What date is the Long Range Aviation Festival? What kind of holiday is Long-Range Aviation Day? Centenary of Russian Long-Range Aviation
Namely, the 37th Air Army is commonly called long-range aviation. One of its main tasks today is strategic containment of a possible enemy from the air. If the need arises, it will strike at enemy military-technical bases at long distances.
A little bit of history
More than a hundred years ago, when no one had yet celebrated Long-Range Aviation Day (because the very concept of long-range aviation did not yet exist), an aviation engineer developed a new bomber. It was four-engine and the largest in the whole world. His test took place at the end of 1913.
“Ilya Muromets” - this is how it and some other similar series of aircraft began to be called, when a year later, on December 23, 1914, Nicholas II signed an order to create a squadron of (first) bombers. From this day on, the countdown began for Russia's global heavy bomber and long-range aviation.
Therefore, when in modern times the question arose of what date to celebrate Long-Range Aviation Day, the answer was not long in coming. And in 1999, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief issued an order declaring December 23 a professional holiday for long-range aviation pilots. Since then, all military personnel of the 37th Air Force have celebrated their professional holiday on this day.
Congratulations on Long Range Aviation Day
Of course, you can’t do without congratulations on a holiday. They sound in poetic form and in prose, they are heard in songs and seen in dance performances. Congratulations come from close people and from complete strangers, from everyone who cares about this holiday.
1st congratulations. The sky is not just a blue space for you, but also a home. But the real home, of course, is on earth. Know that a family is always waiting for you there: wives and mothers, fathers and children. Take care of yourself for them, always feel their support. May you not be faced with impossible tasks, may luck always accompany you on the path of life, and may your dreams come true more often.
2nd congratulations. Long-Range Aviation Day is not just a professional holiday for you. This is an important date when you hear a lot of congratulations, wishes and gratitude. Once upon a time you chose this difficult path for yourself. So may he always be successful! Let your health and iron bird not let you down at a crucial moment. May your family and friends always be happy!
3rd congratulations. You guard the sky over the country day and night, sometimes you do not know rest, for you the order to protect the Motherland is always unquestioningly executed. You are the elite of the country's air force! Therefore, today, glory to all long-range aviation pilots! May your difficult service bring you pleasure, may the flights be peaceful, and may your skills only improve each time. And even if you have to leave your home for a long time, always return to your wives and children, parents and friends! Good luck to you!
Centenary of Russian Long-Range Aviation
In 2014, the whole country celebrated the centenary of long-range aviation. On this day, they remembered the history of its founding, the participation of bombers during the First and Second World Wars. Many pilots from television screens and newspaper pages themselves told people about their profession.
On Long-Range Aviation Day, a documentary film created for the anniversary was shown. He traces the entire path from the first Ilya Muromets to the modern Tu-160.
For the holiday, the medal “100 Years of Russian Long-Range Aviation” was issued.
Long-range aviation today
Today, long-range aviation performs important tasks in the fight against terrorism in Syria and Iran. It is armed with various types of aircraft. Among them are strategic missile carriers (the supersonic Tu-160, which is the largest in the world), and long-range bombers (Tu-22M3) and fuel tankers (IL-78M).
Of course, not all countries like the power that is only growing every year. But they can only accept the situation as it is. And even more so, no one will be able to prohibit citizens of the Russian Federation from celebrating their Long-Range Aviation Day.
December 23 is the day of long-range aviation of the Russian Air Force, and every citizen should remember this. And although this day is a working day, it does not lose its significance. After all, military people do not know rest, especially if the security of the country is at risk.
The beginning of our long-range aviation was laid by the Ilya Muromets squadron. It was the world's first heavy bomber combat unit. Nicholas II approved the decision to create it on December 23, 1914. During the First World War, the squadron flew four hundred combat missions. In their entire history, the Germans managed to shoot down only one Muromets.
After the February revolution came the collapse of the army. In September 1917, the planes had to be burned to prevent them from falling into the hands of the enemy. At that time, the squadron included twenty aircraft.
The Bolsheviks also understood the importance of long-range aviation. In 1918, a group of three “Murom residents” was formed. A qualitative change came with the commissioning of the TB-3 model designed by Tupolev. At the beginning of the 30s, several long-range aviation corps were created. The thirties were marked by the creation of strategic aviation. At that time, such formations did not exist anywhere in the world.
