PERSONAL DATA: Born March 4, 1965, in Balkhash, Dzhezkazkansk Region. His parents, Lonchakov Valentin Gavrilovich and Galina Vasilyevna, reside in Aktyubinsk, Kazakhstan. He is married to Lonchakova (Dolmatova) Tatyana Alexeevna. They have one son. His hobbies include books, tourism, auto-tourism, downhill skiing, sport games.

EDUCATION: In 1982 Lonchakov finished high school in Aktyubinsk and entered the Orenburg Air Force Pilot School from which he graduated with honors in 1986 as pilot-engineer. In 1995 Lonchakov entered the Zhukovski Air Force Academy from which he graduated with honors in 1998 as pilot-engineer-researcher.

EXPERIENCE: After graduation from the pilot school he served as a second crew commander, crew commander, squadron senior pilot, aviation brigade commander in the Air Force. He flew L-29, Tu-134 and Tu-16 aircraft.

Lonchakov has logged over 1400 hours of flight time. He is a Class 1 Air Force pilot. He is a paratroop training instructor.

Lonchakov was selected as a test-cosmonaut candidate of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center Cosmonaut Office in December of 1997.

Lonchakov is currently assigned to STS-100/ISS Assembly Flight 6A scheduled for launch in 2001.