wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonov">Antonov aircraft or perhaps another story featuring a specific pilot ?
Mila had grown up in the shadow of the hangar. Her father had been a mechanic, and she had learned to read by tracing the rivet patterns on the AN-45’s wings. By twenty-four, she was the only pilot in the district brave—or stubborn—enough to keep it in the air. an-45 Mila
"She won't make the climb, Mila," the base commander shouted over the wind. wikipedia
Inside the cockpit, the AN-45 was a symphony of chaos. Gauges flickered, and the heater hissed, but Mila navigated by the "feel" of the air against the rudders. When the left engine sputtered over the Verkhoyansk peaks, she didn't panic. She whispered to the dashboard, a secret language of encouragement passed down from her father. "Just ten more miles, you old mule," she urged. By twenty-four, she was the only pilot in