HAI has disclosed its annual Pilot
of the Year Award recipient -- Mr. Franz Ivanovich Levitskiy,
Pilot/Instructor, UTair Aviation, Surgut, Russia. Levitskiy began
his career in 1965 after graduating from Kremenchug Aviation School
of Civil Aviation. Beginning as an M-4 co-pilot, he advanced to
pilot instructor with Flight Instruction Team #2, Flight
Directorate, UTair Aviation, JSc. UTair Aviation is a large,
well-known, respected helicopter operation, accounting for 14
percent of the market share in Russia. The company primarily
services oil and gas companies such as Surgutneftegaz, Gazprom,
Roseneft, and Slavneft.
Levitskiy was involved in the development, testing, and
installation of advanced navigation and landing aids on the Mi-8MTV
and Mi-26T models. During his 40-year career, Levitskiy has logged
27,500 accident-free flight hours. He became an authorized flight
instructor on the Mi-4, Mi-6, Mi-8, Mi-8MTV, and Mi-26T helicopter
models. Levitskiy was involved with subsurface exploration and
development of the largest Russian West-Siberian oil-producing
complex and developed the first routes to Cambodia, Canada, India,
and East Timor. He has flown peacekeeping support missions for the
United Nations in Yugoslavia, Somalia, Sierra-Leone, East Timor,
Congo and Liberia.
Flying in the Arctic, Levitskiy's missions included lifesaving
operations- rescuing people from starvation and freezing cold. In
1999 he participated in a unique endurance flight in a Mi-26
helicopter, accompanied by scientists, geologists, crew, and
television journalists to the North Pole. The helicopter left
Hatanga Airport, refueled at Sredniy Island, and then flew to the
North Pole where he landed at a chosen spot and shut down the
engines. On the return flight, Levitskiy flew to a base on the
Arctic Cape of Komsomol Island to refuel, and then returned via
Sredniy Island and back to Hatanga.
Levitskiy has been awarded a medal for "Excellent Service" and a
badge recognizing him as an "Aeroflot Expert." In 2006, Levitskiy
was awarded the title of "Honorary Member of the Fight Safety
Partnership" at a ceremony of the nonprofit partnership, which took
place in Moscow. His experience, leadership, and professionalism
are just some of the qualities that have earned him the profound
respect and admiration of his crewmen, subordinates, and the entire
industry.
All winners will be recognized at HELI-EXPO 2008's annual
"Salute to Excellence" Awards Banquet on February 25, 2008 in
Houston Texas. HAI is the professional trade association serving
the international helicopter community. HAI's 1,500-plus-member
organizations and 900 individual members, in more than 74 nations,
safely operate more than 5,000 helicopters approximately 2.3
million hours each year.