The book traces the path of the formation of St. Petersburg aviation from the first launches of balloons to the take-offs of high-speed jet aircraft. It tells about the history of the formation of military aviation LenVO, its participation in the defense of Leningrad, the protection of a peaceful sky in the postwar years. The formation and role of ARZ LenVO in wartime and peacetime is briefly shown. A separate chapter is devoted to today's life of the Pulkovo airline, the SPARK aircraft repair corporation, which turned 70 in 2001. The narrative is accompanied by links to archival documents, newspaper and magazine publications and memoir literature.