Sergei Sikorsky was born in New York City in 1925. He grew up In Connecticut, watching his father, aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky, building the famous Sikorsky amphibians and “Clippers” for Pan American and other airlines around the world.

He remembers his first flight, seated on his father’s lap in the copilots’ seat of the twin-engined S-38. He was eight years old. He remembers visits to the Sikorsky home by the Lindbergh family, Captain “Eddie” Rickenbacker, Colonel “Jimmie” Doolittle and many other aviation legends. In the late 1930's, he followed the development of the prototype VS-300 helicopter and flew in it as a passenger, with his father at the controls.

During World War II, he served in a joint helicopter development squadron headed by commander Frank Erickson, USCG. This unit trained the first Coast Guard, U.S. Navy and Royal Air Force helicopter pilots and mechanics. He was involved in the test and demonstration of the earliest helicopter rescue hoists, litters and rescue baskets all developed by the joint squadron.

Following the war, he studied at the University of Florence, Italy, and then joined United Aircraft (now United Technologies) in 1951. Over forty years of international helicopter marketing and manufacturing assignments followed, resulting in twenty of those years living in Japan, Germany and France. He flew for business and pleasure, at one time or another holding American, Italian, French, German and Swiss pilots’ licenses. After the end of the Sikorsky CH-53 co-production program for German Army Aviation, he returned to Sikorsky Aircraft in Connecticut.

He retired from Sikorsky Aircraft as Vice-President-Special Projects in 1992, but remains active as a consultant. He has received a number of aviation honors and awards. He speaks French, German, Italian and Russian as well as English. He is married to Dutch-born Elena Arendina Marie van Mechelen and has a grown son, Sergei Jr. His hobbies include flying, aviation history, target shooting, classical music and painting.

Honors and Awards
Italian Institute of Navigation Medal
Royal Aeronautical Society of Sweden Thulin Medal
Honorary Doctorate in Aviation Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Fellow of the American Helicopter Society International
Agusta International Fellowship Award
Ukrainian Cross of Yaroslav the Wise

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