Tchkalov's Biography

Valery Pavlovich Tchkalov was born On February 2, 1904 in the village of Vassilievo (nowadays the town of Tchkalovsk).

His father, Pavel Grigorievich, worked as a boilermaker in the public workshops of Vassilievo (nowadays shipyard of Tchkalovsk). There, boats of the technical fleet were built and repaired.
The mother, Irene Ivanovna, was a housewife. She died in 1910 when Valery was 6 years old. After Irene Ivanovna's death another woman came into her place - Natalya Georgievna, the second Pavel Grigorievich's wife.

At the age of seven Valery went to an elementary school in Vassilievo, then to five-class specialized school. In 1916 after leaving school Valery was sent by his father to study in a technical school in Tcherepovetz. However Valery was never to finish the school as it was temporarily closed in 1918 because of the devastation of the country.

Valery returned to Vassilievo and became his father's assistant. When navigation period set in he was engage as a stoker at a dredger.

During the second navigation period, in 1919, he worked as a stoker on board of the steamer "Bayan". From the deck of the steamer he saw a plane for the first time in his life. Then a dream to become a pilot came into his mind. Valery left his work on board the steamer.

In autumn of 1919 Valery joined the Red Army as a volunteer. He started working as a plane-fitter in Kanavinskiy aircraft park in Nizhny Novgorod. At that time he was 16 years old.

In 1921 because of being very persistent Tchkalov strived to be sent to Egorievskay theoretical flying school.
After finishing this school in 1922 he was transferred to Borisoglebovskay flying school. There he made his first independent flight, and then he was quickly improving his skills in the technique of steering a plane.

As one of best students Tchkalov was sent to the Moscow school of aerobatics, and then to the Serpuchovskay school of air fight.
In June 1924 military fighter pilot Tchkalov was sent for service to Leningradskay Krasnosnamyonnay air-squadron after P.N.Nesterov. The service in the air-sqadron is an important, interesting period in Tchkalov's life, though it can be also characterized as anxious. By that time he had already gained the reputation of a fearless and persistent person. One by one Tchkalov made risky and impertinent flights. Those flights were not authorized. Tchkalov received disciplinary punishments and was discharged of the flights.

However those flights of young Tchkalov were not reckless and aimless. He searched for new ways of mastering the steering technique. He aspired to take from the plane all, that the latter could give.
Already at that time V.P.Tchkalov was a virtuoso of aerobatics. In 1927 he was sent to Moscow as the best pilot of the Leningradskay air-squadron for participating in the parade in the honour of the 10-th anniversary of October Revolution. For his brilliant flying skills people's commissar of defense K.E.Voroshilov officially thanked Tchkalov.

In 1927 V.P.Tchkalov married a Leningrad teacher Olga Erasmovna Orechova.
In March 1928 he was transferred for service to the Bryanskay air brigade. His wife with his small son Igor remained in Leningrad.

It was a difficult time in Tchkalov's life. In Bryansk he had a crash and was dismissed from the Army.

At the beginning of 1929 Valery returned to Leningrad to his family. He got a job at Leningradsky Osoaviachim. There he stood at the head of a school of glider pilots.
In November 1930 V.P.Tchkalov was restored in the Air Forces as a military pilot. He began working as a test - pilot in the Moscow scientific - test institute of the Air Forces. During the two years of his work in the scientific-research institute Tchkalov made more than 800 test flights, mastered the steering technique of 30 types of planes. There, in the institute, Tchkalov participated in the tests of the so-called air-group. The air-group consisted of a heavy bomber carrying on its wings up to five fighters.

In January 1933 V.P.Tchkalov was appointed to work as a test pilot in the Moscow aircraft factory of Menzhinsky. He was the chief pilot of remarkable aircraft designer N.N.Polikarpov. At the factory, Tchkalov was testing the best fighters of the 30-ies. Those were a fighter of a biplane system "E - 15" with the subsequent modifications and one of the first monoplanes "E - 16".

