LONG DAYS OF SMALL HEIGHT
Anatoly Yakoventsev
The commander of the aircraft Lipetsk Joint Aviation Unit of the Office of Civil Aviation of the central regions
All together we decided on the fly "point." So the pilots call this tiny plot of land where the AN-2 is based on the time of the agricultural work.
On this piece of land and the runway (sometimes paved and usually unpaved), and a gas station, and storage of fertilizers and pest control of crops. Here and crew rest area, and place of their meetings with agronomists, kolkhoz chairmen, visiting with aviation refine scope of work for the day to come.
So, we're flying ... During the flight, I have often thought of the flight commander of the detachment of Alexander Kireev, his deputy, Alexander P. Tyurin Lipetsk and the deputy commander of the combined squadrons of Ivan Vasilievich Shevchenko, advised me not to look Yakoventseva in Lipetsk, and fly to where his workplace, the "point "Red in the district center.
In the cabin are three of us. In addition to my technician, who was summoned to the "point" and the pilot-trainee. In the cockpit, two:
lead aircraft Viktor Konopkin-on in a chair on the left, at the helm of the right-squadron commander of the AN-2 agricultural use Antropkin Nicholas Roerich.
The plane is at an altitude of 100 - 150 meters. What a beautiful sight, is to fly low over the ground, when everything in your hand! When, if we are lucky to such a meeting, a person familiar with the bird's eye can see. Antropkinu can not carry. It is not the first ten years. He knows every farm chairman, on the ground indicate any village, which neither is a small ravine. Directly in our course wheat field.
Nicholas Roerich shows the wrong way, and yells in his ear to me, blocking the noise of the engine:
- State Farm "Red Ear" Lipetsk region ... Look to eight harvesters each other tight. On the side of the road "briefing." And the "jeep" series. This is either the Peter M. Melanin, or his agronomist ... Melanin-host! There's some harvesting complex formed. So it is a complex of the array at once smahnet wheat ...
Antropkin paused, still smiling, like a scroll in his imagination, as his friend director of Hero of Socialist Labor State Farm P. Melanin looks like harvesting complex of eight harvesters harvest of ripe golden wheat.
- And other times you fly and you see a warp-processor and its end is not visible. And even worse glitch ... "Expected" because it never happens. And then no "flying detachment" next to any phone ...
So the conversations we have quietly flew to the edge of the district center of Red. Turn to the right wing and among the stubble, corn fields opened a small asphalt runway. For the AN-2, and more is needed. However, I see Konopkin puts the car on the ground next to the band: "While dry, we are on the grassy carpet of rubber-planting should take care of ..."
Wing Commander Yuri Pavlovich Paletsky reports to the commander of the squadron carrying out works: aviators make dressing for winter, prepare next year's harvest. Paletsky Yakoventsevym working with since 1961. After school started in Uzbekistan. Then he was transferred to Yakoventseva Lipetsk and soon fate brought them back together: they are now nearly twenty years in the Lipetsk detachment, the squadron of agricultural aviation, AN-2. Paletzkiana enlisted pilot in the first link Yakoventseva. And now happened like that. And so that Yakoventsev conveyed his commanding powers to a friend and he is now a pilot in his link works. It is in the chain of five crews. The aircraft, tail number Yakoventseva 68-AN-2 was a little to one side. To him, and flew toward techniques. And we begin to familiarity with the business, which Anatoly Yakoventsev is more than a quarter century.
This is a passenger so it seems: the AN-2 to fly easily. With a cargo of fertilizer or chemicals to fly much more difficult. First, the height. Is there a standard height for different types of work. When making fertilizer, the height should not exceed 50 meters. Otherwise, a large screening will decrease the quality of fertilizer, and thus the crop yields.
But fifty meters on the concepts of people here is not so high. For the AN-2 is the "ceiling", that walk. Here with pesticides or herbicides flight is not a toy. This height is not more than five meters. In order not to "hook" the area that do not require treatment, so as not to cause damage to areas in which grazing cattle, working people.
