Авіафестиваль «Вись» на навчальному аеродромі льотної академії

Abstract

The ‘Vys’ Aviation Festival, first held in July 2016 at the Mala Vyska airfield, was established to promote Ukraine's aviation achievements and preserve its regional aeronautical heritage. Organized by the Flight Academy and the Mala Vyska City Council, the festival became a significant event in cultural diplomacy, attracting prominent guests such as Hero of Ukraine and test pilot Oleksandr Halunenko and international representatives. The festival’s program featured spectacular aerobatic displays by national champions, parachute jumps, demonstrations by aviation rescue teams, and an extensive exhibition of aircraft, including the NARP-1, K-10 Swift, Yak-18T, and Cessna-172, alongside modern drone racing competitions (UADR Challenge). The choice of location is deeply symbolic, as Mala Vyska is the ancestral home of Prince Alexander Kudashev, the pioneer who constructed the first operational aircraft in the Russian Empire in 1910. The airfield itself has served as a vital training base for thousands of pilots from around the world since the 1960s. The article also highlights the town's historical connection to Yuri Kondratyuk (Shargei), a pioneer of spaceflight theory, and Ivan Sukhomlyn, a legendary test pilot who set 42 world speed records. Modern efforts to preserve this legacy include the development of the "Kudashev Estate" tourist cluster, which utilizes 3D modeling and virtual reality to recreate historical aviation artifacts.Furthermore, the festival serves as a vital vocational guidance platform, integrating STEM-education elements and immersive digitalization to engage the younger generation in aerospace careers. By blending historical memory with innovative technologies, the event reinforces the Academy’s status as a premier hub for aviation education in Ukraine. This synergy between academic traditions and community initiatives fosters a strong sense of national pride and ensures the sustainable development of regional tourism. Ultimately, the ‘Vys’ festival serves as a powerful tool for forming regional identity, ensuring the continuity of aviation traditions, and integrating local history into the global educational and cultural space.