MOSCOW. Aug 13 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Air Force Commander Vladimir Mikhailov and a group of officers and generals left for a two-day trip to Rostov-on-Don and Yeisk on Tuesday, chief of the Air Force press service Colonel Yuri Drobyshevsky told Interfax-Military News Agency.
"While staying in Rostov, Mikhailov will introduce new commander of the 4th air force and air defense army Major General Vladimir Gorbas to the army's high-ranking officials. Gorbas replaced Lieutenant General Alexander Zelin, who had become deputy Air Force commander in charge of aviation," Drobyshevsky said.
Mikhailov will hear reports of the army's command on the situation in their subordinate units. He will also meet with the army's officers and their family members.
"While staying in Yeisk, the commander will meet with veterans of the Yeisk air force garrison on the occasion of the Air Force's 90th birthday. In addition, he will inspect units of the Yeisk air force garrison," the colonel said.
Mikhailov and his entourage are flying from the Chkalovsky airfield in the Moscow region to Rostov-on-Don and Yeisk on board an IL-18 Coot plane that the commander is piloting himself. He "has mastered planes of 20 types and spent 6,000 hours in the air, he is a distinguished pilot of the USSR and Hero of Russia," Drobyshevsky said. According to him, the commander can pilot practically all types of planes in the Russian Air Force's inventory.