Yakoventsev, explaining their problems, does not speak until about one-that these five meters in height require each pilot, and from him including the high voltage and high skill. Especially in densely populated areas, where fields are crossed by power lines and communication cables, which now and then there are forest plantations. But gradually the conversation turns to the topic:
- You fly on the very low level by copying the terrain, all the obstacles encountered along the way. You do something to say? ..
The question asked in a calm voice, and it seems to me, with no hope of an answer. In fact, in my opinion, because it is simply impossible to fly: five meters above the ground. And it flies. They fly everyone who drives an AN-2 here in Lipetsk, and in many other regions of our country.
I confess that I still have to meet with Yakoventsevym and his friends thought that the AN-2 pilot work, which for some reason can not drive a jet airliners flying between regional and national centers for the many hundreds and even thousands of kilometers. This, of course, difficult. But it is beautiful today, now you're on a snowy airfield, say, Yakutsk, and after a few hours of warm, gracious in mid-winter climate of Bukhara and Samarkand, subtropics of Sukhumi ...
But everything was much more difficult. Yakoventsev has the right to drive a jet car. But he did it was never used.
- I love the land. It all feeds. And one of the pilots should take care of her ...
Care, this is not an easy task. And labor is not as significant as the work of the pilots on large machines with which we meet those who are in regular flights. And with Yakoventsevym passengers do not occur. He himself says that the development of transport and road network have robbed the passengers of aircraft midland. Passenger flights are virtually none. And the only ones who appreciate the work of the pilots selhozaviatsii,-polevody, agronomists, farm managers. They Yakoventsev common. He knows almost all by name, patronymic. And even in their relation to the work that he performs.
He did not comment on the relationship. Goodbye to the crew in the Red, we took off and headed for Dobrinsky area.
The flight does not take much time and opportunity to be considered in great detail sailing under the wing of the fields, woods, small villages and large villages and towns makes it fun and interesting.
I remembered the words of Anatoly Alexandrovich: "I can not for a long time to break away from the earth, we always want to be closer to her." He was true to his word. Many of his students travel through the blue ocean of air on jet liners, and he can not get off the ground. Above it, on its surface at the most, he flew more than seventeen thousand hours. We shared with him these seventeen thousand to twenty-four hours and got 708 days. So much time spent in flight Yakoventsev at the helm of the AN-2. I ask another question: "How many acres treated?". On it, even he could not answer. And not because he had been flying with other tasks, of which we are yet to come. Could not answer for a simple reason to talk about is worthy of special.
After about twenty minutes after taking off from the "point" in the Red we landed at the airfield, which is dramatically different from where we met with Anatoly Alexandrovich. It was not only the asphalt runway, like in the Red. There was a site for the manufacture of mortar in place of liquid complex fertilizers. Been here for indoor storage of fertilizers and chemicals. They did not rain soaked, do not incinerate the sun and the wind blew, as in the Red. In short, there was much to not like it, and several times better.
- There are local or around airports, "points" in Dobrinka district five, not counting the ground sites, from which you can climb and rapid processing of the field. A simple calculation: the distance from the "point" to the field within ten kilometers, making up to fifty flights a day. During a flight handle twelve acres. So, one day six hundred. And now another calculation from the "point" to the field of fifteen or sixteen miles. The number of flights is reduced by half. Half acres, and processed. The processing is delayed. Pass the best agronomic terms, increasing the cost-effectiveness decreases. All this he thought more than once, and not only in private. Then they, the aviators, the full convergence. But they did not build airfields. And they also plowed without their consent.
One on which we stand is equipped with collective name of MF Frunze and the VI Chapaev.
- Here know how to count money and to persuade chairmen in the efficiency of agricultural aviation is not necessary. Their harvest is not one that convinced ...
- And what in the Red?
- And in the Red nothing. The Red is the only site on the entire area in which there is no stock, no mortar site, nor anything that is done, or frunzentsami Chapayevites. He says this with great regret Yakoventsev as something not accomplished his. And it-is his public business, in which he sees unsolved problem. Squadron NK Antropkin Yakoventseva supports:
- The area was previously Krasnyanskaya several unpaved airfields. We and they have arranged. But all of them plowed ...
