About the real ghost of Kyiv and the soul in every plane: an interview with the pilot Bare
While the war is going on, it is forbidden to show the faces of military pilots. For the Aviation Day of Ukraine, we recorded an interview with a pilot with the call sign Bare.
Barre is a guitar technique. Bare communicates with us easily, casually and cheerfully. He is always smiling. He says holding the sky is not difficult. Because every pilot behind his back feels the love and care of his relatives and the support of the ground army.
– There is such a word – idiots. All pilots know that an airplane is heavier than air. If you think logically, it is very heavy, how to fly on it? But we still fly. This is already the other side of the coin, there is aerodynamics, and everything can be scientifically explained.
But in general, all pilots are dreamers and love their work. Because if you don’t love your job, then you have nothing to do here. My childhood dream of a little boy turned into an adult reality.
– The reality today is war.
Watching now– This is war. We have been preparing for this our whole life. We learn psychologically, morally, physical support is the main thing. Experience is something you acquire over the years. Therefore, starting from the moment of standing on the wing, the pilot gains experience. Every flight is different and every task is different. No landings are the same, no take-offs are the same. There are always obstacles, and we are prepared for them.
– Do you feel like a hero?
– We are as simple people as you. It’s just that we have some skills that not everyone can master. A hero is everyone, a person who consciously takes risks.
In fact, every pilot approaches the plane before the flight and, realizing that he is flying on a mission where anything can happen, he is probably a real hero. But every civilian who realizes that he also risks his life, his health, and sometimes his relatives is a hero.
– Are there emotions in heaven or should they be left on earth?
– When a person sitting inside the cockpit controls the plane as a part of his body, he is a real pilot. A person with a bright mind and in some way a romantic should sit in the plane. But I can say one thing – it is important for a pilot not to discuss orders and not to act on provocations. For the pilot, there is a rule – to precisely point the markers at the target and press the trigger in time. That’s all. We are guided by that.
And to make decisions a little faster than an ordinary person – this is instilled in us from the first year.
– And fear?
– At first it’s not fear, it’s fascination. A very fine line. Therefore, if you are afraid, then either overcome it, or just leave. That’s all. There is no place for fear in heaven, because fear always gets in the way.
– Are Ukrainian pilots with the kind of experience they gained during the war ready to master ultra-modern military aircraft?
– To study the aircraft, tactical and technical characteristics, to know some nuances of what happens and at what speeds, what can be done and what can’t be done. Every pilot is ready for it even now. I’m sure it takes three to four months to train a pilot on a new aircraft, like an F16 or an F18.
– Are there incredible things for a pilot? Because from the ground, everything that military pilots do seems incredible. Where is this limit for you?
– For civilians, even performing simple aerobatic figures is already something incredible. Performing such a figure as a barrel or twist at the maximum is also something incredible. For us, starting from training, from the beginning of our skills, this is just a routine that turns into work.
– Is your work different during the war?
– Currently, the conduct of hostilities is a very fine line, and it is a pity that we cannot tell everything about the use of weapons and all the characteristics of the aircraft during air battles. Because this is war. And every pilot who performs his combat flight, believe me, he is unique. And I assure you, our work is sufficient to fulfill the tasks of protection and defense of important state objects and the state border.
– Ghost of Kyiv. We understand that this is a collective image. How did you or your colleagues react to this mythical ghost? Did you need it, or is it just for the civilians to boost their morale?
– Of course it is important. I can say that he is, but not in the person of one person. I feel sorry for those guys who died. And our comrades still perform combat tasks every day. Therefore, behind the ghost of Kyiv is a huge number of people, a huge number of personnel, a huge amount of equipment and support from our partners and all of Ukraine.
– Pilots are much closer to the sky than other people. And they certainly have many strange traditions, in other words, superstitions. Are they stored?
– Definitely. It does not matter whether it is a combat sortie or a simple one on light aircraft. The pilot has a (habit, Ed.) to stroke the wing with the palm of his hand. Because every plane has a soul, and all pilots know it. And in the air it helps psychologically – the fact that you have joined your souls with the machine. This affects the performance of any task.
– Every plane has a soul, but how many people put their soul into making that plane take off?
– There is such a phrase in aviation, but it applies more to the weather service – visibility is one in a million. We joke that one pilot has a million people who help him take off… Of course, there are traditions between us. And, again, I remember my experience. During the first independent flight on a combat aircraft, a mechanic prepares the aircraft. We say hello, and I have to put, there is a special hole like this, a pack of cigarettes for him. He should take it away and show that everything is clear. These are the traditions.
We have a very close relationship with the technicians, because they prepare this very soul, this very aircraft, so that we can calmly perform our combat mission.
– Do you realize that every pilot is now very valuable in the literal sense of the word?
– Starting with the fact that slightly different funds are allocated for training for a pilot, many times more than for a soldier, of course, we appreciate it. Because every step we take, every action we take is completely a contribution of our state and our people. It’s their money. They are counting on us, and we cannot let them down.
