Sergei was born in Kazakhstan. He is one of the most respected aerobatic flight coaches in the world, having trained the likes of Patty Wagstaff, Gene Soucy, Mike Goulian, Kirby Chambliss, and Matt Chapman. His accomplishments as a competition pilot rival any he has had as an instructor, having won the 1984 U.S.S.R. Aerobatic Championship. He was also the 1986 World Aerobatic Champion and the 1994 German National Champion. He moved to the U.S. in 1993, and was the coach of the U.S. Aerobatic Team from 1998-2003. He also competed on the Aerobatic Grand Prix circuit from 1996-2000.

THE PLANE
Sukhoi SU-31

The Sukhoi SU-31 is the most agile and powerful aerobatic aircraft in production today. This single-seat aircraft has the highest power-to-weight ratio of any piston engine aircraft, giving the SU-31 truly unbelievable sustained vertical line.

The engine, the famous Vedeneyev M14, is a nine-cylinder geared radial engine. In the normal "P" version, it produces 360 hp+. The "PF" version produces 400 hp+. The M14 has oil and fuel systems that are completely functional at all attitudes and power settings, and a fully automatic mixture control. The geared engine spins a 100", three-blade, composite propeller turning at two-thirds the engine RPM while producing maximum horsepower and thrust at all power settings. Some versions of the M14P are used to power light-weight generating plants and are expected to run for 20,000 hours without maintenance. This gives you an indication of the engine's superior reliability.

See more exciting air show photos in the AirVenture photo gallery.