Aviation History: Russian Women Parachutists

Russian Women Parachutists

In late October 1977, two Soviet women, Nina Pronushkina and Elvira Fomicheva, set absolute stratospheric records that remain unsurpassed decades later. Pronushkina, applying a layer of goose fat to her face to protect against the brutal cold of near-space altitudes, executed a night solo jump on 28 October from a staggering 14,974 meters. Her free fall spanned 14,400 meters before she deployed her parachute at 570 meters. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) deleted the record from the registry, as the opening altitude was low and deemed a risk to life.

On 26 October 1977, two days earlier, Elvira Fomicheva broke the daylight record with a jump from 15,760 meters, free falling for 14,800 meters before opening her canopy at 960 meters. Both women’s jumps took place over Soviet Odessa, a Black Sea port city rich in maritime history and scientific innovation, where parachuting was not just sport but a symbol of Soviet prowess. These jumps tested the limits of oxygen supply, pressure suits, and human physiology, echoing the era’s broader space race tensions and aspirations. Their accomplishments were milestones, pushing stratospheric boundaries while inspiring a generation of aviators and explorers.

Though their records were extraordinary, the subsequent removal of Pronushkina’s night jump from official recognition reflects the era’s fraught balance between daring and safety. Yet these stratospheric leaps remain a testament to female courage and technical mastery in a field dominated by men. Decades on, no parachutist has surpassed their altitudes in class G-2, securing their legacy not only in the FAI annals but in the larger narrative of human flight and resilience.

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