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Aleksandr YablontsevTest cosmonaut of the State Research Institute of the Air Force
Date of Birth: 03.04.1955
Country:  Poland |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Military Service
- Test Pilot Training
- Cosmonaut Preparation
- Civil Aviation Career
- Military Rank and Honors
Early Life and Education
Alexander Nikolayevich Yablontsev was born on April 3, 1955, in Warsaw, Poland, where his father was serving in the military. In 1972, he graduated from Secondary School No. 3 in Maykop, Krasnodar Krai, and in 1989, he obtained a degree as an engineer-mechanic from the Akhtubinsk branch of the Moscow Aviation Institute named after Sergo Ordzhonikidze.
Military Service
Yablontsev entered the Soviet Army in 1972 and studied at the Armavir Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots from 1972 to 1976, specializing in flying and operating aircraft. After graduating, he served as a paratrooper and senior pilot in the 180th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment from 1976 to 1982, eventually becoming the squadron commander.
Test Pilot Training
In 1985, Yablontsev graduated with honors from the 267th Center for Flight Testing and Training of Test Pilots in Akhtubinsk, qualifying as a test pilot. He then held various positions in the State Research Institute of Air Forces (GKNII VVS) for several years, serving as a senior flight test engineer, senior test pilot, and finally senior test pilot in the 1st Test Directorate.
Cosmonaut Preparation
In 1987, Yablontsev was selected to work on the "Buran" space program. He underwent medical examinations and passed the Central Medical and Aviation Commission in 1988. On January 25, 1989, he was designated as a candidate for cosmonaut from the GKNII VVS. From May 1989 to April 1991, he underwent general cosmonaut training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, obtaining the qualification of cosmonaut-tester on April 5, 1991.
Civil Aviation Career
After the disbandment of the GKNII VVS cosmonaut group, Yablontsev was discharged from the institute in 1996. He worked as a pilot for Transaero Airlines from 1998 to 1999 and for Trans European Airlines from 1999 onwards, flying as a co-pilot on a Boeing-737 and a Tu-204, respectively.
Military Rank and Honors
Yablontsev's military ranks included:Lieutenant (1976)
Senior Lieutenant (1978)
Captain (1980)
Major (1983)
Lieutenant Colonel (1986)
Colonel (1992, retired 1997)
He also received nine commemorative medals.
Personal Life and Interests
Alexander Yablontsev's father, Nikolai Antonovich, was a military officer and deputy director of Maykop Secondary School No. 3. His mother, Maria Panteleimonovna, was a homemaker. He married Tatyana Vladimirovna Kuzminova in 1956, and they have a son, Igor, born in 1981, and a daughter, Marina, born in 1984. Yablontsev's hobbies include photography, fishing, and hunting.
