The first World Aerobatics Championship on powered aeroplanes was held in Hungary in 1960; the first European Championship, in 1977. World and European Championships usually take place in alternating order on a biannual basis. The Soviet, later the Russian, team is one of the best in the world. It is distinguished by its signature flying technique and its school founded by ace pilots. A variety of Unlimited (top level) category competitions have seen absolute championships won by our pilots: Vladimir Martemyanov and Galina Korchuganova (1966), Igor Yegorov and Svetlana Savitskaya (later twice Hero of the Soviet Union, USSR astronaut pilot) (1970), Victor Letsko and Lidia Leonova (1978), Valentina Yaikova (1978), Victor Smolin (1982), Khalide Makagonova (1984), Lyubov Nemkova (1986), Natalia Sergeyeva (1990), Victor Chmal (1996), Svetlana Kapanina (1996, 1998, 2001, 2003), Mikhail Mamistov (2001), and Sergei Rakhmanin (2003).
Among the champions and other award winners at the World and European championships have been Vitold Pochernin, Alexei Pimenov, Lyudmila Mochalina, Nikolai Nikityuk (three times Absolute Champion of Europe), Irina Adabash, Evgeny Frolov (currently leading test pilot of the P.O. Sukhoi Design Bureau, Hero of Russia), Yurgis Kairis, Aleksandr Lyubarets, Svetlana Kabatskaya, Yelena Klimovich, Sergei Rakhmanin (Absolute Champion of Europe in 1999), Svetlana Fedorenko (Absolute Champion of Europe in 1999 and 2004), Mikhail Mamistov (Absolute Champion of Europe in 2004), Nikolai Timofeyev, Aleksandr Krotov, Oleg Shpolyansky, Valentina Drokina, Larisa Radosteva and others.
With the competition programmes becoming more challenging, designers have to continue improving their aircraft on a regular basis, which in turn makes it possible to upgrade the benchmarks used and lend variety to the flying. So we can say that the aerobatic competitions are entered not only by pilots but by the designers as well. The Soviet and Russian teams have been flying aeroplanes made by the Sukhoi and Yakovlev firms. The Su-26 and Su-31 aeroplanes, thanks to cutting-edge technologies and extensive use of composite materials, allow pilots to fly the competition sequences with G ± 12 and are rightly found to be among the best aerobatic aircraft in the world. (G-load indicates by how many times the force pressing down (+) on the pilot or pushing him up (-) exceeds his weight). The most spectacular item on the programme is Freestyle, with the pilot's performance rated not by figure but as a whole. This sequence makes it possible for the pilots to pioneer new figures, pushing themselves and their aircraft to the ultimate limits.
The pilots had long been dreaming about flying to music; their dreams became reality at the Breitling World Cup in 1991, and then at the Grand Prix competition sponsored by the International Aeronautical Federation in 1997. The pilots fly a three to four minute Freestyle sequence to music, with the judges adding a choreographic dimension to their criteria.
Since 1993, Russian pilots have been taking part in aerobatic glider events. Russia's Merited Master of Sports Mikhail Mamistov has twice become Absolute World Champion, Champion of Europe and at the World Air Games. Sergei Krikalev (Russian astronaut pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union, Hero of Russia of the 1st Class), Georgy Kaminsky, Sergei Rakhmanin, Aleksandr Krotov, and Valentin Barabanov, among others, have also mounted the victory podium several times. In 2001, Aleksandr Panfyorov won the title of Absolute World Champion at the second World Air Games.
Since 1995, the World and European championships are held in the Advanced category (one step below Unlimited, on aeroplanes with limited capabilities). Alla Chekalova became Absolute Champion of Europe in 1998; Vladimir Popov became Absolute World Champion in 2000. The aerobatic competition programmes and requirements imposed are the same for men and women. Many events to not stage separate contests for men and women.
Russia's championships are currently held in four categories (leagues) at the same time, which makes them open to pilots of different class, flying different aeroplanes. The 4th-league pilots fly sequences of 5 - 6 basic figures such as an inside loop, roll, spin, etc. Major-league pilots follow the regulations, and fly the sequences, of the World Championship, performing the most challenging aerial manoeuvres, which quite often involve all three axes at the same time.
At the 2003 World Championship (Unlimited) in Lakeland (USA), Russia's national team emerged as uncontested winner, taking all three highest places both in team and individual classifications. Sergei Rakhmanin and Svetlana Kapanina became Absolute World Champions; Mikhail Mamistov and Yelena Klimovich became World Champions; Aleksandr Krotov and Yelena Klimovich were all-around runners-up, Svetlana Fedorenko came in all-around third. In individual classification, the pilots won 8 out of 10 gold medals, 7 out of 10 silver medals and 6 out of 10 bronze medals.
At the 2004 Championship of Europe (Unlimited) in Kaunas (Lithuania), the victory was even more impressive. Russia's national team became Champion of Europe; all the steps on the victors’podium in individual all-around performance were claimed by our pilots: M. Mamistov, Absolute Champion of Europe; S. Fedorenko, Absolute Champion of Europe; 2nd place, S. Rakhmanin and Ye. Klimovich; 3rd place, O. Shpolyansky and L. Radosteva. In individual classification no more than one gold and one bronze medals in individual events were "lost" to rivals (excluding Freestyle).
Russia's pilots flew Su-31 M and Su-26M3 aeroplanes equipped with a unique ejection system developed jointly by Sukhoi Design Bureau and Zvezda SPA. Russia's national power and glider aerobatics teams train at the Drakino airfield facilities of the Serpukhov ASK ROSTO. Since 1995, the airfield has been also hosting the Russian Championships. The general sponsor of Russia's national team is Sukhoi Design Bureau.
