Svetlana Kapanina (born 1968 in Shchuchinsk, Kazakhstan) is a Russian aerobatic pilot.[1]
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She started flying in 1988. In 1995 she graduated from Kaluga aeronautical technical school.[2]
She is now living in Moscow with her husband and two children.[1]
Kapanina was World Aerobatic Champion in the women's category in 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, and 2005,[2] and has won the title more times than any other pilot in the category.[3] Additionally, she was overall World Air Games Champion in 1997 and 2001.[2]
Together with Mikhail Mamistov and Oleg Spolyansky, she won the team gold medal in the 16th FAI European Aerobatic Championships 2008 in Hradec Králové (Czech Republic). She placed fourth overall and was best female participant.[4]
In 1997, she received the Paul Tissandier Diploma by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI).[2] In 2005 she was awarded the Sabiha Gökçen Medal[2] and the Centenary Medal by the FAI.[5]