One year since the death of Ukrainian Air Force pilot Juice: His mother sits in the F-16 fighter jet in his honor – Video

Juice's mother Liliia in the cockpit of an F-16 jet. Photo: Screenshot from a video by Mykola Oleshchuk

August 25 marked the first anniversary of the death of Ukrainian Air Force pilot Major Andrii Pilshchykov, known by the code name Juice. Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, honored his memory by allowing Juice's mother, Liliia, to sit in the cockpit of an F-16 fighter jet. Andrii had been a passionate advocate for Ukraine to receive F-16s.

source: Oleshchuk on social media

Quote: “At the farewell ceremony for Juice, I promised Andrii Pilshchykov's mother, Lilia Oleksandrivna, that I would at least sit in the cockpit of an F-16, the plane that her son wanted to fly one day. And I kept my word.

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…Unfortunately, Juice did not live to see his trip to the USA for training. Today, however, his mother sits in the cockpit of an F-16. She is continuing her son's work and will do everything she can to strengthen our wings.”

background:

• On August 25, it became known that a well-known pilot named Juice and two other pilots had died the previous evening in a collision between two Ukrainian training and combat aircraft in Zhytomyr Oblast. According to the 40th Vasylkiv Tactical Aviation Brigade, pilots Viacheslav Minka and Serhii Prokazin, as well as Andrii Pilshchykov (Juice's real name) were killed in the crash.

• The State Investigation Bureau said that the investigation into the crash of two training aircraft in Zhytomyr region considered, among other things, a technical malfunction of the aircraft, pilot error and a violation of flight organization. The crash occurred due to the collision of two aircraft during a turning maneuver.

Read also: Airplane watching in the weeds, unwanted fame and the spirit of Kiev made of Lego bricks. Andrii Pilshchykov's mother tells the story of her son's life

For reference: Andrii “Juice” Pilshchykov, born in Kharkiv, devoted 8 years of his life to aviation. By the time Russia launched its large-scale invasion, he had more than 500 hours of flight time under his belt – especially in carrying out combat missions in difficult conditions. He received several state and government awards.

He was a pilot of the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade of the Air Command Center, a group of pilots known as the “Spirit of Kyiv” for their brave deeds in defending the capital and the surrounding oblast from Russian aircraft. He was posthumously awarded the rank of major.

Pilshchykov was active in the Western media and advocated the delivery of modern F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

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