According to Oleg Bocharov, deputy minister of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, pilots should learn not only how to fly planes but also how to repair them and act as mechanics. Bocharov made these statements during the Eastern Economic Forum, adding that Russian pilots should be “universal soldiers.”

Universal soldiers

While making a presentation during the Eastern Economic Forum, Oleg Bocharov made a statement that has been met with skepticism and criticism. In a report by local media outlet Rydus, Bocharov said,

“Together with the Ministry of Transport, we should train and certify pilots as universal fighters: they should be pilots and aircraft technicians at the same time. And the equipment should provide for the possibility of field repairs in operation.”

According to Aviatorschina’s Telegram channel, Bocharov’s statements refer mainly to the pilots of regional aviation. Russia is looking to launch a fundamentally new system of maintaining the airworthiness of new types of domestic regional aircraft in the country. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the local aviation industry has had to look inwards to bypass Western sanctions. For instance, Russia is set to invest US$14.5 billion in its aviation industry to reduce its dependence on Western manufacturers. It is looking to decrease its reliance on imports for aircraft production.

According to Bocharov, some aircraft will be modular, allowing pilots to replace parts and change the cabin's configuration by themselves. This system would be introduced on the Baikal, a future single-engine turboprop intended to replace the Antonov An-2.

Criticism and skepticism

The statements by Bocharov were met with concern from some within the Russian aviation industry. Oleg Prikhodko, the vice-president of the Union of Flight Personnel of Russia and acting pilot, doubted the effectiveness of the initiative. While speaking with Rydus, he said that pilots and technicians are two completely different professions. Pilots are allowed to do some forms of maintenance, for instance, they participate in the preflight checklists. However, more complex work must be done in consultation with real engineers, Prikhodko added.

“But full-fledged aircraft maintenance requires a separate education. So this proposal of the Ministry of Industry and Trade is unrealistic.”

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the domestic airline industry has also begun certain controversial practices. For instance, Russian pilots are advised to use the brakes less in order to preserve the pads. They also have to be careful with other parts of an aircraft that are difficult to replace, and certain Russian airlines have begun to cannibalize planes to keep other units airworthy.

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Keeping both jobs separately

Since the beginning of aviation, pilots and mechanics have worked together to keep airplanes flying. Even the Wright Brothers had a mechanic working with them, Charles Taylor, a bike shop mechanic who built the first aircraft engine, making him the first aviation mechanic.

Like the North Central Institute wrote last year, in the aviation industry, most mechanics aren’t pilots, and most pilots aren’t mechanics. Both see an aircraft in different but valuable ways, and their teamwork and expertise are what keep planes in the air. Nonetheless, having a pilot that is also a mechanic can help because, for instance, they are more likely to be much more detailed when writing up their gripe sheets or logbook entries. But that is one thing, and another entirely different is to substitute aviation mechanics with pilots who do both jobs simultaneously. That may be a recipe for disaster.

Do you think pilots should also be mechanics? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: AeroTime, NCI, Aviatorshina, and Rydus.