Boy at controls of TU154
1987, I boarded an Aeroflot TU154 TBS/LED with a small group of Americans.
After the meal, and half the time elapsed of the 3hrs15 flt. The a/c. made slight
turns, to the right, then the left, then again the right. This continued for some
minutes, before resuming a straight ahead direction. Shortly afterwards, the
captain, with his oversized hat, walked through the cabin to the centre galley.
His eyes appeared to be focused of a carton (200) Marlboro cigarettes above
my head. I joined him at the galley, and asked if he spoke any other language
apart from Russian and Georgian. He replied "Some German, I've been to DDR".
I told him that I would give him the carton of Marlboro, for a visit to the flight deck.
He agreed. As he opened the cockpit door, my breath was taken away.
Apart from the instruments being in a calming "Lime Green" the large flight deck
was home to his wife, pushing a stroller (buggy) back and forward to pacify a
very young child. a radio officer with equally large hat, The F/O in the right seat.
Seated in the P1 seat was a 13 year old boy, without hat, The teenager was the
captains son, responsible for the strange movements. I asked if a/c was now on
autopilot, He replied "Show him Igor", to which his son flicked the a/p switch.
On finals into LED, strong crosswinds caused a go-around, and on second attempt,
landed, bursting and shredded four of the six tyres on the port side undercarriage.
Have no fear, a man on a bicycle, pulling a large red fire extinguisher arrived to put
the flames out, still engulfing the four tyres "Welcome to Leningrad".
Lance Shippey