Drone racing is one of the new areas of activity for DOSAAF, but it is developing very actively. Over the past year, 15 sections have been opened across the country. Drone racing training classrooms are equipped with modern hardware, including computer simulators with joysticks for mastering basic piloting skills, as well as a “cage” – a specially equipped space for flights at the initial stage of training, ensuring the safety of the operator and the integrity of the drone.
In this high-speed sport, pilots control quadcopters from a first-person view via special goggles, racing through a complex obstacle course. Here, precise control of the drone at high speed is extremely important for the operator. As the president was told, the speed reaches about 200 km/h. Operators are capable of precision maneuvering, dodging obstacles even in confined spaces. Quadcopters of various sizes and payload capacities are used – from the smallest and almost silent to large ones. They have a wide range of applications for both civilian and military purposes.
While developing this new area, DOSAAF trains not only in drone operation but also in assembly and repair. The president was assured that DOSAAF is capable of deploying drone operator training in any part of the country. Over the past year, they have trained about 250 operators.
Aleksandr Lukashenko also visited the open-air Aviation Technology Museum. It features over 50 exhibits, including fighter aircraft, frontline bombers, strategic bombers, passenger planes, military transport aircraft, two-seat multirole planes, as well as helicopters and a ground catapult trainer.
Among the museum’s exhibits is Flight No. 1″ – the Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft on which the Belarusian leader previously flew on foreign trips. It was on this plane that Aleksandr Lukashenko flew to Yugoslavia in 1999, which was being bombed by NATO forces, to support President Slobodan Milošević. The Belarusian head of state was the only foreign leader to visit the country at the height of the bombings.
During his visit to the aero club, Aleksandr Lukashenko also spoke with trainee pilots from both civilian and military aviation. Oleg Saltovsky, the commander of the aviation unit of the Belavia airline, who also pilots Flight No. 1, introduced the head of state to the first group of eight graduating civilian pilots. “I wish you success. Listen to him, he knows a thing or two about aircraft,” the president said with a touch of humor.
“And this is our helicopter future,” he said, addressing third-year cadets of the Aviation Faculty of the Military Academy, who are currently doing their practical training at the DOSAAF Aero Club. The head of state also wished them success in their future service. The discussion also touched on the network of DOSAAF aero clubs across the country. Aleksandr Lukashenko reminded that an aero club in Mogilev needs to be relocated to a different site – near the current airport. The president was informed that this work is underway.
Also on display were parachute systems designed for different purposes: for beginners, for precision landing, and high-speed parachutes for individual aerial acrobatics. All of them are produced in Belarus, manufactured in Vitebsk (except for the safety activation devices).
Among DOSAAF’s activities is also the development of sports at youth schools and sports complexes: high-speed radiotelegraphy, motoball, underwater swimming, and shooting. Opportunities have been created for air, combat and marksmanship sports, track racing, various motorcycle sport disciplines, and paintball. “You need to invest properly in shooting sports so that we can have Olympic champions,” the president instructed.
At the end of the visit, the head of state was presented with a model of the legendary Antonov An-2 aircraft. The gift was presented by Polina Vlasova from Belarus’ parachute sports team, who recently became a champion at the CIS DOSAAF Cup, and Anna Belyaeva, a multiple winner of high-speed radiotelegraphy competitions and a world champion. “We are proud to have raised such athletes,” the chairman of the DOSAAF Central Council said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that such significant achievements of Belarusian athletes are not talked about enough publicly: “For some reason, people don’t know about this. They need to see more of it.” The president stressed that such victories should be valued more at the national level and that athletes in these sports – perhaps not as popular as others – should be properly honored. “Instead, we award some so-called world champions and fuss over HC Dinamo Minsk… But what about our real female champions, especially in the Year of the Woman? The military has failed here. Winners should be celebrated by you as well,” the head of state said.
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