During these years there was a rapid development of aviation. Several design bureaus worked on creating fundamentally new models of heavy bombers. In parallel with this, organizational work was underway to form the structure of long-range aviation. At the beginning of World War II, there were approximately one and a half thousand aircraft and about a thousand crews on combat duty.
The role of long-range aviation was evident from the first day of the war. On June 22, planes bombed the Germans near Suwalki and Przemysl. The next day, the enemy extinguished Danzig, Warsaw, Krakow and several other cities. On the night of August 11, 1941, heavy aircraft bombed Berlin.
During the war, long-range aviation crews took part in all the most important operations. They made more than 220 thousand sorties and dropped two and a quarter million bombs of various calibers. Six servicemen became twice heroes of the Soviet Union, 269 people received the Hero Star.
In 1946, the Long-Range Aviation of the Armed Forces was created. The basis for its creation was the 18th Air Army. The war almost completely depleted the aircraft fleet. In the late forties, it was decided to copy the American B-29. The Tu-4 entered service in 1947, and since 1951 these aircraft have been on combat duty with nuclear weapons.
The main reorganization of long-range aviation took place in the 60s and 80s. At this time, a reform of management structures was carried out, new aircraft models were received. It was in the 60s that our pilots first began to fly “around the corner” and the exploration of the Arctic began. Aviation complexes Tu-22M3, Tu-160, Tu-95MS could strike with cruise missiles from any point on any target.
The collapse of the USSR deprived the Ukrainian Tu-160 regiment and tankers of long-range aviation. At the end of the 90s, a gradual restoration of the number and financing of strategic units began. 2001 was marked by the first appearance of our giants over the North Pole in ten years.
The combat readiness of the crews increased sharply. In 2003, two 160s and four 95s make a unique flight into the Indian Ocean. In the second half of 2007, regular flights to remote regions were resumed. The country's areas of intense shipping and economic activity are currently being actively patrolled.
Long-range aviation has never had easy times. But, despite the problems, military personnel fulfill their duty to ensure combat readiness. On December 23, pilots and employees of support units receive well-deserved congratulations and awards.
This holiday is celebrated by those who served or are serving, who have linked their fate with the 37th Air Army of the Supreme High Command for Strategic Purposes. This military formation is the elite of the Air Force, an important component of our state’s nuclear strike force and its strategic reserve.
Long-range aviation plays a huge role in ensuring defense capability and protecting Russia’s borders from encroachment.
Story
This date is associated with several important events not only for the Russian Empire, but also for the whole world.
- A lot of time and effort was devoted to the construction of a heavy bomber. The father of the Ilya Muromets, the largest four-engine aircraft at that time (the great-grandfather of modern missile carriers), can be called the legendary Igor Sikorsky. In December 1913, its first test flight was made.
- A year later, the Military Council decided to form the first squadron of such aircraft. A decree signed by Emperor Nicholas II marked the beginning of the existence of heavy bomber aircraft.
- The pioneers of long-range aviation served for the glory of the Fatherland during the First World War. But they were burned in 1917 in order to prevent capture by German troops who came close to their deployment.
- A decree of the Council of People's Commissars in March 1918 approved the formation of the Northern Group of these ships.
- Collectives led by A.N. Tupolev took part in further development and re-equipment (in the 30s). and Ilyushin S.V., who developed new aircraft.
The years of the Great Patriotic War confirmed the importance of such aircraft and their crews. Many soldiers and officers were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
Traditions
In these troubling times, celebrations of this day are held with particular warmth. At the state level, distinguished military personnel are awarded medals and orders for special services. They remember and honor those who gave their lives for the peaceful sky above their heads.
The personnel are assigned to perform the most complex and responsible tasks:
- maintain equipment in combat readiness and improve your professional level taking into account modern achievements;
- conduct operational and strategic reconnaissance;
- destroy terrorist bases and various enemy military targets at distances of many thousands of kilometers from their bases at any time of the day:
- participate in air parades in honor of Aviation and Victory Day.
Separate formations are sent to remote places and make fearless flights far from their homeland. They help with their presence the civilian population and legally elected governments to protect their constitutional rights and freedoms. Therefore, it has become a tradition for honored artists to travel to perform in such hot spots.
