Flight Training on the Lasta Training Aircraft
Wednesday, 8.1.2020 | Training
Minister of Defense Aleksandar Vulin attended flight training on the Lasta training aircraft used for the training of Military Academy cadets at the airport “Pukovnik-pilot Milenko Pavlović” (“Colonel-pilot Milenko Pavlović”) in Batajnica today.
Speaking about the importance of this aircraft, the commander of the 252nd Training Squadron of the 204 Air Force Brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Boško Šerbedžija, pointed out that the unit has had “Lasta” aircraft included in its armory since last year.
— With its introduction into operational use and inclusion in the flight training process, the quality of the training has been significantly improved. The “Lasta” aircraft, with its modern digital avionics and devices, provide basic, navigation, figurative, instrumental and night flying training — said Lieutenant Colonel Šerbedžija.
According to him, the cadets thus acquire excellent prerequisites for transfer to the G-4 aircraft, on which they complete training at the Military Academy, as well as all the necessary knowledge and prerequisites for becoming Air Force pilots.
Flight instructor from the 252nd Training Aviation Squadron, Major Aleksandar Mrvić pointed out that the task of that squadron was to select candidates and then to implement initial and basic training on the “Lasta” V-54 aircraft.
— These same candidates become cadets, and after they have passed that selective level of training, they start training on the ‘Lasta’ aircraft in their fourth year of education — emphasized Major Mrvić, adding that the “Lasta” aircraft is a great transition between selective training and training on the “Super Galeb” (“Super Seagull”) G-4, and because of the flight characteristics and performance of “Lasta”, it is very significant that it was introduced into the armament of our aviation.
An important element of the application of each aircraft is also maintenance, because the aircraft must be correct at all times, and Senior Sergeant First Class Goran Teodorović, who is in charge of the first stage maintenance of the “Lasta” V-54 aircraft, emphasized that this was a much more complex aircraft for maintenance compared to others of the same purpose that the unit has so far used for initial training.
— We have undergone all maintenance training in the first and second stages of this type of aircraft and are prepared to maintain its full integrity. It is a newer aircraft, with new avionics, new technology and completely digital, all analog devices have been eliminated — said Senior Sergeant Teodorović, adding that this level of digitization enables reading of data, engine parameters in the air and on the ground, which is incomparably more modern compared to those that have been used in the unit for this purpose.
