The married pilot, 28, and his student, 21, were fired by Sasovo Flight School Of Civil Aviation for switching a plane to autopilot so they could film themselves having sex in mid-air.

In exchange for more flying lessons, the pilot persuaded the trainee to have sex with him.

She reportedly refused at first because he was married, but later agreed when he offered the extra tuition.

According to local news site Gazeta, the pair were in the cockpit of a Cessna 172 aircraft in the Russian federal subject of Ryazan region when they recorded their romp.

After others recognized them in the video, Sasovo Flight School fired them.

When asked what happened, the young trainee claimed that the autopilot was turned on and that they had only kissed and hugged.

She later claimed it was a one-time occurrence that had not been repeated.

According to local media, the scandal arose after she had a disagreement with one of her fellow cadets, who then decided to post the sex tape online in order to exact revenge.