ZHUKOVSKY (Moscow Region) August 20 (RIA Novosti) - A collision between two Su-27 fighters at rehearsals for the MAKS-2009 air show revealed problems in flight safety procedures and pilot training, a Russian senior military commander said on Thursday.
According to a preliminary investigation, the August 16 accident that killed the commander of the famed Russian aerobatic team, Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights), and injured two other pilots, was most likely caused by pilot error.
"This accident clearly showed that there are still issues that have to be addressed in our flight safety system," Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of Russia's General Staff said at the biennial air show outside Moscow.
"It turns out that aerobatic pilots are unable to practice flights in group formations on flight simulators," the general said, adding that the use of flight simulators could significantly reduce the risks of accidents.
"We are convinced that the simulators should be built prior to the development of an aircraft. There will be fewer risks," he said.
Nogovitsyn said that all air force personnel must be trained on flight simulators and other ground training equipment as part of flight training.
According to the general, the Defense Ministry will contract several Russian companies, including the Tupolev aircraft maker, to develop and build advanced flight simulators for the Russian Air Force in the near future.
The commander of the Russian Air Force, Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin, earlier said the training of a first-class military pilot in Russia takes 7-8 years and costs $3.4 million on average, and these figures could almost double in the future.
Military pilots should fly 100-120 hours a year on average, he added.
However, some media reports claimed that the average flying time in the Russian Air Force was 60-65 hours.
