MOSCOW. Aug 22 (Interfax-AVN) - As many as 23 to 25 Military Transport Aviation crews are up in the air daily to carry out flight tasks for the Russian Defense Ministry, Major-General Alexei Votintsev, chief-of-staff and deputy commander of the Military Transport Aviation, told Interfax-Military News Agency on Thursday. .
"Each day 23 to 25 aircraft crews carry out flight tasks for the Defense Ministry, both inside and outside the country, which shoulders heavy responsibility burden on a crew and, particularly, on a crew chief, and requires brilliant flight skills and aircraft's conditions," Votintsev said.
The general said "average chief age has gone up from 28 to 30 years to 34 to 36 years in the Military Transport Aviation."
"That troubles commanding staff a great deal, for with a pilot just gaining required experience to fly nationwide he is subject to age-retirement," Votintsev said.
He said "preparing a first-rate pilot for the Military Transport Aviation takes at least ten years."