From August 1992 to February 1998 he served as a pilot instructor in the Training Aviation Regiment (TAR) at Yeisk Higher Military Pilot School. From February 1998 to September 2003 he was a pilot instructor, then commander of the aviation section of Krasnodar Military Aviation Institute (MAI) in Kotelnikovo (Volgograd region). From September 2003, until his enrollment as a cosmonaut, he served as a commander of an aviation unit of the 70th Separate Test Training Aviation Regiment of Special Purpose (OITAPON).