During a visit to the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant, Russian President Vladimir Putin tested a simulator built for pilots of the Mi-171A2 heavy-class helicopter. A video of the session was released for public viewing, showing the President taking control of the cockpit under the guidance of an instructor. The flight sequence included takeoff, sustained flight, and a precision landing in an urban setting, all displayed on the simulator’s screen which painted a realistic airport runway and a sweeping cityscape viewed from above.
According to the description provided by TASS, the President executed several impressive maneuvers, demonstrating confident handling of the aircraft. He also showed curiosity about the simulator’s capability to alter the time of day, allowing different lighting conditions to test pilot response during transitioning periods from dawn to dusk and back again.
The Mi-171A2 serves as the latest high-end variant of the Mi-8/17 family, a helicopter line with a long history of operation in various roles. First flown in 2014, this model is portrayed as a modernization that carries advanced avionics, improved powertrain options, and enhanced flight control systems intended for both civil and government use. Its development reflects ongoing efforts to update Russia’s rotorcraft fleet with more capable, versatile machines suitable for demanding missions in challenging environments.
In a broader production context, a declaration from February 16 by Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov outlined plans for 2023 through 2025 that envision the manufacture of 86 helicopters within Russia, with total investment estimated at 44.5 billion rubles. The announcement highlighted an order for 86 Mi-8AMT/Mi-8MTV-1 helicopters to be delivered to 17 Russian airlines, signaling a concerted push to expand domestic aircraft manufacturing capacity and modernize the country’s commercial aviation sector.
Earlier in the day, President Putin also visited the Buryatia region, where he inspected the workshops at the Ulan-Ude aircraft factory. The hands-on tour provided a closer look at the production processes and the teams working on advanced helicopter platforms. The visit underscored the government’s emphasis on strengthening Russia’s aerospace industry through state-driven procurement, local assembly, and ongoing research and development in aviation technology.