Soviet 5th Training Air Center - Between 1956 and 1992

Life pictures at the Kant airbase in the early nineties. Photo: Oleg Sarapov collection




	Soviet 5th Training Center in Frunze Between 1956 and 1992

The Frunze Military Aviation School began to train pilots from foreign countries in 1956. The first 15 pilots were taught on Yak-11, Yak-18 and MiG-15 ‘Fagot’ models. The school was renamed in 1959 to 5th Training Center and the improvement of Aviation Personnel. At the edge of Central Asian deserts and rugged valleys of Tien Shan mountains, far from everything were the foreign pilots trained. It was believed that the Soviet Union secrets can be best preserved this way.


	The MiG-21 and Su-7 retraining for foreign pilots:

In 1962 started the training to the new super-secret MiG-21 ‘Fishbed’ type at the school of Frunze. The experienced pilots of friendly countries (Finland, India, and the Arab States) were trained at the Lugovaya 715th regiment. The pilots of allied Warsaw Pact countries weren’t trained here but at the North Caucasus Krasnodar school. The retraining for Su-7 ‘Fitter’ bomber aircraft began in 1966 here.




	Finnish pilots retraining to MiG-21F-13 ‘Fishbed-C’ in Lugovaya air base in 1962. Photo: Timo Lehtiö




		Il-28 retraining at the Tokmak airport in the early sixties


	Left: Pilots of the Indian ‘First Supersonics’ squadron converting in MiG-21F-13 ‘Fishbed-C’ aircraft at Lugovaya airport in 1962. Photo: Indian Air Force - Media Co-ordination Centre




	Young Egyptian pilot in front of his MiG-21PF or PFL ‘Fishbed-D’ fighters in the late sixties Photo: Group 73 Exclusive




	Egyptian students and theirs MiG-21 ‘Fishbed’ fighter trainer fighters in the Soviet union Photo: Group 73 Exclusive


	Basic flight training for foreign pilots:

The main task of the school was the training of novice pilots based on inter-state agreements. In the sixties, mainly young Arab pilots were trained to L-29 Delfin and MiG-17 ‘Fresco’ models. At Tokmak and Kant airport the 716th and the 322nd Training Air Regiment only did basic training. Combat training was not given to the pilots. They should have received that at home after arrival.

The Frunze school students after graduation became leading politician, or Air Force commanders. Example, Hafez al-Assad - Syrian statesman, Ahmed Julen – Yemen Air Force commander, Joao Bernardo – Mozambique AF commander, Rakesh Sharma – Indian astronaut and other people.




	Three Egyptian pilots and theirs L-29 Delfin trainer aircrafts Photo: Group 73 Exclusive




	Young Arabic pilot in front of his L-29 Delfin trainer in the Soviet union


	Basic helicopter flight training for foreign pilots:


	The training of helicopter pilots also began in the sixties. First, they used Mi-4 ‘Hound’, later Mi-8 ‘Hip’ models.




	African students with theirs soviet trainers in front of Mi-8T helicopter Photo: Kursanty




		Yemeni student in the classroom behind them Mi-24D, Mi-24A and Mi-8 instrument panels tableaux



	Ethiopians Air Force crews in the Soviet union.



	Three young Libyan students with theirs Soviet trainers in front of Mi-8T helicopter Photo: Kursanty

Foreign students helicopter training in the mid-seventies


	From the late 1960s, the Soviet 5th Training Center also began training African flight crews. Because of the growing needs, in this time a new 349th Training Air Regiment formed at the Novotroitskoye airport.



	* There is no exact information ** The Mi-2 ‘Hoplite’ hellicopter replaced the older Mi-4 ‘Hound’ type in the mid-seventies



		The pictures were taken at the airport of Tokmak from An-26 ‘Curl’ in 1974.


	Since the early seventies, An-26 ‘Curl’ crew training was also conducted. Every of the five crew members (pilots, radio operator, navigator and flight engineer) to the An-26 ‘Curl’ were trained at the 5th Training Air Center.




