Meet the Ukrainian Stunt Pilot Who Shoots Down Russian Drones
A Ukrainian stunt pilot is using his skills to shoot down Russian drones, leveraging his experience in aerobatics and formation flying. The pilot must be extremely cautious when engaging targets, as there are often houses or infrastructure nearby. The pilot's devotion to aviation and his country drives his efforts to defend against Russian drones.
- ▪The Ukrainian pilot uses his stunt flying skills to shoot down Russian drones.
- ▪He must avoid engaging targets when there are houses or infrastructure nearby.
- ▪The pilot's aircraft can stay in the air for up to 4.5 hours.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
When I fly close to the target, I can’t engage because there’s houses or infrastructure underneath. So we keep flying, keeping it in the searchlight, in the spotlight. And we’re not even, because it’s like 200 kilos target and we’re six tons, and it’s black Shahed in the black night. But from my aerobatics, I brought formation flying. You have to be professional, you have to be confident, practice a lot, anticipate a lot, and trust completely each other. There’s no other way. So these skills help enormously, and with this aircraft, we can stay in the air up to 4.5 hours. It’s my devotion, not just to my country, but to aviation. That’s the truth.
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at kottke.org.
