Igor Volk

Volk became a pilot in the Soviet Air Force in 1956. After graduation from the Fedotov Test Pilot School in 1965, he has joined the Gromov Flight Research Institute.[1][2] He logged over 7000 flight hours in over 80 different aircraft types. Over the years, he flew on all types of Soviet fighters, bombers, and transport aircraft. He showed outstanding abilities in complex tests of various airplanes at critical angles of attack, stall, and spin. He was the first who tested aircraft behavior at high super-critical angles of attack (around 90°) and performed aerobatics such as the "cobra" maneuver.[3]

Cosmonaut Igor Volk, European Astronaut Thomas Reiter, U.S. Astronaut Charlie Duke

Igor Volk was selected as a cosmonaut on 12 July 1977 and flew as Research Cosmonaut on Soyuz T-12, the 7th expedition to Salyut 7. One goal of the mission was to evaluate the effects of long-duration spaceflight on a pilot skills and ability to fly and land an aeroplane safely (in order to prove Volk's ability to control Space Shuttle Buran atmospheric segment of flight).[3] He served as the head of pilot-cosmonaut training department for the Buran program and later (after the project's cancellation) worked for the Gromov Flight Research Institute as a Flight Tests Deputy Chief before retiring in 1996. He previously served as President of the National Aero Club of Russia and Vice President of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. As recognition for his contributions as a test pilot and cosmonaut he was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union on 29 July 1984.

Volk was also an inventor and was planning a new four-person concept flying car, called the Lark-4 which takes off and lands at 45 km/h (28 mph) using a 27-meter (89 ft) runway. It consumes 11 litres (3 gallons) of fuel for every 100 km (62 mi) traveled and cruises at around 637 km/h (396 mph).

Volk was married and had two children.

He died on 3 January 2017 while on holiday in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. He is buried together with his daughter at the Bykovskoye Memorial Cemetery in Zhukovsky.[4]

• Hero of the Soviet Union
• Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR
• Merited Test Pilot of the USSR
• Zhukovsky Honorary Citizen
• Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" 4th class
• Order of Lenin
• Order of the Red Banner of Labour
• Order of Friendship of Peoples
• Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration"

Speech of Vladimir Dzhanibekov at the opening ceremony of Igor Volk memorial bust in Zhukovsky, Moscow Oblast

Bust of Igor Volk is installed at Solnechnaya Street in the city of Zhukovsky.[5]

• Media related to Igor Volk at Wikimedia Commons
• Detailed biography of Igor Volk
• Biography at Astronautix