		Soviet MiG-23MS ‘Flogger-E’ Arabic export fighter at the Lugovaya AB. Photo: Nikolay Boronov




		An early grey MiG-23UB ‘Flogger-C’ at Lugovaya AB in 1978



	Soviet MiG-23BN ‘Flogger-H’ in Lugovaya AB in the eighties



		Polish pilot with MiG-23UB ‘Flogger-C’ in Lugovaya air base in 1979

In the seventies, training began to MiG-23 ‘Flogger’ fighter/bomber aircraft and Mi-24 ‘Hind’ attack helicopter type at the 5th Center. Training for these types only happened here for the third world and Warsaw Pact pilots.

In 1974 they began to retrain the Arab pilots to MiG-23MS ‘Flogger-E’ fighter and MiG-23BN ‘Flogger-H’ bomber types. From 1978 the retraining of the Warsaw Pact pilots began to MiG-23MF ‘Flogger-B’ type at the 715th Training Air Regiment at the airport of Lugovaya.

From 1978 the Mi-24 ‘Hind’ attack helicopter training began at the 714th Training Helicopter Regiment at Frunze-1 airport.



	Young Hungarian pilots and Soviet trainers in front of theirs Mi-24DU ‘Hind-D’ trainer combat helicopter in Frunze-1 AB in eighties. Photo: Der Gyorgy collection

MiG-23 Flogger conversion training school at Lugovaya. Part one.


	The new L-39 Albatros training aircraft arrived in the late 1970s and then the MiG-21bis ‘Fishbed-L/N’ fighter aircraft in the early 1980s. The basic flight training regiments used the older MiG-17 'Fresco' type for the African pilot training until the mid-eighties.




		Yemen pilots and Soviet trainer in front of their L-29 Delfin aircraft in 1979 at Kant airport




		MiG-21bis ‘Fishbed-L’ (blue 85) aircraft at the Kant airbase



					In the early eighties, along with many Third World pilots, for a short time German and Hungarian pilots took part in basic flying training too. The first two years they were flying with L-39 Albatros at Tokmak airport. Then they were transferred to Krasnodar Flight School were where they flew with MiG-21bis ‘Fishbed-L/N’ models. Many of the young German pilots returned to the 5th Training Center after graduation. They received retraining to MiG-23BN ‘Flogger-H’ bombers from the 715th Air Training Regiment at Lugovaya airport.






	Young Hungarian pilots and his soviet trainer in front of theirs L-39C Albatros in Tokmak air base in 1984

The airport of Novotroitsk was renovated from 1984, therefore the 349th Training Air Regiment used Kant and Lugovaya Airport. The reconstruction was slow, it didn't finish until the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The regiments pilot and machine portfolio changed on demand. In 1986, for example, they trained the Indian Mi-26 ‘Halo’ crew here.

In 1985 started the training for the MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum’ type. In the eighties, only the 715th regiment trained foreign pilots for the MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum’!


			* The squadron number are only estimated The last MiG-23BN was retired in the late 80s ***** There is no exact information



		Soviet 5th Training Center Ethiopian, Yemen and Zimbabwe pilots at Kant airbase Photo: Fomicheva A.P.

Open day in Kant airbase Photo: Fomicheva A.P.


	Open day at the Kant airbase Photo: Fomicheva A.P.

In the second half of the eighties, pilots arrived especially from the conflict zones and Sub-Saharan Africa for basic flying training. A lot of pilots from Cuba, Angola, Ethiopia, and Yemen studied at Kant and Tokmak airport. At the 716th, 322nd, 349th Training Air Regiments and the 714th Training Helicopter Regiment they learned to fly and navigate at basic level on L-39C Albatros, MiG-21MF ‘Fishbed-J’ and MiG-21bis ‘Fishbed-L/N’ aircraft and Mi-8 ‘Hip’ helicopters.

At that time, more than a hundred interpreters were working in the 5th Training Center.












	Air Force Congo’s crews in the Soviet Union in 1987












		Cuban Air Force’s crews in the 5th Training Center in 1988





	Angolan Air Force’s student in the Soviet Union in 1987





		Yemeni and Soviet Air Force’s crews in 5th Training Center in 1987


	Between 1957 and 1992, the school trained 21 682 people from 54 countries to 110 different fields of study. Among others 5698 pilots, 749 navigators, 469 combat control officer, 165 air gunner, 8998 radio operator-navigator and more than 5,000 other aircrews. The training terminated in 1992. The Soviet 5th Training Center disbanded in early nineties.