Svetlana Kapanina

Summary

Svetlana Vladimirovna Kapanina (Russian: Светлана Владимировна Капанина) is a Russian aerobatic pilot.[1]

Svetlana Kapanina
Светлана Владимировна Капанина
Kapanina in 2011 at the Otopeni Airshow
Born
Svetlana Vladimirovna Kapanina

(1968-12-28) 28 December 1968 (age 55)
NationalityRussian
EducationPharmaceutical Sciences
Tselinograd Medical School, 1987
Websitewww.kapanina.com

Biography edit

Kapanina was born on 28 December 1968 in Shchuchinsk, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union (now Kazakhstan). She dedicated herself to several sports modalities at school and always liked motorcycles and other motor vehicles. She enrolled at medical school in Tselinograd (now Astana), where she graduated in pharmaceutical sciences. She started flying at age 19, in 1988, on a Sukhoi Su-26M3, while working as a technician at the Kurgan sports aviation club of DOSAAF. By 1991 she was already an instructor pilot at DOSAAF's Irkutsk club, and then back at Kurgan. Also in 1991, she became a member of the Russian national aerobatic team. In 1995 she graduated from Kaluga aeronautical technical school.[2]

She lives in Moscow with her husband and two children.[1]

Achievements in aerobatics edit

Kapanina was World Aerobatic Champion in the women's category in 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2011[2] and has won the title more times than any other pilot in the category.[3] Additionally, she was overall World Air Games Champion in 1997 and 2001.[2]

Together with Mikhail Mamistov and Oleg Spolyansky, she won the team gold medal in the 16th FAI European Aerobatic Championships 2008 in Hradec Králové (Czech Republic). She placed fourth overall and was best female participant.[4]

Awards edit

 
Putin awarding the Order of Courage

In 1997, she received the Paul Tissandier Diploma by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI).[2] In 2005 she was awarded the Sabiha Gökçen Medal[2] and the Centenary Medal by the FAI.[5] She was awarded Russia's Order of Courage by President Vladimir Putin on 22 December 2014.[6]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Pilot profile of Svetlana Kapanina". Haute Voltige. Archived from the original on 16 January 2008.
  2. ^ a b c d e "FAI Awards received by Svetlana Kapanina (Russia)". Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Archived from the original on 27 February 2008.
  3. ^ "Coming soon: 19th FAI World Grand Prix". Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. 1 October 2003. Archived from the original on 22 December 2003.
  4. ^ "Combined Results (overall): 16th FAI EAC 2008 at Hradec Kralové, 05.-13. July 2008". Commission Internationale de Voltige Aérienne. July 2008. Archived from the original on 22 July 2008. Retrieved 21 July 2008.
  5. ^ "FAI Centennial : Carlos Izquierdo, Philippe Broers, Manfred Ruhmer and Gin Song honoured". Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. 22 October 2005. Archived from the original on 27 February 2008.
  6. ^ "State decorations awarding ceremony". The Kremlin. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2016.

External links edit

  • (in Russian) Official website