Aeroflot

[Akrotiri bad boy]

Just a quick request.

Does anyone remember a Channel 4 programme about Aeroflot? It followed the fortunes of some aging flightcrew as they nursed IL62's from Moscow to Vladivostok and back and included some cracking flightdeck footage.

It must have been shown perhaps ten years ago or so but I'd be grateful if someone could point me in the right direction to find a copy.

Many thanks in anticipation.:ok:

[Brian Abraham]

As you say was a very good program but cant help in your quest for a copy.

[Left Coaster]

Saw it as well and felt for the guys...I think it was called Aeroplanesky (sp?) Hope thqt helps!
LC

[VC10Conway]

It was part of Channel 4's 'True Stories' series from 1995 and was called 'Airplaneski'. I'm afraid I only have it on a VHS tape.

[WG774]

IMHO, "Airplaneski" was one of the more compassionately-handled docs relating to aviation shown on TV in recent times. Aside from the odd story of Vodka being imbibed prior to taking to the cockpit, the documentary showed the Russian pilots in a positive light.

Some of the stories were pretty tall...not that I doubt their validity... There was a story where a hat was distributed amongst the pax for a whip-round to buy a part for the AC; apparently AF hadn't paid their bills and the supplier wasn't giving credit.

If you haven't seen it, it's probably worth finding a copy. It's not often you get a well-researched aviation doc on the telly, nothing like that Comet hokum...

Edit: according to Google, videos of it come up on Ebay from time to time. There's also an Aussie company that showed it in the late '90s that offer tapes of some programming. Put "Airplaneski" into Google.

Airplaneski
[The present state of Aeroflot]
Directed by Norman Hull
Producer Helen Hill
True Stories
Channel Four, 13 July 1995
72 minutes
System: Pal

Another edit: C4 last repeated it back in March this year, so they *could* be in a position to sell you a tape I guess (doubt it'll be cheap).

[Opssys]

Airplaneski was indeed an excellent programme as for:
Some of the stories were pretty tall...not that I doubt their validity
I was fortunate enough to spent several evenings in Novosibirsk listening to ex Aeroflot AN2 Pilots describing Winter operations in Siberia - As the alcohol flowed the stories didn't get any taller ( I suspect they were true), but darker as they described their near disasters. Also spent a couple of hours with another ex AN2 Pilot in London again re Siberian Winter Operations (Coffee Only) and the stories were similar.
As far as I am concerned what they considered a 'normal day' would have been considered 'airmanship of the highest order' but 'we are taking your licence away' for any pilot the UK,