Sergei Sikorsky is the son of aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky. He began working at the Sikorsky factory in Connecticut as an apprentice and junior helicopter mechanic. From 1943 to 1946, he served as a mechanic in a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter test and development squadron and flew in some helicopter search and rescue missions near the end of World War II. He speaks French, German, Italian and Russian. He retired from Sikorsky Aircraft as VP of special projects in 1992, but remains a consultant.