Victor Zagainov
Victor Zagainov | |
---|---|
Born | Victor Alexandrovich Zagainov (Russian: Виктор Александрович Загайнов) May 31, 1953 |
Died | October 5, 2002 Zheleznovodsk, Russia | (aged 49)
Occupation(s) | Hot air balloon pilot, astronomer, teacher |
Victor Zagainov (May 31, 1953 – October 5, 2002) was a
Early years
Victor Zagainov was born in the family of a military pilot Alexander Zagainov [2] in Tsulukidze (now Khoni) of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, where at that time the military unit of his father was based. His father retired in Luhansk (former Voroshilovgrad), Ukraine where Victor grew up. From his early years, Victor had two passions, both related to the sky - he wanted to fly like his father, and he was in love with the stars. However, due to partial colour blindness Victor was not accepted to the flight school. Therefore, stars became his main obsession and future profession.
From the 7th grade, he spent much time in Luhansk Pedagogical Institute, where there was a small telescope. He did many observations and read a lot. He was a winner of the Republican Astronomy Olympiad in grade 9th and 10th. He graduated school in Luhansk and entered Odesa University in 1971 with Astronomy major.
After graduation he worked as an astronomer at the limited access observatory in
Teaching of astronomy
For several years (1983-1990) Mr. Zagainov led a club of amateur astronomers at the National Palace of
Hot air ballooning
In 1989, Victor was first introduced to
The first inflation of "Altair" happened in December 1990 in Sverdlovsk.[2] In February 1991 he flew this balloon in Norway. Then in August it was in Ukraine. In September 1991 Victor Zagainov on the Hot Air Balloon "Altair" become the first champion of the USSR.[4][5][6] In the same year the Soviet Union collapsed, so Victor Zagainov was the only one to receive this title. His astronomy club students were not only his first passengers, but also members of his crew. Three out of the four members of his crew at the National Championship of USSR in 1991 were his former students.[2]
Grand Prix of Zagainov
Victor was one of the biggest promoters of
As part of Grand Prix of Zagainov in 1996 Victor organized national records setting
Other events and competitions
Final flight
On October 3, 2002, taking part in a ballooning event in the town of
On board with Victor, as the only passenger, was his best friend's and crew-member's 19-year-old daughter. Realizing that he could not stop or slow the balloon's descent, just before impact Victor lifted the girl in his arms and placed himself underneath her, thus acting as a living cushion on impact. Both occupants survived the crash and the girl was released from hospital after a routine check, with just a few scratches and concussion. Victor Zagainov succumbed to severe internal injuries two days later.[1][2][3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "New Generation (Novoe Pokolenie) Newspaper #47, 2002".
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Gazeta KZ Newspaper #49176".
- ^ a b c "FAI Awards". Archived from the original on 2013-05-09. Retrieved 2014-08-24.
- ^ "Team Economy and Life".
- ^ "Russian Magazine Ballooning".
- ^ "Kaz Aerostat Development History".