The 10th Naval Aviation Brigade of the Ukrainian Navy took part at a massive military parade in Kyiv on 24 August.
Four Mi-14 maritime helicopters of the 10th Naval Aviation Brigade alongside Ukrainian combat aircraft have been taking part in a flypast over Kyiv to mark the Independence Day on August 24.
One of the features of participation of Mi-14s in the parade is that these helicopters were evacuated from Crimea during the Russian occupation.
Ukrainian naval aviation managed to get a number of its aircraft and helicopters airborne from its Novofedorivka airbase to fly to bases in mainland Ukraine on 5 March in 2014.
The long-term sustainability of the Ukrainian Navy’s surviving Mi-14PS helicopters was uncertain after the pro-Russian administration in Crimea nationalised all state owned enterprises, including the Sevastopol Aviation Enterprise, which had provided long-term maintenance and overhaul of the service’s helicopters. In mainland Ukraine, there were no enterprises capable of providing repair of Mi-14 helicopters.
However, there were quickly organized works at the Aviakon plant in Konotop, wherein a short time the unique Mi-14 helicopters were rebuilt and upgraded. All Mi-14s were quickly reassembled and put back to flight status.
Amphibious Mi-14 helicopters are designed on the basis of the multirole Mi-8T helicopter. The main design distinction is that they boast hermetically sealed boat bottoms, instead of traditional helicopter undercarriages, enabling them to land on water.
The sides are fitted with floats for stability, which also support the retractable landing gear. The Mi-14s other systems were also adapted for marine use, and numerous technical solutions developed for it later found application in Mi-8/17 helicopters, such as the Mi-8MT and its export variant Mi-17.
