Future Pilots of SAF Helicopters Attend Flight Training
Wednesday, 1.3.2023 | Training
The fourth-year Military Academy cadets are undergoing flight training with light multi-purpose helicopters "Gazelle" at Military Airfield "Colonel Pilot Milenko Pavlović", Batajnica, and wider area surrounding Belgrade.
Such training, delivered by instructors from the 890th Mixed Helicopter Squadron, 204th Air Force Brigade, represents the initial flight-training segment cadets go through in preparation for the duties of SAF helicopter pilots.
The training curriculum includes exam flights with the instructor, independent flights and the practice of landing and taking off outside the airfield, so that future pilots could be fully trained to fly this type of aircraft independently. In order to take up the "Gazelle" helicopter flight training, they had to come through ground preparations first which included knowing the characteristics of the helicopter and its assemblies, radio-navigation equipment, piloting techniques as well as theoretical contents in aerodynamics and meteorology.
The fifth (final) year cadets are expected to undergo retraining with the combat helicopter "Gama" or multi-purpose transport helicopters "Mi-17" depending on their affinities, abilities and results. That is a way to round off the entire MA cadets’ flight training process within the military aviation module.
Cadets are able to receive intense flight training thanks to huge investments in SAF Air Force that started a couple of years ago. That way, the availability of aircraft needed to conduct training increased manifold, with the result that cadets graduate from the Military Academy as already qualified pilots. Thus, upon their appointment, they could focus on the advanced forms of training and retraining with the most modern combat and multi-purpose helicopters that are part of SAF weaponry.
