Highly specialized training activities

Aviation sports is a field applied to flight students, pilots, and flight crew members. This is a mandatory content to build the body's senses, endurance, and the sustainability of the nervous system and vestibular system to adapt to airborne activities.

TTHK is important for pilots. Because flying activities take place in harsh, dangerous environments. Pilots have to perform many complex flights, in different meteorological conditions, regardless of day or night, terrain in mountainous areas, islands. During the flight practice, pilots perform complex acrobatic movements, long periods of time, consuming a lot of energy, inhibiting the nerves. Lieutenant Colonel Ngo Chi Thanh, Sports Assistant, Military Training Department - School, General Staff, Air Defense - Air Force Service said: "Regular TTHK training helps the trainee clearly identify where the body is in space when participating in multi-directional rotation, multi-dimensional rotation, acceleration and overload are always changing. This activity helps pilots stay alert during flying activities because if their health is not good, there can be unexpected events in the air leading to unsafe flights. Therefore, health is a particularly important factor for pilots. When recruiting, health check is the first criterion for selecting military pilot training.

TTHK includes many training equipment such as rotating ladders, centrifugal wheels, swings, rollers... Some supporting sports such as long running, swimming, long jump to increase speed, strength, bounce, endurance. Basketball, volleyball, tennis to practice teamwork, quickness in handling situations. In addition, the unit also has an indoor gym with many supporting equipment, if the weather is bad, pilots can still practice.

Having participated in pilot examinations for many years, Doctor Specialist 2, Colonel Vu Quoc Chien, Head of the Department of Ophthalmology-Dentistry-Maxillofacial Surgery, Institute of Air Defense-Air Force Medicine, Air Defense-Air Force Service said: “Pilots must have comprehensive overall health. For example, in ophthalmology, in flight training, light conditions change continuously, requiring 10/10 vision, standard color vision, flexible adjustment of distance and near, and fast eye movement. To achieve that, pilots must undergo rigorous training in vision in particular and other senses in general to adapt to all conditions of space and time and participate in complex flying activities such as acrobatics, cloud penetration, sea flying, and night flying.”

Air Defense - Air Force tests aviation sports content for pilots.

Air Defense - Air Force tests aviation sports content for pilots.

 

Organize tight training, ensure safety

TTHK has many contents that must follow very strict requirements, if not organized tightly, it will cause unsafety. Therefore, when practicing, the unit must have a plan and organize tightly to ensure absolute safety. Major Vu Trong Tuyen, Squadron Leader of Squadron 2, Regiment 916, Division 371, Air Defense - Air Force Service said: "TTHK is a supplementary subject that helps pilots practice their senses, such as practicing swings to adapt to 3D space, practicing axis rotation to train vestibular stability, and alertness of the nerves. Unlike normal sports, TTHK must be practiced scientifically, methodically, combining both physical strength and precise techniques".

Sports training in general and TTHK in particular are mandatory requirements for pilots. Annually, when checking technical classification, TTHK is one of the important contents to evaluate pilots. Major General Nguyen Phung Tuan, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Defense - Air Force Service said: “Currently, air force units organize training to maintain strict training of TTHK content according to the weekly training program for each squadron and training requirements for each pilot, flight member, and flight student. 100% of the troops are trained at least 1 hour/day according to the regulations of the Service. During the training process, the units closely and scientifically combine physical training with health assessment for each individual. Through the assessment of the annual flight technical classification examination council, the quality of TTHK training remains stable. The organization of TTHK training for flight students is better. In combat units, it is necessary to further promote TTHK training to improve health, meet the requirements of combat readiness and flight training.

To improve the quality of TTHK training, each pilot must identify this as a mandatory requirement to improve physical strength and practice skills to meet the requirements of flight missions, thereby being proactive in training. In addition, squadron commanders need to pay attention to organizing and seriously implementing the training plan, maintaining it in a routine. Based on actual conditions, the military training agency provides professional guidance, periodically evaluates the quality, and from there builds a reasonable plan to improve the quality of TTHK training. In addition to mandatory training content, pilots increase their practice of grassroots sports to maintain health and train a stable mentality, contributing to improving the quality of flight training, ensuring flight safety in air force units.

Article and photos: DUC NAM