Ekaterina Oreshnikova: “After watching the film “Night Witches in the Sky,” I realized that I would be a pilot. Thousands of sorties and not a single loss
Ekaterina Oreshnikova, the only female pilot in the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. She took part in many major search and rescue operations, and together with her colleagues saved hundreds of lives:
“There were no pilots in our family, but my dad worked as an aviation engineer and I received my first knowledge about aviation from him. I became “sick” with this topic after watching the movie “Night Witches in the Sky” in 9-10 grade.
He talked about the feat of Soviet pilots who bombed Nazi troops at night during the Great Patriotic War. The film was directed by Evgenia Andreevna Zhigulenko, flight commander of a night bomber aviation regiment, Hero of the Soviet Union. I think that’s why she was able to create such believable images of brave and selfless female pilots, because she was making a film about what she experienced and felt herself. This picture turned my world upside down. And I clearly decided for myself that I would become a pilot.
Previously, it was difficult for girls to break into aviation. I interested my friend with my enthusiasm and interest in the flying profession. Together we decided to enter flight school. But at that time we had little information on how to become a pilot, and at first glance, an absolutely crazy idea came to our young hot heads. We decided to ask advice from experts in their field. The choice fell on no less than Valentina Grizodubova. She was a legendary Soviet pilot, a participant in the Great Patriotic War, who personally flew combat missions. Now I would never take such an adventure, but at that time the passionate desire to fulfill a dream and achieve a goal was stronger than fear or embarrassment.
About the meeting
By some miracle we found her home address. She lived in the center. And so we approach, with our hearts pounding, to the door of her apartment. A moment - and she is in front of us. Valentina Grizodubova. A man whom we saw only from the pages of newspapers and the TV screen. Calm, confident. She was no longer young, but retained her majestic beauty. I remember her eyes. Strict, but at the same time kind. She retained her liveliness of character, optimism, and, despite her advanced years, a clear mind. She listened to us with surprise. Then she invited me to come in. In the apartment I remember her huge portrait. She, Valentina, is beautiful, young, in military uniform... And then we talked for a long time. She told us that you cannot give up on your dreams, no matter how hard it is, that you need to stubbornly pursue your goal. This meeting was fateful.
About studying
The flying club gave me a referral to the Zaporozhye Aviation School of DOSAAF USSR Pilots. My friend didn’t get in, unfortunately, but I passed the competition and became one step closer to my dream. Only five people accepted us. This was considered a very large flow at that time. The years of study were difficult, but very interesting. I graduated from the flight school and the Moscow Aviation Institute, and in 2000 from the Moscow State Law Academy. The times were difficult; without work experience it was difficult to get a job. In 1991, I was very lucky: the general director of Moscow Airways at Sheremetyevo, Vladimir Kastyrin, believed in me and hired me. And when the opportunity arose to join the Ministry of Emergency Situations squad, my daughter was only seven months old. My family did everything so that I could work. All her relatives sat with Maria in turn, including her husband.
About mentors
I am very grateful to my mentors. We had very good teachers at MAI. And the flight instructors who taught me “put me on the wing” - in general, real aces. Until now, during my work, I remember their invaluable advice on how to act in a given situation. I am very grateful to fate that I had such teachers.
About work
Now I work at the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, an aircraft commander. I am on duty at BO-105. We deliver victims of car accidents and seriously ill children from remote areas of the Moscow region to hospitals in the capital. When a call comes in, we must take off within a maximum of 30 minutes. In addition to two pilots, the crew also includes a resuscitator. We are on duty 2-3 times a week during daylight hours. Our Boshka helicopter is an ideal option for working in the city. Flights over Moscow are allowed at an altitude of 150 meters. You cannot fly in fog, thunderstorms, snowfall, or wind speeds exceeding 15 m/s. “Boshka” is often called an air ambulance. This is a compact, nimble, but very reliable helicopter; it does not need much space for landing. My total flight time is about 4 thousand hours.
