He also convinced his two sons to join him to try the MiG-29 and the Sukhoi. The Pellerins are all pilots. At home they fly a King Air 200 for the family business. Harris Rutsky from California, Dan Nishimoto from Hawaii, and Renzo Lucchesi from Italy had all flown the Foxbat and were back for more with the other jets. Max Dereta, a photographer, parachutist, and jet junkie from Holland, was returning for the fourth time to fly the Sukhoi.
None are pilots.
Nor is Mike Robinson, a friend of Rutsky's, who decided to tag along to check out Moscow and fly the L-39. It is Alumni Week's first flying day. We sail through the security check at the entrance to Zhukovski air base as if it were a turnpike tollbooth. The base is vast and somewhat unkempt, but no more so than Moscow itself. Maintaining real estate has never been the country's strong suit.