Russian President Demands Air Safety Improvements

Those of us who have spent any significant time in the former USSR, and Russia in particular, understand the problems in the aviation system there. Although there was a lot of cooperation prior to WWII, afterward the Soviet and western systems of aviation went their own separate ways, with equipment, operations, training and other aspects diverging over time. Some equipment, such as rocket engines and radial engines are world class. Equipment tends to be pretty robust, if simple. Pneumatic systems are preferred over hydraulic systems. In the past, aviation in Russia in many ways has operated like it did (everywhere) in in the 1930's. It is by and large a large "club" where pilots either know or know of almost everyone in the business. Military and civil, both fixed wing and rotary wing aviation are separate "clubs" with almost no movement of pilots between them. Pilots are checked by medics before every flight, primarily for evidence of recent alcohol consumption. There are a lot of "norms" that exist that will require a major change from top to bottom to really make a difference in Russia's aviation system. Many if not most of the Russian pilots I have met who trained on western equipment have had exposure to the western way of doing things. They are the ones who need to be given management responsibilities to bring the Russian system out of the 1930's and into todays world of aviation. Russia, like most other countries, is proud of its history in aviation and space. They have just as much of a "not invented here" problem as anywhere. Sending a lot of western consultants into Russia is not going to be effective. Better to bring their best and brightest to train in the US and Europe, then let them go back and try to turn their system around.