I am often asked if I feel morally satisfied with my work. In the Ministry of Emergency Situations, people do not work for money, ranks or titles. These are real enthusiasts. When we deliver resuscitators or rescuers by helicopter to the scene of an emergency, who do the main work when we manage to save a person, we feel like an integral part of a single coherent system.
About the fragility of life
I often think about the fragility of human life. It is impossible to get used to human pain and suffering; it is impossible to be indifferent to it. I still remember one of my first flights to an accident in great detail. It was a major car accident near Iksha. A married couple with two children was returning from the dacha. They were hit by a jeep that flew into oncoming traffic. The whole family died. The doctor tried to save the girl until the last minute, but she could no longer be helped. We took the person responsible for the accident to the hospital, who only suffered a concussion. This fragility of human life, the carelessness with which some treat it, shocked me.
Sometimes I had to spend at least 30 days on business trips. My husband Valery, also a pilot, is sympathetic to my work. He is part of a dynasty of pilots. We met at work. We had a funny story. They worked in the same squad, on the same car, but never saw each other, since they flew in different crews, on different shifts. My husband is tall, he customized the workplace for himself. And I moved the pedals closer. Every morning we were indignant at the actions of another, they said, he just adjusted the pedals to suit himself, and then someone took it and changed everything! One day they show me the pilot and say: “Here he is, your replacement.” I looked at him with interest. Then Valera came up and got to know each other. Fate. Now we have a daughter, she is in the 10th grade.
About rescue operations
If major emergencies occur, including abroad, the forces and resources of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations are involved. In August 2007, we helped put out fires in Greece. Forest fires engulfed almost the entire Peloponnese peninsula. In the village of Ancient Olympia, the inhabitants were cut off by a wall of fire; they could have died at any moment. Our Be-200ChS amphibious aircraft, Il-76, and Mi-26 and Mi-8 helicopters worked to extinguish the fires. The air, hot due to the fires, and hurricane winds created serious obstacles to the work of the pilots. The amphibian dropped more than twelve tons of water at a time. We used a Mi-8 with a special three-ton drainage device to deliver water from reservoirs to the fires. Thanks to our efforts, there was a turning point in the battle with the elements, and the fire began to subside.
About difficulties
In May 2012, I participated in a search operation at the crash site of a Superjet-100 plane in Indonesia, which crashed into Mount Salak during a demonstration flight. This was one of the most difficult rescue operations, the working conditions were truly extreme. The plumb of the rock was more than 80 degrees. The wreckage of the plane was at an altitude of more than two thousand meters, in the impenetrable jungle. The Indonesian military made a small platform on the mountainside where helicopters landed. We delivered rescuers to the search site, tools, and supplies. The search operation was completed when all the bodies and black boxes were found. “I want to point out that our pilots and rescuers are respected all over the world.”
Ekaterina Oreshnikova, the only female pilot in the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. She took part in many major search and rescue operations, and together with her colleagues saved hundreds of lives:
“There were no pilots in our family, but my dad worked as an aviation engineer and I received my first knowledge about aviation from him. I became “sick” with this topic after watching the movie “Night Witches in the Sky” in 9-10 grade.
He talked about the feat of Soviet pilots who bombed Nazi troops at night during the Great Patriotic War. The film was directed by Evgenia Andreevna Zhigulenko, flight commander of a night bomber aviation regiment, Hero of the Soviet Union. I think that’s why she was able to create such believable images of brave and selfless female pilots, because she was making a film about what she experienced and felt herself. This picture turned my world upside down. And I clearly decided for myself that I would become a pilot.
About youth
Previously, it was difficult for girls to break into aviation. I interested my friend with my enthusiasm and interest in the flying profession. Together we decided to enter flight school. But at that time we had little information on how to become a pilot, and at first glance, an absolutely crazy idea came to our young hot heads. We decided to ask advice from experts in their field. The choice fell on no less than Valentina Grizodubova. She was a legendary Soviet pilot, a participant in the Great Patriotic War, who personally flew combat missions. Now I would never take such an adventure, but at that time the passionate desire to fulfill a dream and achieve a goal was stronger than fear or embarrassment.
