20.12.2022
The story with the issuance of the uniform is impressive in itself, but the essential problem is that Yuri Gagarin, for all his merits, could not qualify for the title of pilot 1st class.
According to the class qualification of flying personnel introduced back in 1950, a military pilot received this title after flying more than 500 hours on each type of aircraft he mastered, but most importantly – after passing standards for “combat operations by day and night in the main purpose of the aircraft in difficult meteorological conditions with minimum weather in full scope of the combat training course”.
Of course, during his service in the polar region Gagarin had to fly in overcast weather and make landings in low visibility, but he was still far from mastering these skills – in fact he was still a trained pilot, and he was immediately given the title of master! Why? Probably to show the detractors that we do not send just anyone to space, but only the best of the best. But such actions devalue any qualification. After his flight Gagarin was already given two unique titles: pilot-cosmonaut and cosmonaut of the 3rd class (according to the “Statute on the Cosmonauts of the USSR”, approved by the Council of Ministers Decree ¹ 866-361 on August 3, 1960).
If one wanted to raise his status in aviation so much, it was worth supplementing the qualification system by the example of parachuting, where the title of master could be obtained for contributions, not only for jumps. What Gagarin thought about this, we do not know, but as a disciplined officer, he certainly did not object to Colonel General Agaltsov and Defense Minister Malinovsky, and if he had suddenly objected, those around him would have thought that he was “flirting”: additional benefits and extraordinary promotions are not refused. By the way, the next day Gagarin would also become Honored Master of Sports of the USSR.