Yakoventsev has the right to fly jetliners. But do not use them. He believes that the land that feeds all, demands the care and aviators. And his disciples plow the ocean air and a variety of ways. But no matter how far they ran routes for the teacher to keep up is not easy. Seventeen thousand flight hours on the account, Anatoly Alexandrovich, 708 full days, millions of acres treated fields. And he lists, like the Red enters the board, those areas where the state is related to the use of aircraft in the agricultural sector. Following this call areas, farms, underestimate the capabilities of aviation, where the short-sighted to refer to its use, reducing the useful effect.
I was reminded of this when meeting with the chief agronomist of the collective farm named after MI Kalinin Vasily Nikolaevich Lopatin on the "point" in the Red. He arrived on board the car for pilots with an invitation to dinner. I planted all those who were at the airport, but two attendants, and brought in the district center. I asked Lopatin:
- Are the work of aviation?
He replied:
- Are very much. It's all about time. And its pilots appreciate. And the quality is good ... We are very happy with them ...
Yakoventsev sure that sooner or later begin to appreciate the time and the heads of households, which decide on the establishment of airports, with all the necessary equipment to storage of fertilizers, the mechanization of loading them in the tank AN-2. "As in Uzbekistan", he said.
And he told me there Anatoly first chapter of his flying career. It began in the area Urgenskom Khorezm region, immediately after the end of summer school Buguruslan civil aviation.
- There's cotton fields. What price for the national economy has a cotton-not for me to explain to you. But without aviation cotton growers are now a step. And fertilizer and pest management, and conduct all of defoliation, they laid on the aircraft. And I must say that the organization of this case there is a model set. There, on each site, where the aircraft is based, there is a designated person who is responsible for everything. His duties include caring for the supply of fuel, providing fertilizers and herbicides, recreation and power crews. Platforms are equipped with telephones. In short, it delivered thorough ... And here I must say that much of what he saw there at the time Yakoventsev, he suffered and the Lipetsk land. Not without his advice and assistance is equipped, in particular, the collective name of the airfield, and MF Frunze and the VI Chapaev. It told me Antropkin. Sam Yakoventsev of silence. And I, knowing nothing of its merits, did not ask. But interest in his work in Uzbekistan.
- Younger was also a lot of unknown there. Because, apparently, everything seemed interesting. Although it is now every day, doing one of discovery. Not long ago, one of the collective farm chairmen said, "Anatoly, to sow the wheat will not help?" I was surprised at first, but then I realized what caused the request. They raised in their seemingly virgin soil. Well, while plowing, this and that-the rains have taken. With the tractor in a field of such a pore is not vedesh, stuck. And do not be sown. So much labor, tools, fertilizers, this wedge is embedded virgin! And I dare ...
Yakoventsev went on calculated risks, they are well calculated, verified ... Filled grain. Adjusted the seeding mechanism in the plane. Actually, such a mechanism in the AN-2 does not. Adapted for this purpose an ordinary system, which is made with mineral fertilizers. Personalize it for grain. And the plane took off ...
- I have the spring in a different area of work. But it does not go out of my head I sown field. Flew up, looked from the height of joy and the soul was: did it! Shoots straight, vigorous. Zalyubueshsya this green carpet. Then I was the chairman said: "An excellent harvest from the virgin lands were."
These are the joys and still excite the heart Yakoventseva. And then, in the beginning, when not many thousands of hours, but only tens or hundreds of them flying time was measured by Anatoly Alexandrovich, joyful and significant were the many events to which he was to become.
He has served on its AN-2 expedition of geologists and archaeologists. His car was known to the builders of the pipeline "Bukhara-Ural" and "Bukhara-Center". This gas pipeline has not been without the active assistance of the AN-2. Also deposited in its memory unique flights, showing them a great understanding of the economic and social importance of the work.
By the spring ends forage on farms and pastures in the lowland areas of Khorezm. The roads into the mountains through the passes did not yet exist. And in the mountains of alpine meadows, the abundance of rich food. And then appealed to airmen: carry the sheep in the mountains.
- It was a complex and beautiful flights. Get up before sunrise. Loaded into the plane and took a course of sheep in the pasture area. We tried to take off early to have time to make at least one flight a little more. And nobody put it in his merit.
And I thought that the least concerned about the merits of Yakoventsev. For him, both then and now, every flight, every flight, another purpose to which he had sworn, written statement in his first flying school.