About the meeting
By some miracle we found her home address. She lived in the center. And so we approach, with our hearts pounding, to the door of her apartment. A moment - and she is in front of us. Valentina Grizodubova. A man whom we saw only from the pages of newspapers and the TV screen. Calm, confident. She was no longer young, but retained her majestic beauty. I remember her eyes. Strict, but at the same time kind. She retained her liveliness of character, optimism, and, despite her advanced years, a clear mind. She listened to us with surprise. Then she invited me to come in. In the apartment I remember her huge portrait. She, Valentina, is beautiful, young, in military uniform... And then we talked for a long time. She told us that you cannot give up on your dreams, no matter how hard it is, that you need to stubbornly pursue your goal. This meeting was fateful.
The flying club gave me a referral to the Zaporozhye Aviation School of DOSAAF USSR Pilots. My friend didn’t get in, unfortunately, but I passed the competition and became one step closer to my dream. Only five people accepted us. This was considered a very large flow at that time. The years of study were difficult, but very interesting. I graduated from the flight school and the Moscow Aviation Institute, and in 2000 from the Moscow State Law Academy. The times were difficult; without work experience it was difficult to get a job. In 1991, I was very lucky: the general director of Moscow Airways at Sheremetyevo, Vladimir Kastyrin, believed in me and hired me. And when the opportunity arose to join the Ministry of Emergency Situations squad, my daughter was only seven months old. My family did everything so that I could work. All her relatives sat with Maria in turn, including her husband.
About mentors
I am very grateful to my mentors. We had very good teachers at MAI. And the flight instructors who taught me “put me on the wing” - in general, real aces. Until now, during my work, I remember their invaluable advice on how to act in a given situation. I am very grateful to fate that I had such teachers.
Now I work at the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, an aircraft commander. I am on duty at BO-105. We deliver victims of car accidents and seriously ill children from remote areas of the Moscow region to hospitals in the capital. When a call comes in, we must take off within a maximum of 30 minutes. In addition to two pilots, the crew also includes a resuscitator. We are on duty 2-3 times a week during daylight hours. Our Boshka helicopter is an ideal option for working in the city. Flights over Moscow are allowed at an altitude of 150 meters. You cannot fly in fog, thunderstorms, snowfall, or wind speeds exceeding 15 m/s. “Boshka” is often called an air ambulance. This is a compact, nimble, but very reliable helicopter; it does not need much space for landing. My total flight time is about 4 thousand hours.
I am often asked if I feel morally satisfied with my work. In the Ministry of Emergency Situations, people do not work for money, ranks or titles. These are real enthusiasts. When we deliver resuscitators or rescuers by helicopter to the scene of an emergency, who do the main work when we manage to save a person, we feel like an integral part of a single coherent system.
About the fragility of life
I often think about the fragility of human life. It is impossible to get used to human pain and suffering; it is impossible to be indifferent to it. I still remember one of my first flights to an accident in great detail. It was a major car accident near Iksha. A married couple with two children was returning from the dacha. They were hit by a jeep that flew into oncoming traffic. The whole family died. The doctor tried to save the girl until the last minute, but she could no longer be helped. We took the person responsible for the accident to the hospital, who only suffered a concussion. This fragility of human life, the carelessness with which some treat it, shocked me.
Sometimes I had to spend at least 30 days on business trips. My husband Valery, also a pilot, is sympathetic to my work. He is part of a dynasty of pilots. We met at work. We had a funny story. They worked in the same squad, on the same car, but never saw each other, since they flew in different crews, on different shifts. My husband is tall, he customized the workplace for himself. And I moved the pedals closer. Every morning we were indignant at the actions of another, they said, he just adjusted the pedals to suit himself, and then someone took it and changed everything! One day they show me the pilot and say: “Here he is, your replacement.” I looked at him with interest. Then Valera came up and got to know each other. Fate. Now we have a daughter, she is in the 10th grade.