Festive concerts with the participation of young and famous vocalists and creative groups are held on radio and television. Congratulations from the country's leaders are a must. Celebrations are also organized for family members.
Long-range aviation is one of the most important branches of the Russian Air Force. It consists of strategic bombers, tanker aircraft, and missile-carrying bombers. Its main task in peacetime is to patrol distant territories, and in combat - conducting reconnaissance, striking enemy targets in the deep rear and on the front line. This professional holiday is dedicated to military personnel who work tirelessly for the benefit of the Fatherland.
When is it celebrated?
Long-Range Aviation Day (LAD) of the Russian Air Force is celebrated on December 23 every year. It was installed in 1999 by order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force.
Who celebrates
Long-Range Aviation Day of the Russian Air Force 2019 is a holiday for all military personnel related to this type of aviation and members of their families, as well as for veterans of the DA and ADD of the USSR.
history of the holiday
The date of the event has a symbolic meaning. It was on this day, more than a century ago, in 1913 in St. Petersburg, that the world’s first largest aircraft, the Ilya Muromets bomb carrier, with four engines located on the wings, took off. It was originally built as a simple passenger seaplane with heating, electric lighting, a bedroom and a toilet. In the same year, the Muromets lifted a record load weighing 1,100 kg. And the following year the plane was able to take off with sixteen passengers on board and one dog. The animal belonged to the pilot and designer of this brainchild - I. Sikorsky. The dog's name was Shkalik. On December 23, 1914, by decree of Emperor Nicholas II, the first squadron of heavy bombers in the Russian Empire was formed.
The outbreak of the First World War was the reason for the conversion of the Muromets into a bomb carrier. He was “dressed” in steel armor and armed. During the war, he proved himself so well that he received the nickname “flying devil” from the Germans.
For the first time, long-range bomber aviation (LBA) as a separate type of troops appeared on November 5, 1940. Less than two years later, on March 5, 1942, it was reconstructed into long-range aviation (LAA), and on April 3, 1946 - into long-range aviation (LA ).
At the moment, one of the most difficult stages in the work of the DA is considered to be in-flight refueling. At a speed of 600 km/h and a distance between the tanker and the missile carrier of 20 m, you need to hit the refueling rod into a cone with a diameter of 80 cm and stay in this state for almost 30 minutes.
In 2009, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation issued three 1 ruble coins in honor of the Russian Air Force. The reverse of one of them depicts the Ilya Muromets bomber.
16 years ago - in 1999, based on the order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force Anatoly Kornukov, Russian Long-Range Aviation Day appeared in the calendar of holidays and memorable dates. The official date for celebrating Long-Range Aviation Day is December 23, and this date was by no means taken out of thin air. It was on December 23, back in 1914, that the Ilya Muromets air squadron was formed. The formation took place by decision of the Army Military Council.
About a year earlier, the four-engine giant (by the standards of that time) S-22 Ilya Muromets made test flights. This aircraft was developed in St. Petersburg by a department of the Russian-Baltic Carriage Plant by a group of engineers led by Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky.
"Ilya Muromets" became the first bomber. Its characteristics at that time were more than impressive
Wingspan: upper – 30.87 m, lower – 22 m; empty weight of the aircraft - 3.8 tons, maximum take-off weight 5.1 tons, flight duration - up to 4 hours, flight range - up to 440 km, take-off run - 450 m, time to climb 1 km - about 9 minutes.
During the December tests of 1913, “Ilya Muromets” lifted a load weighing about 1.1 tons to a height of 1 km, thereby setting a new world record.
Subsequently, passenger versions of the Sikorsky aircraft began to be produced in Russia. And by the beginning of the First World War, 4 Ilya Muromets bombers were transferred to the Imperial Air Force.
Long-range bomber aviation pilots proved themselves from the first days of the Great Patriotic War. Historical archives contain documents from which it is known that the first battle of long-range bomber aircraft was carried out approximately 8 hours after the Nazis crossed the borders of the Soviet Union. The documents say that the pilots attacked a concentration of Nazi troops in the Suwalki and Prasnysh areas. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that long-range bomber aircraft, about a month and a half after the start of the war, launched an air strike on the heart of Hitler's Reich - Berlin. Three groups of long-range bombers, formed from the 22, 200 long-range bomber aviation regiments and 81 air divisions, took part in the attacks on Berlin. From August 8 to early September, 90 sorties were carried out and 10 massive attacks were carried out on the German capital.
