Marina Popovich is a test pilot. Biography

Marina Popovich is a test pilot of the 1st class, ufologist, engineer-colonel of the Air Force. Has established 102 records in the aviation field on different types of vehicles. Over his career, he mastered more than 40 types of helicopters and aircraft. He was an aviation technician in Antonov Design Bureau and Chkalov Research Institute. The overall indicator of Marina Lavrentevna is slightly more than 6 thousand hours. She is also a public figure, a writer, a professor and just a wonderful woman ...

Childhood

Popovich Marina Lavrentevna was born in the village of Leonenki (Smolensk region) in 1931. The girl had to go through the whole nightmare of the beginning of the Patriotic War - bombing, air battles, blood ... This is what determined the future profession of Marina. She dreamed of becoming a pilot.

Acquaintance with the sky

Marina Popovich graduated from the school in Novosibirsk, where the whole family was evacuated. Not forgetting about her dream, the girl enrolled in a local flying club and entered the aviation technical school. At the age of 17 she first jumped with a parachute, and also made her first flight to Ut-2. So began her long career in aviation.

Job

In 1951 Marina Popovich successfully graduated from the Aviation Technical School and got a job as a design engineer. And when she finished her studies at the Central Flight School in Saransk, she stayed on as an instructor. In 1958, the girl moved to the position of an instructor pilot in the Central Air Club Chkalov.

To obtain the right to control the fighter, Marina entered the military service, and after graduating from the Higher Aviation School in Leningrad. Since 1960, the girl began to master the technique of controlling jet aircraft. And in 1962 she took part in the selection of candidates for cosmonauts among women. She also underwent medical examination as part of the 2nd group, but was not taken for certain reasons.

Test Pilot

In 1964, Marina Popovich began to work in a new interesting position - a test pilot. She was the only woman in the USSR with such a profession. At first Marina Lavrentyevna was a pilot of a transport link, and then she moved to a fighter. Then the pilot took the lead of the An-12 aircraft command. In the future, her career developed even more rapidly.

It was Marina Lavrentevna who became the first female pilot to overcome the sound barrier on the MiG-21 jet aircraft. After that, foreign media dubbed her "Madame MiG".

Highscores

During the years of active flights, she set 102 records of the planet. Of these, 13 were registered with the FAI - the International Aviation Association. The first record of speed Popovich has established on L-29 in the Czech city of Brno. Then the records turned into routine work for her. Also, the pilot owns a record for the speed of aircraft with 2 turbojet engines. Popovich installed it on a "RV" machine in 1965, after passing a closed route of 2 thousand kilometers.

Ten records Marina Lavrentevna established as the commander of the aircraft-giant An-22. She is the only female pilot on the planet who managed to manage this huge cargo aircraft. Together with the team, Popovich set a record, lifting Antey to a height of 6.6 kilometers and flying 1,000 kilometers at a speed of 600 kilometers per hour. At the same time there was a fifty-ton cargo on board. It was the first such flight in the history of aviation.

Other posts

Until 1978, Marina Lavrentyevna worked as a test pilot in the Vladimir Aviation Research Institute. Then she moved to Kiev, where for five years she tested the equipment in Antonov Design Bureau. Later she became the president of "VERSTO" - the flight association in Tushino, and also headed the company "Converse Avia". For some time she was engaged in research of torsion fields in the center of Akimov AE.

Ranks

Marina Popovich is a professor, doctor of technical sciences, head of the Association of Women Scientists and a full member of six prominent academies of science. She is also a chevalier of several orders and an honored master of sports. And in the active of the pilot a lot of orders and international awards. For example, the Great Gold Medal of the FAI and two medals of Korolev (gold and silver). Talent and merits of an outstanding pilot are recognized abroad, at home and even in space. The Americans named one of their star tourist routes in honor of Marina Popovich. In addition, her name received stars in the constellation of Cancer.

Social activity

The pilot actively engages in public activities. She participates in the women's movement "Nadezhda Rossii", is the pro-rector of the MIU on patriotic work, as well as vice-president of the International Center of the Roerich and the International Fund "Health of the Fatherland". As part of the latter, she organized medical assistance for children with disabilities.

Writing books

Marina Lavrentyevna is a member of the Writers' Union of Russia. As a truly creative person, she managed to compose several books between flights. In total, Popovich wrote 14 books (some co-authored), including a collection of poems "Life is an eternal rise" and scenarios for the paintings "Heaven with Me" and "Bouquet of Violets." And one of her last works - "UFO over the planet Earth" - was awarded the Lomonosov Prize and the "Golden Pen of Russia" award.

Personal life

Marina Popovich, whose biography is presented in this article, was married twice. The first flight of the pilot lasted 30 years. From this alliance with the famous cosmonaut Popovic P.R., Marina Laurentievna has two daughters - Oksana and Natalia. The second husband of the record holder was Zhikharev BA. - military pilot and general.

Interests

To date, there are so many areas that Marina Popovich is interested in: UFOs, abnormal phenomena, new technologies, consultations of pilots, etc. She also participated in expeditions to find a snowman. Marina Lavrentievna spent half of her annual vacation on such trips. And even the pilot wants to build several airships. The record holder also fell in love with mountain skiing.

Conclusion

Popovich Marina Lavrentevna - an amazing woman, an extraordinary and bright personality. In communication, it is natural and simple, full of optimism and energy. Now the legendary pilot works and lives in Moscow. Marina Lavrentyevna considers herself to be quite a happy person, because all her dreams have come true!