- When did you first feel that you would like to become a pilot and what influenced your choice? Why did you make this decision? How long did they think and ask advice from relatives and friends? Were there any people from the world of aviation among your close relatives or friends, and did they influence your choice?

- I just really wanted to fly, to be a pilot of civil aviation. And this has achieved. Nobody flew in my family. Mama was a hydrologist who developed hydroelectric power plants. My father worked in the main computer centre of the USSR, served the first computer.

Grandfathers went through the war, but completely in other troops. Nobody had anything to do with aviation. Just wanted. I traveled to MAKS in 2011 - I was still studying at the University - and after MAKS I knew exactly what I wanted. Then there was the question of where to study, how to obtain a license for a commercial pilot. And in 2014 she entered the Sasovsk flight school.

- So you managed to get another education before you decided to fly? What did you want to do?

- Mom tried from childhood to find out what I like, what is interesting. I was interested in a bit of everything. Mom made a bias in the direction of nature, in biology - and so it went. I graduated from the Faculty of Biology of Moscow State University, but I understood that it was more science, and not something applied. I didn't want to stay in science. Since childhood, I liked the technique - cars, later motorcycles. Airplanes liked the appearance, often watched from the balcony coming into Vnukovo side. I begged my mom to fly somewhere. And only once (at the moment) flew a passenger on a Tu-134 Moscow - Anapa at 8 years old. Everything else was in the school and now in the company.

- Was it interesting to study? Were there other girls on the course?

- There were a lot of girls on my course - we literally turned this school over. They themselves did not know that this would happen. When I saw the lists of applicants, at first I did not believe it. It turned out that 18 girls in the course of 150 people. In general, I don’t like to differentiate people by age, gender, nationality or education. Learning, of course, was interesting. At first it was not to say that it was very difficult, just a lot of new information that none of us had encountered before. In my group there were lawyers, linguists, economists, and people of technical professions. For us, of course, much was mastered from scratch. When the flights came, in the second year it was a very happy time, a bit carefree. The state gave us 105 hours on Cessna 172s, 25 hours on the graduation class, and the instructors gave us the way to the sky.

- Remember your first solo flight?

-     Yes, it was such a momentous day. The instructor had been preparing for him for a long time, then he had to pass the theory, come to the airfield, fly a couple of laps with an instructor, then a circle with the commander and then the circle on his own - it is certainly remembered. It was necessary to fly only one circle, but the significance of this circle is unlimited. Then it was even better when more skill came, and you need not just to sit down, but to sit correctly, beautifully - even more emotions.

- What was the attitude towards you from male pilots, male cadets or male teachers? Still, women in this profession, we still rarely meet.

- In study - no. Our course seems to have turned their ideas about women. One of our teachers went to each group and asked: “How do you feel about this? Imagine, we have as many as 18 pieces for 150 people! How so? But everyone quickly got used to it. As we were told, it was once thought that if a girl goes flying, she should know and be able to do everything several times better than men, be a cut above her head. Requirements for girls were tougher, undervalued. I can say with confidence that now there is no such thing. The attitude was good, both on the part of teachers and classmates. I was respected. In the flight group there was a very good atmosphere, thanks to our instructor. He often put me and one of my classmates together on independent flights, we liked to fly together, we got along fine. Even as a joke, they would then like to a fixed crew in a large aircraft.

- How did your colleagues at the airline accept you?

- Definitely all is well. I'm just starting to fly. Flying 50 hours on a Boeing 737-800 is for now almost nothing at all. I was extremely lucky with an instructor in an airline: competent, calm, attentive, explains everything, trusts, where necessary, helps or corrects. In general, the best. Also with me now fly in the safety-pilot crew, which also help in something somewhere, suggest. With the flight attendants a good relationship, sometimes gifts even give.

- And how do passengers react to the pilot woman?

- I try not to go to the passengers. But once at the airport there was no tele-trap, it was daylight, and they saw me in the cabin. I saw that the girl was smiling, looked at me, and also saw several other passengers. And the senior flight attendant comes into the cabin and says: “The passengers are glad that today they have a co-pilot - a girl. Requested to transfer. It was my first flight, and it was very pleasant, though unexpected.

