Take-off time: Russia wants to strengthen the training of pilots of light aircraft
Russia plans to improve the training of pilots operating light aircraft, as their current qualifications may lead to an increase in accidents, Izvestia found out. Nowadays, exams at aviation training centers (AOC) are often formal, which affects safety, and pilots can take the helm even after a 40-hour training course. The Small Aviation Association is asking the Federal Air Transport Agency to introduce state examinations for pilots and a system of permits, following the example of applying for a driver's license for motorists. Izvestia investigated whether this would help improve flight safety and launch the air taxi market.
Why are light-engine planes falling
Representatives of the small aviation industry have asked the Federal Air Transport Agency to restructure the system for allowing pilots to fly on light aircraft. This follows from a letter from Sergey Detenyshev, Chairman of the Board of the Association of Small Aviation Enterprises (MalAP), addressed to Dmitry Yadrov, Head of the Federal Air Transport Agency. Izvestia has reviewed the document. Changes are necessary to minimize the negative impact of the human factor on flight safety. The innovation will also be useful for launching the so-called air taxi, that is, mass commercial transportation by small aircraft.
The document notes that there is currently a lack of proper control over the skills of commercial pilots, which poses a significant threat to the life and health of passengers. And insufficient qualifications hinder the development of the market for air transportation by light aircraft.
— Commercial pilots for small aircraft are currently being trained at aviation schools in St. Petersburg, Ulyanovsk, etc. The certificate gives them the right to carry out transportation immediately," Sergei Detenyshev told Izvestia. — And if in large aviation a young specialist can gain skills and experience as a co-pilot of an airliner, then in small aviation he immediately finds himself alone with difficulties and possible mistakes.
This directly affects flight safety, as the human factor becomes decisive in small aircraft, the expert believes. According to him, in large-scale aviation, airplanes are more automated, and it is possible to duplicate the control of operations, which greatly reduces the influence of the human factor. Almost everything depends on the pilot of a small aircraft: he flies, maintains equipment and at the same time organizes work.
In early September 2025, three small aircraft crashes occurred, resulting in deaths. So, on September 4, in the Ryazan region, near the village of Zimarovo in the Alexander Nevsky district, an X-32 "Bekas" light-engine aircraft crashed during chemical processing of fields. The pilot died. The next day, an Aviatika-MAI-890UM biplane crashed near the village of Ilyasovo near Lukhovitsy in the Moscow region. The pilot was also killed. And on the morning of the 9th, the plane crashed in the Rostov region, near the farm of Morozov in the Volgodonsky district. While performing aviation chemical work, the An-2 made a hard landing and turned over. The pilot died on the spot from his injuries. In all three cases, the main version of the investigation is an error in piloting and/or operation.
Aviation chemical work (processing agricultural fields) requires good training and experience from pilots, which, unfortunately, not every graduate has," Sergei Bondar, head of the Gagarin Aviation Training Center and a member of the MalAP Board, told Izvestia. — And pilots should have even more experience in commercial and passenger transportation.
To ensure the safety of flights on aircraft, a fundamental change is needed in the approach of passing flight exams to obtain pilot certificates, the expert believes.
— The main problem is that upon graduation from any AUT, the practical exam is not given to the Federal Air Transport Agency, but to the full—time instructors of the center, - continues Sergey Detenyshev. — That is, the same people who teach take the exams. In fact, the Federal Air Transport Agency takes the AOC management's word for it that the pilots they have trained can actually fly.
The letter to the Federal Air Transport Agency claims that this creates a direct conflict of interest and corruption risks when taking exams.
MalAP proposed to the federal agency to create a new system for testing pilots' skills and include it in the duties of the Higher Qualifications Commission. We are talking about Aviation training centers and Civil aviation schools, as well as public schools.
— It is necessary that the practical exam be taken by independent authorized instructors of the Federal Air Transport Agency, — says Sergey Bondar. — It is on the basis of their assessments that pilot certificates should be issued. The situation is about the same for motorists. They study at a driving school, and they take their driver's license exams at the traffic police.
The MalAP Association proposes to implement two basic initiatives — to provide the Federal Air Transport Agency with responsibilities and resources to test the practical skills of pilots, and to adopt an already prepared inter-factional bill on air taxi self-regulation, which is being discussed with the Ministry of Transport and the Federal Agency, continues Sergey Detenyshev.
Both initiatives together will provide appropriate conditions for the development of the air taxi market with a proper level of accessibility and security of services, he believes. If the government and the Ministry of Transport support the bill and give positive feedback on it, intensive development of air taxi will begin, including the development and production of light aircraft and engines for them, the expert believes.
"We have received a letter from MalAP and will respond to the association within the time limits set by law," the press service of the Federal Air Transport Agency told Izvestia.
The editorial board also sent a request to the Ministry of Transport.
Why is small aviation not developing?
Pilot training is carried out in stages: after a 40-hour course at a flight school, a person receives a private pilot's certificate, Vladimir Izrailev, an aviation instructor and examiner with 30 years of experience in aviation, told Izvestia. He has the right to fly for his own pleasure and cannot carry passengers, although this requirement is not always respected. Even small aviation schools can train such "private traders".
Professional pilots for commercial transportation are trained at large state schools in St. Petersburg and Ulyanovsk, and they need to study there for four to five years, the expert said. After a 150-hour flight, the specialist receives a commercial pilot's certificate, he added.
— The highest level is a linear pilot who has already flown 1,500 hours, — continues Sergey Bondar. — These are specialists with tremendous experience. In large-scale aviation, they usually become aircraft commanders and help young pilots gain experience.
According to him, there are a lot of them in small aircraft, but you can't put them on every pilot.
— Therefore, we need a system for taking flight exams by independent and authorized instructors from the Russian Air Transport Agency, who could test the skills of private and commercial pilots, — says Sergey Bondar.
The expert notes that insufficient training is also due to legislative imperfections. Passenger transportation is allowed to be carried out exclusively by airlines. Only very large structures with their own infrastructure can create them. It is necessary to create structures in which pilots on small 3-4 local planes could legally carry out sightseeing or tourist flights, he adds.
Therefore, at the same time as tightening exams and control over training, it is necessary to enable small aircraft and allow it to carry passengers, he believes.
"There is practically no market for air travel on light aircraft in the Russian Federation, although there is considerable demand for such transportation," Sergey Panchenko, head of the ART aviation holding, told Izvestia. — It is now difficult to legally transport passengers to Suzdal or other tourist-attractive cities on small planes due to strict requirements for small aircraft.
One of the ways to develop small aircraft is to create legal air tourism, the market participant notes.
"Excessive administrative barriers for carriers have practically destroyed small aircraft as an affordable mode of transport in the Russian Federation," Andrey Patrakov, founder of the RunAvia flight safety resource and aviation expert, told Izvestia. — We have the same requirements for large airlines with hundreds of aircraft, such as Aeroflot, and for operators of two or three light-engined vessels.
Removing administrative barriers for small aircraft will not only allow it to be revived quickly, but also increase flight safety, he concluded.
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