter races awaited the audience. On parallel platforms, two helicopters simultaneously performed the “cargo delivery” exercise. The best 16 crews from different countries competed for reaching the finals according to the "play off" system. The winner was Russian crew as part of Maxim Sotnikov, Oleg Puodzhyukas.
After the completion of the competition, the championship participants and spectators were treated to an entertainment program, the highlight of which was an aviation show, which included aerobatics of the Russian Ka-52 Alligator combat helicopter, performances by the famous Berkuts aerobatic team on Mi-28N helicopters.
Another surprise for everyone was the Russian Mi-38 helicopter, which, in front of thousands of spectators, set a new world record for flight altitude in the E-1h class, the FAI category for helicopters with a takeoff weight of 10 to 20 tons. The Mi-38 multi-purpose helicopter is a development of the Moscow Helicopter Plant named after M.L. Mil, which is part of the Russian Helicopters holding. Crew commander Vladimir Kutanin, co-pilot Salavat Sandriev, test navigator Oleg Repitilo, lead engineer Igor Klevantsev overcame a height of 8.6 thousand meters. Roman Kirillov, press secretary of the Russian Helicopters holding, noted: “The previous record height at 8.5 thousand meters was also obtained in flight tests by Russian pilots. The current record is officially registered and will go down in the history of world aviation.”
In the evening, the official closing ceremony and awarding of the winners took place. At the gala dinner, the participants of the championship were awarded special prizes.
The wonderful helicopter sports festival took place thanks to the financial and organizational support of the General Partner of the 14th World Helicopter Sports Championship OJSC Russian Helicopters, the official partner of UTair, partners of the championship - Aviamarket, Lukoil, Aerosoyuz, " Technoavia, strategic partners Aerotrans, Barkol, Park Drakino, Rosaviatsia, Tech-aesthetics. Huge thanks to them for their support.
All competitions were accompanied by comments of the famous sports commentator Dmitry Guberniev and head coach of the CSK VVS Mikhail Bibishev.
Let's hope that the World Air Games 2015 will be held in our country in Ulyanovsk.

Natalia Khineva. Gennady Milutsky