Timur Apakidze

Timur Awtandilowitsch Apakidse (Georgian თემურ აფაქიძე Temur Apakidse; Russian Тимур Автандилович Апакидзе ) ( born March 4, 1954 in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR; † July 17, 2001 in Russia) was Major-General of the Russian Air Force, a fighter pilot and Hero of the Russian Federation. He was the founder of modern Russian naval aviator and was considered one of the best pilots in Russian history. In addition, he was one of five pilot has perfected over the world who could dominate the so-called Cobra maneuver and.

Life

Youth and Education

Timur Apakidze was born in the royal house of Mingrelian Apakidses. During his first year, his mother moved with him to Leningrad where he grew up and attended school. After graduation he moved to the local " Nakhimov Naval School " and learned to fly. His extraordinary skills gained the attention of fleet management, so Apakidze 1971 appointed to the Armed Forces and was sent in the same year in the Higher Military Aviation School of Jeisk.

Military career

1975 left Apakidse Jeisk with the rank of lieutenant and was assigned to the 846th Guards Bomber Pilots Regiment of the Navy. 1983 promoted to Major, he was given the responsibility for the training of the unit. He led Karate into his training program. He took the view that even pilots for all possible situations, not only in the air, special had to be prepared on the ground. Apakidse graduated in 1986 Seekriegsakademie NG Kuznetsov and was appointed commander of the 100th Fighter Regiment in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. In its "Center for Naval Aviation " he studied the Surgery of aircraft at sea.

Ten years was Apakidse as one of the best pilots in the Soviet Union and Russia. Due to his reputation, he went into the history of the Russian naval fleet as a founder of their modern naval aviator. During his career he flew 13 different aircraft types. Apakidse was born on September 26, 1991 entrusted the landing of a Su-33 on the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, which he achieved without complications. On the same day he performed three more landing maneuver, and then tested the same maneuvers during the night and under adverse weather conditions. During the collapse of the Soviet Union later that year Apakidse was already colonel and main instructor of naval aviation school on Saky. He rejected both the oath to stand out from the Soviet Union losgelößte Ukraine, as well as the offer also his newly independent homeland, Georgia and flew with his regiment after Severomorsk. His reasoning was that you " only once is likely to take an oath ."

1992 Russia was him the command of their only naval air squadron, the 297th year, he acted as deputy commander and 1994 as acting commander of the 57th Air Division of the Northern Fleet. On August 17, 1995, he was appointed by President Yeltsin for his contribution in the development of the Russian Navy and its numerous successful missions to the heroes of the Russian Federation. Together with the Kuznetsov his squadron from 1995 to 1996 went for training maneuvers in the Mediterranean in which its pilots conducted among other 2500 landing maneuver without any incidents. The colonel himself lifted his plane up to seven times a day in order to maintain the motivation of his troops. According to an Israeli military magazine they were confronted precisely in this period for the first time with Russian aircraft in their airspace. The unknown aircraft, as a Su- 27 or Su-33 would be identified, was asked to leave. This was, however, the Israeli airman outmaneuvered and set to intercept before it gave way and disappeared again.

By Apakidses efforts, the military leadership not to put the aircraft carrier Kuznetsov financial reasons out of service, because you now in the Naval Aviation saw great potential decided. Their strength, however, was severely limited with 15 ready to use machines. In 1997 Apakidse was promoted to Major General and began the controversial Cobra maneuver in his squadron to introduce. However, since they considered too risky and rather unfit proved for a real combat mission, this venture was soon discontinued. General Apakidse was thus one of only five drivers in the world, which dominated this maneuver and during missions or flight Schaus executed. In 1998 Apakidse graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces and became deputy commander of the training program for Russia's Air Force.

Air Show accident

At an air show on 17 July 2001 became General Apakidses Su-33 according to a complex maneuver out of control and crashed. The pilot tried yet to fly the runway until the last moment, moving away from the crowd. However, it lacked a few kilometers. The aircraft could not be lifted and bounced still controlled on the ground. Shortly after the crash sparked Apakidse from the ejection seat and landed at high speed on the asphalt. He suffered serious fractures and died from his injuries on the way to hospital.