About rescue operations
If major emergencies occur, including abroad, the forces and resources of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations are involved. In August 2007, we helped put out fires in Greece. Forest fires engulfed almost the entire Peloponnese peninsula. In the village of Ancient Olympia, the inhabitants were cut off by a wall of fire; they could have died at any moment. Our Be-200ChS amphibious aircraft, Il-76, and Mi-26 and Mi-8 helicopters worked to extinguish the fires. The air, hot due to the fires, and hurricane winds created serious obstacles to the work of the pilots. The amphibian dropped more than twelve tons of water at a time. We used a Mi-8 with a special three-ton drainage device to deliver water from reservoirs to the fires. Thanks to our efforts, there was a turning point in the battle with the elements, and the fire began to subside.
About difficulties
In May 2012, I participated in a search operation at the crash site of a Superjet-100 plane in Indonesia, which crashed into Mount Salak during a demonstration flight. This was one of the most difficult rescue operations, the working conditions were truly extreme. The plumb of the rock was more than 80 degrees. The wreckage of the plane was at an altitude of more than two thousand meters, in the impenetrable jungle. The Indonesian military made a small platform on the mountainside where helicopters landed. We delivered rescuers to the search site, tools, and supplies. The search operation was completed when all the bodies and black boxes were found. “I want to point out that our pilots and rescuers are respected all over the world.”
» Department of Civil Defense and Safety. She took part in many major search and rescue operations and, together with rescuers, saved hundreds of lives.
For many people, the profession of a pilot or astronaut is a childhood dream. At what point did the sky “call” you? What was the reason?
There were no pilots in my family. However, my dad worked as an aviation engineer, and I received my first knowledge about aviation from him. In general, I was a humanities major at school. My mother was a teacher, she taught history. I did very well in humanities subjects. But somehow, closer to high school, the film “Night Witches in the Sky” was shown on TV. The film was directed by Evgenia Zhigulenko, flight commander of a night bomber aviation regiment, Hero of the Soviet Union. And when I watched this film, it really shocked me, and I realized that I also wanted to fly.
- How and where did your training take place?
When I was in school, in high school, when the question of choosing a specialty arose, I decided to become a pilot. At that time, however, I did not know what schools and institutes there were, what type of plane or helicopter I would fly, and in general, how to realize my dream. Previously, it was difficult for girls to break into aviation. But fate decreed that an athlete was recruited into the first Moscow city flying club to fly the Mi-2 helicopter. At the same time, I studied at the Moscow Aviation Institute, and then received a referral from the flying club to the Zaporozhye Aviation School of Instructor Pilots DOSAAF of the USSR, then it still existed. At that time in Soviet times, this was the only school where girls were accepted to study. Because in all flight schools it was written: males are accepted. The entrance competition was very large. That year, 5 of us entered from all over the USSR. And this was considered a large set, usually there were three people, but here there were five at once. Previously, there were completely different laws, and now it is much easier to do if one of the girls wants to fly. Now there are sets, if there is a desire.
- How difficult was it to train as a pilot in Soviet times?
In total, there were six squadrons at the Zaporozhye Aviation School of Instructor Pilots of the USSR DOSAAF. The cadets went through theory and learned to fly helicopters, airplanes and gliders. And for all six squadrons, for three courses (because we studied for three years) there were 30 girls. In the squadron where I studied, there were five of us, including me. We had a very strong set. These were guys and girls who really wanted to work in aviation. And not just work in aviation, but fly. And they devoted a lot of time and effort to this. But, unfortunately, there was a time when, after graduation, no one needed us. You remember very well what time it was - 1991. But after some time, I was extremely lucky, because then I was hired by the airline - Moscow Air Lines at Sheremetyevo. There was such an airline, and its General Director of the airline, Vladimir Ivanovich Kostyrin, retrained me to fly the Mi-8 helicopter. And it was thanks to this that I was able to fly not just as an athlete at a flying club, or a cadet at a flight school, but as a professional pilot. I got the chance to continue my studies with experienced pilot instructors and gain flying experience. And then the Ministry of Emergency Situations aviation was formed. I transferred to the Ministry of Emergency Situations aviation and worked there for a very long time.
