Flying in Russia
I'm just back from a totally amazing ten days flying in Russia. I did about 11 hours in the Mi2, a twin turbine helicopter that must be about the size of a twin squirrel, and a couple of hours in the Mi8, which holds about 30 people - roughly the size of a Super Puma. I also managed an hour in a Let 410 - twin engined aircraft that felt like a mini airliner, and half an hour in a Yak 52. It was all ridiculously cheap for what they were. It was a strange week in some ways - horrendous weather, and aircraft all grounded at various times due to crashes and a rumour of a bin Laden type incident expected in Moscow. So we couldn't do any cross countries, and never got to fly the promised L29 jets. And the AN2 was away on maintenance, the Kamov KA26 crashed the day before we were due to fly it.... Hans, who's been on several of these trips, said nothing in Russia ever works out the way you expect it to, but it all comes out OK in the end. I think that summarises it rather well.
Anyway, I'm posting it all in diary form on Rotorheads, but feel free to ask me about it here, or comment, or whatever. And if anyone wants to post a link to the Rotorheads thread that's OK; I don't know how to.
I can't wait to go there again - next year if I can afford it.