The brave aviator sought to become a pioneer, but fate did not favor him. Military service glorified his name, but combat everyday life ended in disaster in the literal and figurative sense of the word.
The first people to fly to the sky were ambitious. They longed for a record, dreamed of becoming pioneers. Not many succeeded. Our hero was not one of the lucky ones; he was dissatisfied with his modest achievements. The change of citizenship made him an outcast and broke his hearts close.
Childhood
In 1888, teacher Alexander Nikanorovich Agafonov and his wife moved to Baku. Three years later, the time has come to replenish the number of family members. Unsettled life forced the lady to leave her husband for a year and move to his relatives in the Samara province. There in 1891 a woman gave birth to a first-born, who was named Alexander. Later, she gave her husband two more sons: Eugene and Nikolai.
The capital of Azerbaijan, Baku, is the city where Alexander Agafonov spent his childhood
From childhood, Sasha showed interest in the exact sciences. At the age of 9, he entered the Baku Real School, which he graduated with good grades. In 1906, his father received the rank of court adviser, therefore he welcomed the heir’s desire to continue his education and postpone the search for work. In 1907, the teenager went to St. Petersburg, where he successfully passed the entrance exams at the Technological Institute of Emperor Nicholas I.
Youth
The student of the mechanical faculty was keenly interested in all the new products, which were more reminiscent of the works of science fiction writers. Like most of his peers, he became interested in the idea of conquering the sky. Our hero in his free time began to attend a aeronautical circle. A hobby took up more and more time and opened up attractive prospects. Sasha began to study at the Gamayun school at the Shchetinin factory, which produced airplanes. The famous pilot Evgeny Rudnev taught here.
Pilot Alexander Agafonov
A year before graduation, the young man asked for academic leave. He received an aviator diploma, joined the First Russian Aeronautics Partnership and wanted to make a pilot career. As soon as all the formalities were settled, the young man moved to Gatchina and plunged headlong into his favorite pastime. There was not much time for training - the situation was such that a beginner could try to write his name in the history of aviation.
Hard way
In 1911, Russian aircraft designers and pilots declared that the cars and people were trained enough to make a record-breaking flight range. The two main cities of the empire, St. Petersburg and Moscow, were chosen as the start and finish of the route. The idea was so dangerous that the military command forbade combat pilots to participate in the competition. Among the brave men who were ready to do the impossible was Alexander Agafonov.
Participants of the flight St. Petersburg-Moscow 1911
July 10 Farman our hero rose from the Commandant airfield and lay on the course. Technical problems started over Valdai, and I had to land. After the repair, the car took off again, but only reached Novgorod. There, the winged losers were informed that the winner’s laurels went to Alexander Vasiliev. Agafonov did not break it. He continued to compete. To guarantee success, the aviator hired Shchetinin to test new aircraft. However, flights on advanced devices did not allow him to take the first prize. Participation in parades and air shows was not counted.
War
Disappointed in flying for the sake of science, Alexander Agafonov decided to seek fame on the battlefield. In the fall of 1912, the Balkan War began. Russia supported the anti-Turkish coalition and sent its specialists to Belgrade. Our hero arrived with the Duks airplane specially prepared for sorties. This bird met his hopes. At the beginning of 1913, the pilot returned to his homeland, where his contribution to the common cause of the struggle against the Ottomans was evaluated by the Order of Military Merit.
Alexander Agafonov inspects a downed Turkish plane
The veteran wanted to return to the winged athletes. He was again fascinated by the idea of a range record. By 1914, he completed the preparation of the aircraft, which, in his opinion, was superior to similar models. The plans of the conqueror of heaven were destroyed by the First World War. The owner of combat experience was drafted into the army, had to forget about the records for a while. Alexander Agafonov carried out reconnaissance to adjust the fire and visited aircraft factories, where he received equipment for the front.