In the photo: Ekaterina Oreshnikova, PIC BK117S-2 State Institution "Moscow Aviation Center"
- Tell us about your experience as a pilot in the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.
Each challenge is memorable in its own way. I especially remember one of the first flights to an accident, when I felt the transience of human life. It was a major car accident near Iksha. A married couple with two children, a girl and a boy, was returning from the dacha. They were driving and did not violate anything, and a jeep crashed into them, which drove into the oncoming lane. The whole family died. The doctor tried to save the girl until the last minute, but she could no longer be helped. And then for the first time I saw how overnight everything can change in the life of any person. And we took the culprit of this situation, the one who drove into oncoming traffic and remained alive, to the hospital. This fragility of human life, the carelessness with which some treat it, shocked me. In total, I worked for the Ministry of Emergency Situations for more than 15 years and flew on Mi-8, Bo 105 and BK-117 helicopters.”
In the photo: Ekaterina Oreshnikova, PIC BK117S-2 State Institution "Moscow Aviation Center"
- Tell us about business trips and rescue operations
- I would like to note that our pilots and rescuers are respected all over the world. If major fires or any emergencies occurred abroad, Russian forces and resources were often involved. So in August 2007, we were hired to extinguish fires in Greece. Near ancient Olympia, local residents were cut off by a wall of fire and could have died at any moment. Our Be-200ChS and Il-76 amphibious aircraft, as well as Mi-26 and Mi-8 helicopters, worked to extinguish the fires. Due to the fire, which heated the air, hurricane winds created serious interference in the work of the pilots. The Be-200 aircraft dropped more than twelve tons of water at a time. And we, on the Mi-8 with a special spillway device with a volume of three tons, delivered water from reservoirs to the fire sites. Thanks to the efforts of Russian pilots, they managed to cope with the elements. We also participated in many international exercises and demonstrations both in our country (in Kaliningrad) and abroad - in Germany and Finland. It is very important to share our experience with colleagues, show our working methods, demonstrate the features of saving people and providing first aid. Also in May 2012, I participated in a search operation at the crash site of a Sukhoi Superjet 100 plane in Indonesia, which crashed into Mount Salak during a demonstration flight. For many, this was one of the most difficult rescue operations; the working conditions were truly extreme. The slope of the rock was then more than 80 degrees. The wreckage of the plane ended up at an altitude of more than 2000 meters, in the impenetrable jungle.
- When did you start working at the Moscow Aviation Center?
In 2015, I went to work at the State Institution “Moscow Aviation Center” of the Civil Defense and Emergency Safety Department, as an aircraft commander. I am currently on duty on a BK117 C-2 helicopter. This is one of the most modern and best helicopters I know. It is compact and very reliable, it does not require much space to fit. It can even land on the roadway. My total flight time is more than 3500 hours. We deliver victims of car accidents and seriously ill patients to hospitals in the capital. Our medical helicopters respond to emergency calls when minutes count. On board the Moscow Aviation Center, seriously ill patients, for example, with myocardial infarction or internal bleeding, are transported to the hospital. Thanks to rotary-wing aircraft, it is possible to get to the place of call as quickly as possible. Our teams of doctors and rescuers fly to any point in the capital in 7-10 minutes, and to New Moscow in 15. In this regard, this is a new level of performing the work that I previously did on a Bo 105 helicopter over Moscow.
In the photo: Ekaterina Oreshnikova, PIC BK117S-2 State Institution "Moscow Aviation Center"
- Tell us about your family
My husband Valery, also a pilot, is sympathetic to my work. He is part of a dynasty of pilots. We met at work. It was a very funny story. We worked in the same squad, on the same car, but never saw each other, since we flew in different crews, on different shifts. My husband is tall, he customized the workplace for himself. And I moved the pedals closer. Every morning we were indignant at each other’s actions - we just adjusted the pedals to suit ourselves, and then someone went and changed everything! One day they show me the pilot and say: “Here he is, your replacement.” I looked at him with interest, and then Valera came up, and we met - that’s fate. Now we have a daughter, she is studying at the institute to become a teacher of Russian language and literature.
