Igor Volk

He showed outstanding abilities in complex tests of various airplanes at critical angles of attack, stall, and spin.

He was the first who tested aircraft behavior at high super-critical angles of attack (around 90°) and performed aerobatics such as the "cobra" maneuver.

As part of his preparations for a space shuttle flight, he also accomplished test-flights with Buran's counterpart OK-GLI aircraft.

With Volks's participation as research cosmonaut on the 7th expedition to Salyut 7, one goal of the mission was to evaluate the effects of long-duration spaceflight on a pilot's skills and ability to fly and land an aeroplane safely (in order to prove Volk's ability to control Space Shuttle Buran atmospheric segment of flight).

The appearance of Volk as a crew member caused some, including the British Interplanetary Society magazine Spaceflight, to ask why a test pilot was occupying a Soyuz seat usually reserved for researchers or foreign cosmonauts.

Cosmonaut Igor Volk, European Astronaut Thomas Reiter , U.S. Astronaut Charlie Duke
Speech of Vladimir Dzhanibekov at the opening ceremony of Igor Volk memorial bust in Zhukovsky, Moscow Oblast