Series about the war, about WWII pilots are in great demand among the audience. They allow you to partially learn the history, manners and life of people of a certain era. In addition, the profession of a pilot is surrounded by a halo of romance and causes remarkable interest, even if we are talking about a simple pilot on a passenger flight. What Russian series about pilots are considered the best? And what are their main advantages?
Military TV series about Russian pilots: “Fighters”
In April 2013, Aleksey Muradov made the 12-episode military film Fighters, which was then shown on the Russia-1 television channel. If we list modern series about military pilots, then “Fighters” is perhaps the best project to date: an exciting story, a cocktail of military and love passions, a good cast, and historical surroundings.
The film describes the life of one flight regiment, which is located close to the front line. The officers of the regiment carry out aerial reconnaissance, as well as covering Soviet troops from the air, bombing the enemy.
However, dangerous military missions are only part of what is interesting to watch in the film. Inside the personnel of the regiment, real Shakespearean passions rage. Pilots and pilots fall in love with each other, are jealous, compete. Sometimes someone dies or is captured, and then comes back and is forced to prove to his comrades that he is not a traitor.
The main roles in the film were played by Dmitry Dyuzhev (Ilya Bestuzhev), Ekaterina Vilkova (Lidia Litovchenko), Maria Andreeva (Evgenia Dementieva).
Series about pilots: "Night Swallows"
In the same year with “The Fighters”, another television novelty was shown - the action movie “Night Swallows” directed by Mikhail Kabanov.
The Russian series of flyers "Night Swallows" tells the story of a real air force formation that existed during the Great Patriotic War. In 1941, Stalin "gave the green light" to the creation of women's flight regiments. One of the first such regiments was the 46th Guards, which is discussed in the film.
The protagonists of the series fly night bombers and actively participate in hostilities. Women were even more adventurous in the air than men, so the Nazis gave the Soviet pilots the nickname "night witches."
Of course, the plot of the film was not limited to dry historical facts. Each heroine has her own destiny and her own story. Many of them lost loved ones, friends, loved ones.
The shooting of the project was attended by Tatyana Arntgolts (“Testament Marriage”), Denis Nikiforov (“Shadow Boxing”), Elizaveta Nilova (“Lord Comrades”) and Eugene Ganelin (“Owl Cry”).
"Landing"
In 2009, the series about the pilots replenished with such a television work as "Landing". The project was in charge of Channel One. The film was directed by Oleg Bazilov (Narrow Bridge).
The plot of the film echoes real historical events. The action takes place at a time when the USSR just collapsed. Riots began in the former
Soviet republics . To restore order in Chechnya, Abkhazia, and Tajikistan, airborne troops were actively involved. The main characters - combat pilots and paratroopers - had to leave their families and risk their lives in hot spots to stop military operations.
The main roles in the project went to Yegor Beroev (Turkish Gambit), Kirill Pletnev (Saboteur) and Anna Snatkina (Tatyana’s Day).
“Pilot of international airlines”
Series about Russian pilots are in the tens. Not all of them are related to military operations.
For example, in 2011, on the Rossiya-1 TV channel, the adventure picture of Pilot of International Airlines by Armen Harutyunyan was demonstrated. It refers to civilian pilots who encounter various emergency situations during flights.
During one of the flights, the main characters (crew commander Stepanov and his assistant Mechnikov) find themselves in a difficult situation: the engine of the aircraft suddenly caught fire, and in the cabin at that moment, the pregnant woman, in addition, the contractions began. The partners brilliantly perform an emergency landing and save all passengers, but because they acted not according to the instructions, they are suspended from flying for an indefinite time.
An unexpected vacation provides an opportunity for Mechnikov to do his favorite thing - the search for ancient treasures, and Stepanov to return to the investigation of his wife’s death. All these circumstances lead partners to one point - in the small town of Chernoleska, where the local mafia runs the show.
The main roles in the adventure film “The Pilot of International Airlines” were played by A. Domogarov and K. Safonov.
"Aerobatics"
“Aerobatics” - a picture of 2009, which relates both to the category “series about pilots” and to the category “films about stewardesses”.
In the center of the plot of the multi-series tape is the life of the crew of a passenger aircraft, consisting of four people. Every day Igor Volokhov, Sergey Vasiliev, Natalya Stebeltsova and Maria Volokhova face difficult situations both in the sky and on the earth.
One of the main storylines is the competition of two stewardesses for the love and attention of the co-pilot Sergei. The presence of love passions enlivens the on-screen action and makes the movie memorable.
In the series “Aerobatics”, the main roles were played by Olga Lomonosova (“Don't Be Born Beautiful”), Boris Shcherbakov (“Plague”), Sergey Karjakin (“The Other Side of the Moon”) and Maria Gorban (“How I Became Russian”).
The Ballad of the Bomber
Series about pilots who fought in the air during the Great Patriotic War are shot much less often than similar films about foot soldiers and other ground troops.
Therefore, Vitaly Vorobyov’s 8-episode film “The Ballad of the Bomb” deserves special attention: this is not a simple picture of a brave combat pilot, but also a narrative based on real events.
For the protagonist Andrei Grivtsov, Nikolay Bogdanov, a real-life pilot, commander of the 12th Gatchina Regiment, served as a prototype. The events in the picture are formed in such a way that Grivtsov, together with two crew members, is shot down in the sky over enemy territory during the mission. The crew members are divided: someone seeks to break through to their own, and someone to complete the combat mission.
The main roles in the project went to Nikita Efremov, Ekaterina Astakhova and Alexander Davydov.
Foreign series about pilots
Russian directors are more likely to shoot series about pilots than Western figures of cinema. Mostly in Europe and the United States, full-length action films about pilots are released, but not multi-part films.
However, in 2014, innovative director Vic Armstrong presented to his viewers his fantasy drama The Left. The protagonist of the whole action is the pilot of passenger flights, which is faced with an inexplicable phenomenon: during flights, people disappear without a trace from the cabin. Rayford Steele is trying to figure it out, even if it costs him his life.
Vick Armstrong's work has been praised by film critics.