He tells about the events of more than twenty years ago as something that happened yesterday, and he has not had time to go through all this. Yakoventsev as it were invited to experience with him, this event again. And if he does not survive, then at least understand. To understand how important it was to take the cattle to the alpine meadows. To understand how difficult it is in the predawn darkness to fly the mountain gorges. Experience how difficult it is to land the plane on a mountainside, and it is not easy to get up in the air, starting down the slope ...
All this can be, but to understand the true value of past events can only be a pilot. And so I look at the squadron commander. Nicholas Roerich. listening to a story with me Yakoventseva, nods his head. I feel that he understood everything much better than fine, and appreciated the difficulties of these flights and the knowledge of man, who himself has repeatedly found himself in such situations.
I have not noticed how he seemed to be talking to himself jumped to another subject entirely. But it sounded fresh and exciting. First Antropkin started about Kazakhstan. There, while in the Lipetsk region occurred relatively quiet on the field work, it was decided to send a few cars to handle well-known air of virgin land. Among those who had to lead by example and distributor of precious experience of the aircraft in the Battle of the harvest, there was also Anatoly. His presence in the expeditionary force Lipetsk aviators were especially needed another reason that expressed a desire to fly to Kazakhstan, a group of young pilots. They need reliable, authoritative coach who can show by example how to handle the field, not having analogues in size in the European part of the country. Lipetsk and airmen have confirmed their high calling. Nearly 13 percent of them exceeded the task of processing fields.
I asked, "How?" Antropkin says:
- Came up with them there is one improvement that is suggested by the scale of acreage ...
Upon arrival in Kazakhstan, Lipetsk pilot immediately determined that the equipment installed on the machines in these circumstances will be ineffective. The idea has earned at all: those who came to the virgin lands, and those who remain to operate the flight crew. And I must say the idea has worked in the same direction: "Make a wide-spray herbicides."
Work has begun to boil: creative thought gave rise to technical solutions. They are quickly translated into action. Install spray herbicides on the wide field plane-it's not easy. Nevertheless, adjustment was made quickly, based on the spot.
- Clever guys arrived in Kazakhstan, says Yakoventsev-all on the fly grasped ...
On the intelligence guys can not speak. The pilot simply a matter of seconds required to assess the situation and make a decision and execute it. This is the axiom that truth does not require proof. In this case it is a different story. They could have nothing to alter their squadron in the Lipetsk special account in the squadron. The crews of well-known not only in the region, but also in Kazakhstan, invite them to the geologists, farmers are invited to Czechoslovakia. And everywhere, thanks to the reviewers a masterful job in very difficult circumstances. That just had to do any pilots in their AN-2. Yakoventsev even wheat sown from the air. And really well, has grown a great harvest.
In Kazakhstan, representatives of the Lipetsk combined unit worked well. They deserve thanks to virgin lands, which are able to appreciate the honest labor, to the same expertly organized. And then a lot depends on the coach: he spoim example asks the spirit to the specific case, which is required to drive the enthusiasm, initiative, high-performance, ably organized labor. He circled the field, calculated, which will be sent, at what point to take the port of mineral fertilizers, in which direction, in agreement with the direction of the wind, to make them from the air into the soil. An example of a mentor-property of the whole team. His experience is taken into service unnoticed by all. And then it becomes the collective best practices, which in some ways improved it, stepped around, something changed. But even then, the initiator of the best in the business the employee does not remain in the shadows. How many times have experience Yakoventseva studied at the Exhibition of Economic Achievements of the USSR. Not a single gold and silver medal was Anatoly dignity for the successes he has achieved and the other pilots that opened agricultural aviation secrets of the highest skill. And of course, there is no need to guess, and it is because the mission entrusted to him difficult is to help the Czechoslovak pilots to explore the practice of agricultural aviation in difficult, in terms of piloting districts.
