Pavel Nikolaevich Vlasov (russian: Павел Николаевич Власов; born 13 October 1960) is a Russian

test pilot A test pilot is an aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental, newly produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques.Stinton, Darrol. ''Flying Qualities and Flight Testin ...

, engineer, one of the

Gromov Flight Research Institute The Gromov Flight Research Institute or GFRI for short (russian: link=no, Лётно-исследовательский институт имени М. М. Громова, russian: link=no, ЛИИ) is an important Russian State Researc ...

directors (2010–2017), chief of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (2017–2021) and Hero of the Russian Federation.

Biography

Early years and military service

Vlasov was born on October 13, 1960, in the city of

Lebedyn Lebedyn ( uk, Лебеди́н, ) is a city in Sumy Oblast, Ukraine. Lebedyn is located in Sumy Raion. Before July 2020, Lebedyn served as the administrative center of Lebedyn Raion; it was administratively incorporated as a city of oblast sig ...

in the

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...

(current

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

). He graduated high school with a gold medal and in 1977 he entered the Gritsevets Military Aviation Higher School of Pilots. He trained there with Aero L-39 and

MIG-21 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nickn ...

aircraft and graduated with a "red diploma" in 1981. Upon graduation Vlasov was assigned to serve as a

flight instructor A flight instructor is a person who teaches others to operate aircraft. Specific privileges granted to holders of a flight instructor qualification vary from country to country, but very generally, a flight instructor serves to enhance or evaluate ...

and trained military pilots in the same flight school. In 1987 he was selected for

training at the

Fedotov Test Pilot School The Fedotov Test Pilot School or FTPS (''russian: link=no, Школа лётчиков-испытателей имени А. В. Федотова or russian: link=no, ШЛИ'') is one of two test pilot schools in Russia (the other one ...

Aerospace industry

Upon graduation from the Fedotov Test Pilot School in 1989 Vlasov worked for the MiG Corporation as a test pilot and as a deputy director general for flight testing (2002–2010). He participated in flight testing of

MiG-31 The Mikoyan MiG-31 (russian: link=no, Микоян МиГ-31; NATO reporting name: Foxhound) is a supersonic interceptor aircraft that was developed for use by the Soviet Air Forces. The aircraft was designed by the Mikoyan design bureau as a ...

heavy interceptor, accomplished maiden flights and flight testing of the carrier-based MiG-29K fighter and thrust-vectoring version of MiG-29 (MiG-29OVT), MiG-29M/M2 and MiG-35 fighters and the MiG-AT trainer. Vlasov is type rated for 35 types of aircraft. As an

aerobatics Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights. The term is a portmanteau of "aerial" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and glide ...

pilot he flew demonstration flights at international air shows in the UK, Germany, India, the United Arab Emirates, Poland, France and Slovakia, and was awarded several times for his skills. He headed the

from January 2010, while keeping his position in the MiG Corporation until February 2014. In 2010, he completed the

United Aircraft Corporation , former_name = OJSC United Aircraft Corporation (2006–2015) , type = Public, PJSC , traded_as = , industry = Aerospace, defense , predecessor = Ilyushin, Irkut, Mikoyan, Sukhoi, Tupolev, Yakovlev , founded = , founder = Vladimir P ...

strategic personnel reserve programme in the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO. Vlasov worked as head of the Gromov Institute during its transformation into a public company, and became its Director General in 2012. In November 2017 he became the head of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre where worked until 1 June 2021.

Family

In 1986, Vlasov married Elena Pavlovna Vlasova, a

teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

of chemistry and

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

. Together they have a daughter Anna (born 1987) and a son Andrey (born 1993).

Awards and decorations

* Hero of the Russian Federation (1998) * Order of Courage (1996) * Merited Test Pilot of the Russian Federation (2003) * Honoured Aircraft Engineer of the Russian Federation * Golden Idea National Award (2004) * Golden Chariot Transport Award (2007)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vlasov, Pavel 1960 births Russian aerospace engineers Soviet aviators People in aviation Aerobatic pilots Russian aviators Living people Soviet Air Force officers Soviet test pilots Fedotov TPS alumni Golden Idea national award winners Gromov Flight Research Institute employees Heroes of the Russian Federation