Aleksander Krinichansky has been working in the aircraft industry for almost all his adult life. He heads the company “VKO AVIATECH”, which is engaged in maintaining and repairing aircrafts, including those at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport. Previously, Aleksander Krinichansky was one of senior managers at the Transaero Airlines. Having delivered his open lecture for students of the Institute of Aerospace Engineering of Samara University, he agreed to answer a few questions for us.

“Aleksander Aleksandrovich, why airplanes?”

“I accidently went to aviation. It happened in the 1990s — the economically unstable time when everyone tried to look for themselves. I have higher military specialized education. I graduated from the Military Red Banner Institute of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. Aviation has got me hooked. An airplane is the pinnacle of technological development of mankind: how much knowledge and technology should be combined so that this “iron bird” could be reliable and fly for long!”

“What does “VKO AVIATECH” do?”

“The key task to be solved by “VKO AVIATECH” is maintaining the airworthiness systems of the fleet entrusted to it. Over the past 30 years, the industry has developed the sustainable philosophy that does not accept compromises in respect of maintaining airworthiness. This philosophy is based on the system of training, control, both primary, secondary, and tertiary. So far, all probability coefficients for a negative event development are calculated. Any digression from these coefficients are instantly discussed: this is called predicative airworthiness maintenance. Moreover, Russia switched to predictive systems of airworthiness maintenance long ago. Therefore, it is safe to fly by domestic airplanes. The strong bedrock to be laid in the industry in the mid-90s ensures stable operation of aviation even now. In aviation, the best traditions are preserved and passed on to new generations of aviation engineers, which makes it possible for our aerospace-engineering to remain reliable. We are so educated, the industry is so structured.
For example, I sleep the most when I fly”.

“VKO AVIATECH” has certificates for maintaining Boeing and Airbus, as well as for the Russian Sukhoi Superjet aircraft. What has become more difficult to repair in the context of import substitution?”

“Everything is equally difficult. If any unique problems arise, unique solutions are thought for them. It’s just that the Sukhoi Superjet, which we love very much, did not have enough time to be built as many as Boeing and Airbus. If in case of Boeing and Airbus, we have long understood how to service and repair them, then we had to solve interesting problems related to the Sukhoi Superjet, which has 872 foreign components.

We develop repair technologies and alternative spare parts for further maintaining operation of the aviation equipment. Our company independently developed the chassis repair technology, and I am very proud of our engineers and technologists who were able to prove that the technical solution they applied was correct, increasing reliability of operation. Moreover, we were the first in the country to master repairing the Superjet chassis”.

“In September 2023, “VKO AVIATECH” and Samara University signed the agreement, under which the University shall develop and manufacture test benches for testing and verifying reliability of aircraft components”.

“Yes, Samara University is the first among educational centers, which we plan to cooperate with. You are a gold-mine of knowledge and skills”.

“In the capitals, there are aviation universities too”.

“We like Samara better. Based on results of the merger, Samara University has become cross-platform and cross-subject. In the city, there is the aviation enterprise “Aviakor”, where the Tu-154 was built, and this means a certain culture of practical knowledge, to be difficult to get rid of”.

“What do you expect from the University?”

“I’ll try to put it in simple words. “VKO AVIATECH” has, among other units, the design bureau, where the technology for repairing complex aircraft components is developed. As you know, everything in aviation is subject to proof and testing. For figuring out how to test functionality of a particular aircraft part, you need a huge layer of knowledge.

We are going to entrust the University to compute a test bench for the correct test of motor valve repair; just imagine, there are three Candidate Degree theses behind this. Moreover, we ask them to offer design development, because any theory can be implemented in many ways. The University does such work for other enterprises in the industry; we are interested in their conducting the similar work for us.

We are going to begin, as I said, with the test bench for testing motor valves. When testing each valve, it is necessary to blow up to 1 thousand kg per minute heated to 450°C; this is incredibly difficult and requires very serious technical knowledge. We have already discussed this topic with specialists of the specialized department of the University.

Next, we’ll order testing elements, which requires profound knowledge of thermodynamics and technological processes. We are going to invest the company’s funds in development of such test benches”.
“Which specialists are in demand right now at “VKO AVIATECH” and the aviation industry in general?”

“First of all, we need designers, technologists and testers. In Russia, the current deficit in engineering and technical specialties is 30%. If now students choose a technical specialty, they have already won. Because in the first half of the 21^st century, there is nothing more valuable than a technical specialty. Besides, practical skills are extremely useful now. The first thing I ask young people when interviewing them, “What can you do with your hands?”

“Yes, aviation is a very sensitive industry…”

“Aerospace Engineering is an incredibly responsible and complex field. But opportunities for self-actualization, for a creative impulse, for building a career now are simply endless!
Today is the time of startups, if 2-3 smart students joined to study, there is a huge infrastructure to support such ideas. These are Skolkovo, various accelerators and endowment funds — all these structures find, whether the young people’s eyes are burning, what kind of idea they offer, how much they believe in it and in themselves. If the idea is worthwhile, the conditions for its implementation are likely to do. I repeat it again, now is amazing time for this”.

“Share your secrets of success with our students, please. How to achieve results in any field?”

“Rely on yourself, on your idea. When you work for someone else, your creativity freedom is always limited, the freedom of development, no matter how wonderful the enterprise or company is. People, who are productive and successful, as a rule, have a desire to prove something by relying on themselves”.