- You yourself chose the Boeing 737-800, or did it happen by chance, because you came to Globus, where they exploit this type?

- Always the technique - and cars, motorcycles - chose as a girl, by the exterior. It may sound silly, but initially I really liked the Boeing 737 very much. For me, it wasn’t decisive that it was his wheel, not the side-stick. These sharp features, this hypertrophied keel ... The first motorcycle chose Kawasaki on the exterior. They have this style too - sharp corners. And I liked the same cars - for example, the old Volvo models. Boeing even has a cab, if you look at a lot of sharp corners. It adds rigour and looks beautiful. I think it’s important to like the plane you fly on.

When I entered the school, they began to discourage me from Boeing, they said: "You can not cope." When I came to Ulyanovsk to fly, I went to a simulator there and I got a pilot instructor for a Boeing simulator. He also said: “Don't go to Boeing, go to Airbus”. I honestly tried to love Airbus. I even downloaded some pictures for myself, watched more videos with Airbus and other types, tried to forget my Boeing. No matter how hard I tried, I still liked the Boeing 737.

At that time, she was already familiar with Margarita Sapunova (co-pilot Globe), she congratulated me on graduation from the college, and said in greeting: “Come to us”. And then my classmate from college took a job at Globus and also said: “Come with me.” Four months later, I was invited to have an interview. From that moment on, everything was going fine, and then I thought that if everything goes this way, then this is the right choice. After the simulator, it became clear that this is not such a complicated plane that I could not cope with it. I am infinitely glad that I chose this particular type. Without a shadow of a doubt, I like it, and I enjoy it. Because the food for each flight, even though I live far away, is not like a job - I find it difficult to call it a word with a root “slave”.

- Have you ever flown a Boeing 737MAX?

- Not yet. Although, sometimes I see him in Domodedovo. Beautiful aircraft, stylish black curved blades of the fan, an unusual rear edge of the engine cowling, double wing tips - all this attracts me a lot.

- In the process of preparation, you worked out all the most difficult situations. And these are stressful situations. How do you handle it?

- We have almost all the training on the simulator - not normal, but abnormal situations, serious failures. And the concentration in such situations is very high. But we, of course, all know our first actions in any critical situation by heart. This is worked out very clearly, to automatism.

- Do you have enough time for personal life? How and where do you prefer to relax? Hobbies, hobbies, sports?

- I try to devote a lot of time to my father, he is sick now. And there is a senior nephew. I do everything to see them more often. Although I can go with a friend to a hockey match, or go skating.

- And you still like motorcycles?

- Now, of course, not the season. And the airlines have different attitudes. Someone was less categorically opposed to motorcycles, someone more, but everyone advises: "It's great, but let's better buy a car." I have my own ideas about it, let's see how it goes. But I like riding motorcycles.

- What are your professional plans? What would you like to achieve?

- I want to make sure that you always make the right decisions. It is competent to use all modes, it is good to fly, so that both the passengers, the partner, the airlines, and me like it. To achieve certain success, so I was happy with myself. I still do not dream of a wide fuselage, like many. 737 I like it so much that I would not like to change to another. Yes, and long-haul flights and frequent business trips at the moment do not attract.

- What would you like to wish to girls who want to become pilots or have already become them?

- I would like to tell everyone - both boys and girls, those who study or have already acquired a profession - if someone really wants to become a pilot, he will become one. Do not be afraid. Do not listen to anyone if discouraged. If this is yours, everything will go like clockwork. You just have to believe in yourself and try to fully invest in this business. Everything will work out if you sincerely want it and are ready for some trials. I wish you good luck, success, excellent state of health, perseverance and self-reliance.

Dear our beloved and beautiful women. The team of the AVIA.RU and the editorial staff of Aviation EXplorer heartily congratulates you on the International Women's Day - MARCH 8! We wish you happiness, love, fulfilment of desires and conquest of new professional heights!