The military pilot Evgeny Vladimirovich Rudnev, who had learnt to fly at the Gatchina aerodrome, made the first flight between two cities in the history of Russian aviation that day on a Farman III aircraft. The 64-kilometre route from St. Petersburg to Gatchina was completed in 56 minutes. No failures or malfunctions occurred during the flight.
The first domestic military aerodrome was built in Gatchina in May 1910. Six days after the opening of the aerodrome, the first training flight was made on it with a Farman IV aeroplane, and in June – the first flight with a Gakkel-III aeroplane.
Initially flights were performed only in the aerodrome area, but Russian aviators were tempted by long-distance flights. Moreover, on 25 July 1909, French pilot Louis Bleriot made a flight across the English Channel in his Bleriot XI aeroplane. The first off-airfield flight near St. Petersburg took place in September 1910. Pilot Georgy Gorshkov performed a non-stop flight from Gatchina to Salizi to Gatchina.
During the All-Russian aeronautics festival held at the Commandant’s aerodrome in St. Petersburg, Evgeny Rudnev planned to fly to Kronstadt, Oranienbaum, Peterhof and then fly to Gatchina. However, the cold and windy weather forced to abandon this plan.
In the morning of 22 October the pilot made a 10-minute test flight. The wind direction was unfavourable for the flight. The second test flight had the same result. For the flight to Gatchina it was necessary to prepare: to put on leather trousers, over the tunic – a rescue jacket, on hands greased with castor oil – three gloves. Warmly dressed and mechanic S. Plotnikov. At 14:22 the plane took to the sky, made a circle over the airfield and at an altitude of 300 metres headed for the coast. At 15:18 the plane landed in Gatchina.
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