As a young boy, he dreamed about following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a pilot. He flew Mi-17 helicopters on peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and Kosovo. Today, he teaches future pilots how to control the legendary American UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters. Forty-two-year-old pilot František Zsoldos is one of the top instructors who works in unique aviation training center Slovak Training Academy.
Have you ever dreamed of becoming a pilot since childhood?
I wanted to do it from an early age, my father was a fighter pilot, so nothing but flying was out of the question. Love for the aviation is inherited from generation to generation, I had no doubt that I would become a pilot.
It is certainly an attractive profession, but do you think that the current generation of young people also want to become pilots?
It is an attractive profession, it is an interesting profession. I don’t do it because of adrenaline, but it’s amazing when you control such a machine. This profession is certainly not entirely common.
How difficult is it to learn to control a helicopter?
It is necessary to have some talent, it is necessary to prepare for it theoretically so that one can handle different systems – how a helicopter works, how aerodynamics, meteorology, navigation work. And then a lot of training, long years of training.
What is the difference between piloting aircraft and helicopters?
It’s a big difference. The plane has fixed wings and most of the time it moves forward and lands on the runways. The helicopter moves in all directions, hanging. It was not designed to land at the airport, but it allows landing outside the airport – in the terrain, on sloping surfaces, among the trees. It is suitable, for example, for rescue operations.
If someone wants to become a helicopter pilot, what should they focus on since high school?
You should especially decide, if you really want to be a pilot. You should have good health and a general technical education.
We know that the fleet at the Slovak Training Academy has 20 helicopters at its disposal, from light to heavy, what is the difference between piloting, for example, MD-530 and UH-60 Blackhawk?
There is a difference, and yet there are so many similar things. The principle of flying and control is exactly the same. The difference is in the weight and power of the helicopter. The MD-530 weighs about 1 and a half tons, the BlackHawk is a helicopter that weighs up to 12 tons. There is a different inertia, different dimensions of the helicopter. In BlackHawk, the crew is 2-3 people, so the crew’s cooperation is a little different.
What does the training for new adepts of pilots look like, what does it consist of?
Pilot training consists mainly of theoretical training. We start with English, then continue with professional subjects such as navigation, mechanics, flight aerodynamics, helicopter construction. Then we continue with theoretical preparation – how the helicopter is controlled, what tasks we will perform, what are the limits of the helicopter, we will study the operating manuals for the specific type. And then we spend a lot of time flying alone, physical training.
The Slovak Training Academy, in cooperation with the Aviation Faculty of the Technical University, revived the history of aviation training in Košice. How do you see the future of this training?
I see the future very well. A big beautiful project has started here. There is a large number of students, a large amount of technology and, of course, the people who work here – both ground staff and instructors. It is a large training center for the conditions of Slovakia but also for the conditions of Europe. There is a prospect of growth, so let us fly well and safely.
Many consider flying to be generally dangerous. Is flying on helicopters dangerous?
Flying is dangerous in principle. We were not created to fly, but to walk. On the other hand, we have a number of procedures and controls, the technique is at the top level. We have training that will provide us with a certain level of safety, so we can consider training and flying safe.
Can we imagine flight training as driving school training? Does the instructor always have control of the machine?
It’s just like in a driving school, even more so, because in a driving school the instructor doesn’t have a steering wheel. I have full control over the entire helicopter and can take it over at any time. And with the command – “My control” or “I’m taking control”, the student releases the control and I save the situation and correct his mistake.
How do you perceive the fact that these legendary UH-60 Blackhawk also got into the armament of the Slovak Air Force?
It’s a special moment because it wouldn’t have been possible a few decades ago. It’s a development, they’re the most modern helicopters that currently exist in the world in this category, so it’s definitely a positive thing.