The bombing of Berlin came as a real shock to the Nazis, because just a few weeks after the start of the war, the main propagandist of Nazism, Goebbels, announced that Soviet aviation was completely destroyed. In addition, the loud statement of Luftwaffe Commander Goering was also known, who stated that “not a single bomb will ever fall on the capital of the Third Reich.” She fell... And not alone...
When the Soviet long-range bombers DB-3 of the Baltic Fleet Air Force, which took off from the island of Ezel (now the Estonian island of Saaremaa), first crossed the eastern German border, representatives of the air defense forces could not even think that the Russians were flying to bomb them. The planes were mistaken for their own - “lost” German ones, and in one case, with the help of searchlights, the Germans decided to help the pilots land at one of the airfields. For obvious reasons, the Soviet pilots, mistaken for their own, refused “help,” which, in principle, did not arouse much suspicion among the German military.
On the night of August 8, the first Soviet air bombs rained down on Berlin, which was flooded with streetlights and became an ideal target. Industrial facilities in Hitler's capital burst into flames, and bomb explosions were reported in the Stettin area. During the first minute, the enemy could not get out of the state of shock. When bombs were already exploding in the capital, the Germans figured out to turn on the blackout.
At the final stage of the operation to launch the first airstrike on Berlin, radio operator Vasily Krotenko went on the radio and uttered historical words:
My place is Berlin! The task was completed. Let's return to base!
At approximately 4 in the morning, the bombers of the Baltic Fleet were already landing at their home airfield, having accomplished what seemed at that time impossible. Despite the fact that the blows did not cause significant damage, the psychological effect of this step was much more important. The next day, German newspapers published articles about the fact that planes of the British Royal Air Force had hit Berlin, which caused great surprise in London. They were even more surprised (and this is putting it mildly) in Germany when they received confirmation that it was Russian planes that attacked Berlin from the air.
On the night of August 7–8, a group of Baltic Fleet aircraft made a reconnaissance flight to Germany and bombed the city of Berlin. 5 planes dropped bombs over the center of Berlin, and the rest on the outskirts of the city. I express my gratitude to the personnel of the aircraft participating in the flight. I am entering with a petition to the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to reward those who have distinguished themselves. Give each crew member who participated in the flight 2 thousand rubles. From now on, it will be established that each crew member who dropped bombs on Berlin will be given 2 thousand rubles. An order to be announced to the crews of the aircraft that participated in the first bombing of Berlin and to all personnel of the 81st Long Range Air Division.
Five days later, on August 13, 1941, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the first four pilots who bombed the German capital were awarded the titles of Heroes of the Soviet Union. The heroes were Colonel E.N. Preobrazhensky, Captain V.A. Grechishnikov, Captain M.N. Plotkin, Captain A.Ya. Efremov (navigator of the flagship crew).
On March 7, 1942, at that time, Major Mikhail (Meer) Nikolaevich Plotkin died while returning from a combat mission to lay minefields in the Helsinki roadstead.
And today long-range aviation presents special surprises to Russia’s “friends.” Thus, long-range and strategic aviation aircraft are participating in the counter-terrorism operation, delivering crushing blows to militant targets and positions in Syria. The Ministry of Defense presented footage of a massive strike by long-range aircraft (Tu-160, Tu-95MS, Tu-22M3) on ISIS infrastructure:
Today, long-range aviation is not only one of the most serious means of combating terrorist groups sponsored by third countries, it is one of the most important components of the nuclear deterrent force. This is a means of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the RF Armed Forces for solving strategic problems.
Long-range aviation is armed with strategic missile carriers Tu-160, Tu-95MS, long-range bombers Tu-22M3, refueling aircraft Il-78(M), special aircraft An-30B, transport aircraft An-12, An-26, Mi-helicopters 8 and Mi-26.
Long-range aviation aircraft carry out flights to patrol Russia's air borders and appear in neutral waters over Northern Europe, off the eastern and western coasts of North America. In 2014, long-range aircraft landed at airfields in Nicaragua and Venezuela. The range of work is truly enormous.
“Military Review” congratulates pilots and veterans of long-range aviation on their professional holiday! Let the number of takeoffs always equal the number of landings!
