Helicopter Sports

including the flying of a helicopter and a set of exercises in piloting accuracy at a low altitude and in a limited time. In the USSR they were put into the Uniform Sports Classification in August 1958.

Helicopter sports are directed by the Federation of Helicopter Sports of the USSR and by republic and oblast committees of the All-Union Voluntary Society for Aid to the Army, Air Force, and Navy, and in the armed forces they are directed by the Aviation Sports Committee. The first all-Union competition of Mi-1 helicopters was organized in 1958 in Kaluga.

After having achieved a defined level of mastery, the pilot is awarded the title of pilot-sportsman of the first, second, or third order; pilot-sportsmen of the first order who have collected a given number of points are awarded the title of Master of Sport of the USSR. In 1970 there were 348 Masters of Sport of the USSR in helicopter sports; they have established 82 all-Union records, of which 75 are also world records. All of the men’s records set up to that time in middle and heavyweight helicopters in speeds over distances of from 100 to 2,000 km, all records in speed and flight length carrying commercial freight weighing from 1 to 25 tons, and all women’s world’s records belong to Soviet sports figures. The record for maximum lift (40,204.5 kg) to an altitude of 2,255 m was set in 1969. The most famous Soviet record holders are G. Alferov, D. Efremov, and I. Kopets.

Helicopter sports in the capitalist countries (the USA, the Federal Republic of Germany, Denmark, and others) have developed on the basis of national air clubs and certain entrepreneurial firms. Their purpose is the preparation of record flights and advertisements.