What would you like to wish on the eve of International Women's Day to all women and your colleagues?
First of all, I would like to wish all women happiness, health and love. Because it’s easy to flare up, and then go back, it’s impossible to rewind time. So that there is always mutual understanding, peace, harmony and patience in the family.
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» Department of Civil Defense and Safety. She took part in many major search and rescue operations and, together with rescuers, saved hundreds of lives.
For many people, the profession of a pilot or astronaut is a childhood dream. At what point did the sky “call” you? What was the reason?
There were no pilots in my family. However, my dad worked as an aviation engineer, and I received my first knowledge about aviation from him. In general, I was a humanities major at school. My mother was a teacher, she taught history. I did very well in humanities subjects. But somehow, closer to high school, the film “Night Witches in the Sky” was shown on TV. The film was directed by Evgenia Zhigulenko, flight commander of a night bomber aviation regiment, Hero of the Soviet Union. And when I watched this film, it really shocked me, and I realized that I also wanted to fly.
- How and where did your training take place?
When I was in school, in high school, when the question of choosing a specialty arose, I decided to become a pilot. At that time, however, I did not know what schools and institutes there were, what type of plane or helicopter I would fly, and in general, how to realize my dream. Previously, it was difficult for girls to break into aviation. But fate decreed that an athlete was recruited into the first Moscow city flying club to fly the Mi-2 helicopter. At the same time, I studied at the Moscow Aviation Institute, and then received a referral from the flying club to the Zaporozhye Aviation School of Instructor Pilots DOSAAF of the USSR, then it still existed. At that time in Soviet times, this was the only school where girls were accepted to study. Because in all flight schools it was written: males are accepted. The entrance competition was very large. That year, 5 of us entered from all over the USSR. And this was considered a large set, usually there were three people, but here there were five at once. Previously, there were completely different laws, and now it is much easier to do if one of the girls wants to fly. Now there are sets, if there is a desire.
- How difficult was it to train as a pilot in Soviet times?
In total, there were six squadrons at the Zaporozhye Aviation School of Instructor Pilots of the USSR DOSAAF. The cadets went through theory and learned to fly helicopters, airplanes and gliders. And for all six squadrons, for three courses (because we studied for three years) there were 30 girls. In the squadron where I studied, there were five of us, including me. We had a very strong set. These were guys and girls who really wanted to work in aviation. And not just work in aviation, but fly. And they devoted a lot of time and effort to this. But, unfortunately, there was a time when, after graduation, no one needed us. You remember very well what time it was - 1991. But after some time, I was extremely lucky, because then I was hired by the airline - Moscow Air Lines at Sheremetyevo. There was such an airline, and its General Director of the airline, Vladimir Ivanovich Kostyrin, retrained me to fly the Mi-8 helicopter. And it was thanks to this that I was able to fly not just as an athlete at a flying club, or a cadet at a flight school, but as a professional pilot. I got the chance to continue my studies with experienced pilot instructors and gain flying experience. And then the Ministry of Emergency Situations aviation was formed. I transferred to the Ministry of Emergency Situations aviation and worked there for a very long time.
In the photo: Ekaterina Oreshnikova, PIC BK117S-2 State Institution "Moscow Aviation Center"
- Tell us about your experience as a pilot in the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.
Each challenge is memorable in its own way. I especially remember one of the first flights to an accident, when I felt the transience of human life. It was a major car accident near Iksha. A married couple with two children, a girl and a boy, was returning from the dacha. They were driving and did not violate anything, and a jeep crashed into them, which drove into the oncoming lane. The whole family died. The doctor tried to save the girl until the last minute, but she could no longer be helped. And then for the first time I saw how overnight everything can change in the life of any person. And we took the culprit of this situation, the one who drove into oncoming traffic and remained alive, to the hospital. This fragility of human life, the carelessness with which some treat it, shocked me. In total, I worked for the Ministry of Emergency Situations for more than 15 years and flew on Mi-8, Bo 105 and BK-117 helicopters.”