In Czechoslovakia, they flew from Lipetsk, two crews: machinery and Yakoventseva Belgorodtseva. Here is the story of Anatoly Alexandrovich:
- Before we arrived in the regions of Hradec Kralove and Pelgrzhimov planes in the agricultural sector have not been applied. In this regard, the areas considered to be futile: a complex topography of the Czech-Moravian Highlands, a small field surrounded by forest, as it were predetermined their destiny. The two areas were to handle thirty-two thousand hectares of crops. We understand that the responsibility fell on us is enormous. Our work is constantly assisted by representatives of LHCH (aviahimicheskaya activities) and LHP (agrochemical company), two organizations that were interested in the objective evaluation of agricultural aviation.
Assisted, studied all-fuel consumption, performance, cost of fertilizers. I remember after the first flight arrived in a field agronomist with a square metal outline. Put it on the ground and said, how many grains per square decimeter necessary.
The next day, we turn to the representatives of agricultural cooperatives. Brought an application for fertilizing their fields. Hence, our work has been recognized. In an average day, we were treated to 330-350 acres. However, in other days and sixty-odd hectares we catch all depended on the topography.
For three months we worked in Czechoslovakia. And by the end of the stay was summed up. We are treated instead of 32 thousand Belgorodtsevym 33.5 thousand hectares. I must say that the service was impeccable vehicles. For technical reasons, there was no downtime. Download fertilizers made with carts, and why there were not any losses.
But that's not it. The main conclusion is: the work of two Soviet crews demonstrated the possibility of using agricultural aircraft in these areas were considered hopeless. The Commission came to the conclusion that we have contributed to the introduction of new methods of plant nutrition. It was agreed that the equipment needed constant aviastantsii. Well, we were invited to fly to next year ...
- We flew?
- I flew with his crew. Met us there, as old friends. And we are, and this time face in the dirt does not hit. In a word, put the top of our pilots an important and useful work. Now his friends Czechoslovak pilots have trained on our experience. And in areas where previously it was thought that the aircraft can not be used now with great success working AN-2: their production, they have established themselves ...
All, of course, can not record from the story Yakoventseva. His trips to Czechoslovakia, a special, very interesting topic. Yet a review of the last flight back like lead almost verbatim: "Aeroflot pilots Anatoly Yakoventsev, Vladimir Platonov and Alexander Kuzkin helped greatly to our agriculture. His high work ethics, discipline and dedication they have become an example for the rest of the pilots ... Your comrades are excellent representatives of Aeroflot and their country. "
It was in the area Strzhibro. Then the crew Yakoventseva handled 19,000 hectares.
I watched, not interrupting, the man is not only beautiful in appearance. It is beautiful to its moral content, your attitude, personal integrity and generosity. Such people attract like a magnet, and infect the energy of creativity.
It is no coincidence eldest son Michael graduated from the Bauman Moscow Higher Technical School, Department of aircrafts. I went in the footsteps of his father and younger son, Peter, after high school enrolled in Minsk Aviation Technical School Aeroflot. Love for aviation they instilled in my father. And it is such a specialty, which for a lifetime. As his father. Like his comrades, with whom I had the opportunity to meet before his meeting with Yakoventsevym.
He sheepishly said that beat out "from under the wing of" the female half of the family. She, apparently, his outlook on life. Eric P. has devoted himself, perhaps, the most responsible, difficult and obscure work, it is a kindergarten teacher. Anatoly perfectly understands everything: his wife and the daily concerns of those who are in heaven, who are preparing for flight, and those who just started to put on the first syllables of words and is still very shaky ground. They probably have more trouble from them, apparently, more sore head and heart. And so he tries as best it can alleviate the hard lot of the pilot's wife.
I remembered his story, five meters above the ground, the standard flight with chemicals ... And on a different look at Eric Petrovna, who have to put your trust and wait.
Evening in the apartment Yakoventsevyh phone rang. Caused Moscow. This is called a daughter, Natasha. She is studying in the building. Civil Engineer. And again, guess the nature of the solid and straight. Being a builder, so every time a new place to start. Even if in the same city, still in another place.
- Natasha will not sit. She is one of those who like to change places. She is a builder.
We went from Yakoventseva late at night. We walked down the street, Valentina Tereshkova, where he lives. Above us stretched the starry dome of the sky. This element of Anatoly Alexandrovich Yakoventseva. In it, he spends long, filled with concern for their bread everyday flying. Great everyday low altitude aircraft.