The fighter "E - 16" gave a lot of trouble to both designer Polikarpov and to pilot Tchkalov. The model was quite new, the plane behaved capriciously in the air, it was unstable on turns, and it often got into a spin. But nevertheless the plane was started up in a serial production, and that was V.P.Tckalov's direct merit.

While testing fighters Tchkalov always achieved from them highflying characteristics and great velocity in particular.
V.P.Tchkalov took part in tests of tanks pursuit planes "VIT - 1", "VIT - 2", and also in tests of heavy bombers "TB - 1", "TB - 3".

The creative activity of test pilot V.P.Tckalov brought its fruits and allowed to improve considerably the quality of Soviet planes.

May 5, 1935 aircraft designer N.N.Polikarpov and test pilot V.P.Tchkalov were decorated with the supreme government award - Order of Lenin, for designing the best fighters. At last creative aspirations of pilot Tchkalov obtained the proper recognition and estimation.

In autumn of the year 1935 Tchkalov's colleague from the scientific research institute of the Air Forces G.F. Bajdukov put forward a suggestion that Tchkalov should head the crew of plane "ANT - 25" in order to make a non - stop flight over the North Pole to the USA. After some hesitations Tchkalov agreed to the proposal.
In spring of the year 1936 the crew, which consisted of V.P. Tchkalov, G.F.Bajdukov, A.V.Beljakov, addressed the government with a request for the sanction to make the flight. At first, however, the crew was allowed to make a non - stop flight on the route from Moscow to Petropavlovsk - Na - Kamchatke. Preparations of the crew and those of the plane began.

July 20, 1936 V.P.Tckalov's crew started in that legendary flight - to the Far East.

July 22 after 56 hours of flight in the most difficult meteorological conditions Tchkalov landed the huge machine on a narrow sandy spit of the island Ude.

9375 kilometers that were left behind - this is the result of the flight. For that feat Tchkalov, Bajdukov and Beljakov were honoured the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union, and were decorated with Order of Lenin.
In the same year of 1936 V.P.Tchkalov and his companions took part in the World Parisian aircraft exhibition. There were exhibited Soviet planes "ANT-25", "CKB - 15" and "PS - 35".
The idea about the non - stop flight over the North Pole to the USA did not leave Tchkalov crew. In the end, in May, 1937 the sanction was received. June 18, 1937 " ANT-25" took off for the second heroic flight. The flight over the North Pole was much more difficult, than the first one. But the will and courage of the pilots won. The flight was over in July 20, 1937 in the American city of Vancouver. The crew had stayed in air without landing for 63 hours and 25 minutes and had covered a distance of more than 10 thousand kilometers.
For the realization of this flight V.P.Tchkalov and the members of his crew were decorated with Order of the Red Banner.

December 12, 1937 during the elections to The Supreme Soviet of the USSR V.P.Tchkalov was elected deputy to the Soviet of Nationalities from workers of Gorkovsky oblast and Chuvashia. With a feeling of a high responsibility he was fulfilling his deputy duty.

The village of Vassilievo was renamed into Tchkalovsk in Valery Pavlovich's lifetime, in August 1937.

In 1938 brigade commander Tchkalov was offered a managing state post. But he did not leave the testing activity.

In autumn of 1938 V.P.Tchkalov spent his short-term holiday at his birthplace.
December 1 he was called to Moscow for a test of the fighter "E - 180" of N.N.Polikarpov's design. December 15 Tchkalov for the first time lifted the plane in air. When the pilot was already going to land the engine of the plane went dead. Valery Pavlovich was trying to save the plane, at any price. Besides he feared that the plane would fall on an urban area. The tragedy this time appeared to be inevitable.

Valery Pavlovich is buried in Moscow. The urn with his ashes lies in the Kremlin wall.

Tchkalov is dead, but he did a lot during his short life. As a fighter- pilot he introduced in aviation his Tchkalov offensive tactics of conducting an air fight. As a test pilot he tested and gave a start in life to the best fighters in the world. And certainly, the two distant non-stop flights, which were accomplished under his command, have forever become history of home and world aviation.