After graduating from the Kirovabad Military Aviation School of Pilots in 1951, he worked as a flight instructor and in 1953 became a member of the Communist Party.

He is most known for his role in the testing of the Tu-144 supersonic airliner, serving as co-pilot for Eduard Yelyan on its maiden flight on 31 December 1968.

Initial theories considered pilot error by the Tu-144 crew and suggested that they may have tried to demonstrate manoeuvres beyond the aircraft's capabilities in rivalry with Concorde.

Later investigation led to the revelation that a French Mirage fighter had been flying close to the designated flight path of the Tu-144.

The French government initially denied this, but eventually acknowledged that an aircraft had been present to photograph the TU-144's unique canards.