Record breaking female pilot

[tonyq]

Good morning

Does anyone have any information on record breaking female pilot, Natalya Prokhanova, who set a world altitude record back in 1965, when she flew to 79000ft.

What type of suit and helmet did she wear, and what became of her after this feat ?

Thanks

Tony

[Red Pilot]

Hello Tony,

Well, this is a hard one...

I was only able to find that in 1965 she flew modified Mig-21U to a dynamic height world record. In another source I found that Glotova (Prokhanova) Natalya was born in 1939 (two last names are given because either of them was her maiden last name which, after she got married, was changed for another one).

In regards of what quipment she wore, I guess only someone with access to Mig OKB records can tell you that. Given the time frame, I would say she could have worn VKK-6 suit with GSh-6 helmet, but it is possible that she used older equipment, such as VKK-3/VKK-4 suit with GSh-4 helmet.

Sorry, I can't be of more help...

Alexei

[tonyq]

Hello Alexei

Thanks for the quick reply.

It is a real shame that it is so hard to find information about Miss Prokhanova, because her's was quite a notable feat which seems to be forgotten.

Like you, I have established that she became Mrs Glotova and was later an English teacher in Tambov, but can find nothing else about her, or any photographs.

I know from US newspaper reports of her flight that she had been flying since she was 16 initially in gliders and then aircraft, and was an instructor by 19.

In 1964, she was one of a small team of female pilots selected to attend a test pilots course, with a view to attempting various world records. They learned to fly MIG15's before progressing to MIG21 variants which would be used for the records.

Natalya was selected to go for the altitude record, which she achieved in a 27 minute night time ascent on 22nd May 1965.

My interest is really driven by my study of the early female cosmonaut team. I have now identified around 15 of the unsuccessful cosmonaut candidates, and I believe there is a strong possibility that Prokhanova was also a cosmonaut candidate, but I would like to prove this, and formally add her to my list.

Tony

[monsum]

hello Tony.

In a GDR-book from 1969 about record flights shows a picture of her before flight in a dress (like women usually wear.....), holding a bag in one hand and in the other her flying boots.
The second foto is after the record flight: close up of her face in a closed type 4 altitude helmet. Her name is written on the upper part. Although in the book her first name is (both times) referred as Natascha.

[monsum]

Natascha Prochanowa.
24336 meter, 22 May 1965, 24 years old
in mig-21U like aircraft, type E-33.
at the time she had more that 1100 flying hours.
She thanked her flying instructor Nikolai Nushdin

[monsum]

[tonyq]

Hi Monsum

Many thanks for finding these images and posting them. I have searched for years for information and pictures of her, so well done for finding them.

Are there any other Soviet female pilots featured ?

The confusion between Natalya and Natasha seems to be a regular translation problem between cyrillic and English.

Thanks again

Tony

[monsum]

Hello Tony,
I never actually read the book; bought it once unseen for possible pictures inside. Before mig-21-times there are mentioned:
10 june 1964 and 11 august 1965
Marina Popowitsch (married to the Kosmonaut). One page story about her and picture in front of L-29.
Furthermore in this kind of a/c: on 14 jan.1965 Galina Kortschuganowa. On 19 febr. 1965 Rosalija Schichina.
Of these last 2 woman only the km/height etc. is mentioned.
In mai 1965 the period of women-records on the mig-21 starts (to beat Jaqueline Cochran-USA- and Jaqueline Auriol -France-). This lasts for 3 years....
(and the russians had of course far more jet trained woman for this task, the book states.......)
Besides the alreay mentioned Prochanowa there were:
Lydija Sajzewa -23 june 1965 and 28 march 1967 (foto in Gsh-4, same pose as posted above)
Marina Solowjowa -16 september 1966-
Jewgennija Martowa -11 oct. 1966- and in 1967.
In total some 14 pages of text about these efforts and the mentioned fotos.

[tonyq]

Hi Monsum

That is all really interesting - I have seen many of these names in Soviet books, but details of what they all did very hard to find.

If you can post the other photos when you have time I'd be very grateful.

Marina Soloweja was definitely a cosmonaut candidate, but did not get chosen.

Does the book give their ages or dates or birth ?

Thanks

Tony

[Red Pilot]

monsum,

Very interesting information. Thanks for sharing it with us! Just like Tony, I would be very interested to see more pictures or even complete scans of those pages.

Thanks,

Alexei

[monsum]

Hello,

I will scan the concerning pages. Not now, its 5 minutes to midnight, so time to go to sleep on this side of the planet.
Beware the text is in german. In any case easier to understand than russian and digits are the same everywhere....

Goodnight from The Netherlands.......

Karel

[monsum]

it starts on page 202 (in the middle of an chapter) with this foto. (kosmonauts wife and testpilot: Marina Popowitsch, who nowadays flies modern Migs and who archieved many world records on the Jakowlew RW.

[monsum]

page 203
(no text; could be Popowitsch also as the foto is to the opposite of previous picture)

[monsum]

page 204 is not important as it still discusses the improvement of those days (phantom is introduced etc).
At the bottom of page 205, the story turns from the russian male testspilots to the female-factor.

page 205 (ehhh, all pages turn out to be chopped: send me a message if you want to receive them by
e-mail)

[monsum]

page 206