Hat Tip: Garry Hamilton
Svetlana Kapanina – the best female pilot of all time
Svetlana Kapanina
By winning the 2005 World Aerobatic Championship in the female category for the 5th time and finishing fourth overall (including men), Svetlana Kapanina confirmed she was the best female aerobatic pilot of all times.
Svetlana has been awarded 30 Gold medals in World Championships. But when she won the 2005 World Aerobatic Championship in the female category for the 5th time and finished fourth overall (including men), Svetlana confirmed she was the best female aerobatic pilot of all time.
Only three pilots won more than once the world title in their category: one man, Peter Jirmus (CZE) in 1984 and 1986, and two women, Betty Stewart (USA) in 1980 and 1982, and Catherine Maunoury (FRA) in 1988 and 2000. That gives an idea of Svetlana’s outstanding achievements.
In 1987 Svetlana graduated from medical school, speciality – pharmacist. The following year she started flying in Kurgan, by 1991 she was a member of the Russian Aerobatic Joint Crew and by 1995 she had graduated from Kaluga Pilot’s School. Although she believed she would never devote her life to flying, what started out as a hobby has turned into serious work as an aerobatic professional.
It didn’t take her very long to join the world’s elite aerobatic pilots. Perhaps her training as a gymnast and many hours on the trampoline has contributed to her success, without requiring so many flight hours.
In 1991, she was Absolute Champion of Russia and in 1993 she won silver at the European Aerobatic Championships, her first international aerobatic contest. She was awarded the medal “For Service to the Motherland” in 1995 and “Award of Honor” in 2002.
Even with her busy schedule she still had time to start her family, giving birth to a son in 2002 and a daughter in 2004. She trains within the Russian National Team structure and attends the 24 hour daily residence training camp at Borki Airport, not far from Moscow.
Here are some of her International Category 1 achievements:
World Aerobatic Championships
2007 – ranked 1st female (4th overall)
2005 — ranked 1st female (4th overall)
2003 — ranked 1st female (2nd overall)
2001 — ranked 1st female (6th overall)
2000 — ranked 4th female
1998 — ranked 1st female (3rd overall)
1996 — ranked 1st female (4th overall)
http://events.fai.org/aerobatics/chro…European Aerobatic Championships
2006 — ranked 1st female
1997 — ranked 1st female (3rd overall)
1995 — ranked 4th female
1993 –ranked 2nd female
1991 — ranked 2nd female
http://events.fai.org/aerobatics/chro…
