Black Hawki, Mi-2, W-3... A full of 19 military helicopters of different types, whose operations had to be coordinated with another service machines. At a fast pace and under stress. For the excellent handling of this challenge, the Buzdygan prize is received by Colonel Krzysztof Zwolinski, Head of the Management Board of Śmigłowcowowy Aviation, Deputy Air Force Inspector at the General Command of the RSZ.
September 2024. The flood wave flows through confederate Poland, threatening another towns. An army is entering the action. Colonel's been drinking. Krzysztof Zwoliński, Head of the Management Board of chopper Aviation, Deputy Air Force Inspector at the General Command of Types of Armed Forces, is directed to the Police Headquarters. That's where he's expected to direct the military chopper operations. Takes a pass, enters the building, and... almost loses number of time. As his subordinates tell, he works virtually all the time. He himself admits that the building first left after a week. The woman at the pass office was a small surprised. “You here?! And I wondered why your pass didn't come back to me for so long. Whether individual has leaked it, or you may have gone out and forgotten to give it back," says the colonel, but he immediately states that he did not vanish from the command for long. I left at 1:00 a.m. to sign crucial papers at the General Command. At 5:00 a.m., I was back," he says.
In total, he worked at the Air Operations Coordination Centre for 2 weeks. It was a large test for all of us. A test of our abilities and skills, but besides a test of nerves – he admits. The military active 19 different types of helicopters. Pilots – mainly Polish, but besides parts – flew around. They were active in the evacuation of flooded towns, carrying food and medicine, helping to strengthen the embankments. That was the case in Nysa and its surroundings. – Soldiers saved our city – there is no uncertainty the Mayor of Kordian Kolbiar. – erstwhile we were able to accept the culmination wave, in the bend of Nysa Kłodzka, about 200 m from the basilica, a teardrop appeared in the shafts. If the water broke through her, already sank the city before, would have been completely flooded – he explains. However, the disasters were successfully avoided. The crews of 2 Mi-17 helicopters all night long dropped into the teardrop of the alleged large bags, or immense bags filled with sand. The last minute gap was patched.
Action of akin importance was much more. “The operation required, above all, large flexibility. usually we had to respond to the signals coming to us in a flash. Carefully secret and direct in endangered locations chopper types that will be able to execute circumstantial tasks. At the same time, we were aware that at any time circumstances could force us to redirect machines to another areas. Planning and coordinating all actions was a challenge. But thanks to the efforts of a full multitude of wonderful and dedicated people, we did what was expected of us – admits Colonel Zwolinski.
The fight against the flood was 1 of the major episodes of his ministry, which has lasted for more than 30 years. The colonel himself was drinking. Zwolinski assures us that he wanted to be a chopper pilot since he remembered. It started as a child. In the area I come from, there was electricity. To this day, I remember the view of Mi-6, which was carried by large steel poles. I was fascinated that they could land in almost any place – he says. respective years later, he joined the School of Orląt in Dęblin. Then there were further levels of military career – service in the then 49th conflict chopper Regiment, a mission in Afghanistan, where the officer served as elder flight safety inspector and performed combat flights on the Mi-24 helicopter, commanding 56 Air Base in Inowrocław.
In 2022, Colonel Pil. Zwolinski transferred to DGRSZ, where he took up the position of Head of the Management Board of chopper Aviation and Deputy Air Force Inspector. He came to large changes in the Polish army. The defence ministry on an unprecedented scale buys fresh weapons, strengthening individual types of armed forces. The modernization besides concerns chopper troops for which S-70i, AW149, AW101 were acquired and the acquisition process of AH-64 began. And Colonel Zwolinski's squad is in the midst of this revolution. Members plan changes, signal needs, prepare papers related to the implementation of fresh helicopters for service, their operational use, crew training. “I never dreamed that 1 day I would have an impact on specified projects, and their completion to me is simply a huge, if not the most important, challenge that I faced during my service,” says the officer. Meanwhile, General Dyw. Pil. Ireneusz Nowak, Air Force Inspector, emphasizes: Colonel Pil. Zwolinski pulled chopper troops from the wall. I can safely say he's a creator and an experienced leader. Many of his ideas have been put into practice. Moreover, he managed to gather a squad of large people around him, who have a clear imagination of the function that helicopters should play in the military. Christopher himself, in colloquially speaking, ate his teeth on it. And his attitude during the flood proved one more time that he could be counted on in any situation.
In a akin tone, the colonel spoke. Piotr Ciechan, commander of the Air peculiar Operations Unit, who worked with Colonel Zwoliński during the September operation. – He coordinated our activities from Warsaw, while I remained at the command post in Wrocław. The cooperation went very smoothly. I didn't anticipate anything else. Colonel Pił. I've known Zwoliński for over 20 years. erstwhile I came to the unit in Pruszcz Gdańsk right after school, he was already there. Then we served together in Afghanistan. I did any of the flights on his crew. And I've never been disappointed in it, says Colonel Ciechan. What kind of man is he? – Very open and friendly, although he can besides perfectly separate between friends and dudes. He can request – not only from others, but above all from himself. And whoever works hard at his place will truly not have bad – said Colonel Pił. Thin.