In the photo: Ekaterina Oreshnikova, PIC BK117S-2 State Institution "Moscow Aviation Center"
- Tell us about business trips and rescue operations
- I would like to note that our pilots and rescuers are respected all over the world. If major fires or any emergencies occurred abroad, Russian forces and resources were often involved. So in August 2007, we were hired to extinguish fires in Greece. Near ancient Olympia, local residents were cut off by a wall of fire and could have died at any moment. Our Be-200ChS and Il-76 amphibious aircraft, as well as Mi-26 and Mi-8 helicopters, worked to extinguish the fires. Due to the fire, which heated the air, hurricane winds created serious interference in the work of the pilots. The Be-200 aircraft dropped more than twelve tons of water at a time. And we, on the Mi-8 with a special spillway device with a volume of three tons, delivered water from reservoirs to the fire sites. Thanks to the efforts of Russian pilots, they managed to cope with the elements. We also participated in many international exercises and demonstrations both in our country (in Kaliningrad) and abroad - in Germany and Finland. It is very important to share our experience with colleagues, show our working methods, demonstrate the features of saving people and providing first aid. Also in May 2012, I participated in a search operation at the crash site of a Sukhoi Superjet 100 plane in Indonesia, which crashed into Mount Salak during a demonstration flight. For many, this was one of the most difficult rescue operations; the working conditions were truly extreme. The slope of the rock was then more than 80 degrees. The wreckage of the plane ended up at an altitude of more than 2000 meters, in the impenetrable jungle.
- When did you start working at the Moscow Aviation Center?
In 2015, I went to work at the State Public Institution " Moscow Aviation Center» Department of Civil Defense and Emergency Safety, aircraft commander. I am currently on duty on a BK117 C-2 helicopter. This is one of the most modern and best helicopters I know. It is compact and very reliable, it does not require much space to fit. It can even land on the roadway. My total flight time is more than 3500 hours. We deliver victims of car accidents and seriously ill patients to hospitals in the capital. Our medical helicopters respond to emergency calls when minutes count. On board the Moscow Aviation Center, seriously ill patients, for example, with myocardial infarction or internal bleeding, are transported to the hospital. Thanks to rotary-wing aircraft, it is possible to get to the place of call as quickly as possible. Our teams of doctors and rescuers fly to any point in the capital in 7-10 minutes, and to New Moscow in 15. In this regard, this is a new level of performing the work that I previously did on a Bo 105 helicopter over Moscow.
In the photo: Ekaterina Oreshnikova, PIC BK117S-2 State Institution "Moscow Aviation Center"
- Tell us about your family
My husband Valery, also a pilot, is sympathetic to my work. He is part of a dynasty of pilots. We met at work. It was a very funny story. We worked in the same squad, on the same car, but never saw each other, since we flew in different crews, on different shifts. My husband is tall, he customized the workplace for himself. And I moved the pedals closer. Every morning we were indignant at each other’s actions - we just adjusted the pedals to suit ourselves, and then someone went and changed everything! One day they show me the pilot and say: “Here he is, your replacement.” I looked at him with interest, and then Valera came up, and we met - that’s fate. Now we have a daughter, she is studying at the institute to become a teacher of Russian language and literature.
What would you like to wish on the eve of International Women's Day to all women and your colleagues?
First of all, I would like to wish all women happiness, health and love. Because it’s easy to flare up, and then go back, it’s impossible to rewind time. So that there is always mutual understanding, peace, harmony and patience in the family.
Material on the topic
Moscow air ambulance doctors saved the life of a boy who fell from the 7th floor
Material on the topic
Moscow Aviation Center celebrates its professional holiday