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Sergey SkalkoInstructor pilot, military pilot
Date of Birth: 29.05.1970
Country:  Ukraine |
Content:
- Early Life and Military Service
- Discovery of Air Sports and Aeronautical Education
- Pilot Training and Air Sports Achievements
- 2006: Open Championship of Russia (Velikiye Luki)
- Notable Achievements and Records
- Highest Hot Air Balloon Jump Height (19 May 2015)
- Contribution to Aerostatics
Early Life and Military Service
Born into a family of military pilots, Sergey Skavko's passion for aviation began at a young age. He excelled in aeromodeling and joined a parachute-landing program at the age of 14. By the time he enrolled in the Kharkiv Higher Military Aviation School in 1987, he had accumulated an impressive 60 parachute jumps.
After graduating in 1991, Skavko served in military units, gaining experience in piloting L-39, MiG-21, MiG-29, An-26, and Tu-154 aircraft. His military career culminated in his discharge from the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 1998, after which he worked as a legal consultant.
Discovery of Air Sports and Aeronautical Education
In 2000, Skavko attended the "Air Brotherhood" hot air balloon festival in Feodosia, which ignited his enthusiasm for air sports. In 2001, he co-founded the Kyiv Federation for Aeromodeling Sports under the guidance of Sergey Skalko.
Skavko's pursuit of knowledge extended beyond aviation. He graduated from the Kharkiv Law Academy named after Yaroslav the Wise in 2000 and the Tavriysky National University named after Vernadsky (Historical Faculty) in 2005. Subsequently, he delved into underwater archaeology, becoming President of the Union for the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage and participating in archaeological expeditions to document sunken objects.
Pilot Training and Air Sports Achievements
From 2000 to 2006, Skavko mastered various types of general aviation aircraft, including the Yak-18, Aquila A210, Eurocopter, and Robinson helicopters. He completed his hot air balloon pilot training in 2006, earning his pilot's license.
Since 2006, Skavko has actively participated in national and international hot air balloon championships and festivals, including:
2006: Open Championship of Russia (Velikiye Luki)
2006, 2007, 2008: Open Championship of Georgia2010: World Championship in Hungary (as part of the Ukrainian team)
2016: World Championship in Japan (as part of the Ukrainian team)
2017: European Championship in France
Business Ventures in Aviation
Sergey Skavko founded the Kyiv Society of Aeronautics in 2005, which encompasses a hot air balloon pilot school, technical center, maintenance organization, airbase, the "Mongolfieria" hot air balloon festival, and other units. His company is credited by Forbes magazine as the first private pilot school and hot air balloon maintenance station in Ukraine.
Notable Achievements and Records
Skavko holds numerous records in air sports, including:Maximum Flight Altitude of a Hot Air Balloon in Ukraine (28 February 2010): 4596 m (15,045 ft)
Flight with the Highest Number of People in a Hot Air Balloon Basket (28 November 2010): 36 people
Simultaneous Parachute Deployment of 8 Parachutists from a Hot Air Balloon Basket and Formation by 5 Parachutists (12 March 2011)
"Farthest and Longest Flight and Maximum Number of Radio Contacts from a Hot Air Balloon Basket" (26 March 2011): 707.64 km (439.7 mi), 12 hours 23 minutes, 799 radio contacts
Blindfolded Parachute Jump from a Hot Air Balloon with Radio Guidance (19 May 2015)
Highest Hot Air Balloon Jump Height (19 May 2015)
Largest Flying "Rrushnyk" (Ukrainian Traditional Towel) (8 June 2015): 49.10 m x 14.60 m (160.76 ft x 47.90 ft)
Contribution to Aerostatics
In 2008, Skavko established the Mongolfieria International Hot Air Balloon Festival, honoring the pioneers of air travel, the Montgolfier brothers. The festival debuted in Bila Tserkva and has since been held in various cities across Ukraine and internationally, including Sevastopol, Montenegro, and Uman.
