Flying scheduled Russian airliners

[Timothy Quinn]

I hope this is the proper area to post,anyway,has anyone here ever gone to Russia and gotten flights recently on Tu-154,Tu-134,Il-86,the Il-62 seems to be phased out by now. I've checked various airline sites but there's a language problem!I want to experience these aircraft before they are retired,has anybody done a multi-trip?

[darren13]

Hi there,i flew three years ago from moscow to volgograd on a tupolev 134a,the airline was volga avia,they used yak 42s as well i think.
Im sure they still operate,a fantastic flight by the way!!,i love tupolevs.:ok:

[Milan N]

Volga Aviaexpress are use CRJ200's on route Moscow-Volgograd now.

[ConstantFlyer]

There are some specialist operators that arrange spotting trips to Russia, flying on lots of interesting of Soviet-era airliners. However, you can also arrange a single or return flight yourself, as several Russian airlines have internet booking capabilities. Your biggest problem, though, is going to be organising your visa itinerary, as independant travel still brings challenges in 21st century Russia. For that reason, it can be worth going through an experienced travel agency.

As well as Russia, there are several other places in the world where you can fly on Soviet types, such as Cuba, Ukraine, Syria, Iran, North Korea, Moldova and Azerbaijan.

In Russia, there are still plenty of routes flown by Tupolev, Ilyushin and Antonov aircraft. For example, you could go from Moscow-Vnukovo to Vladivostok on a Tu-204 of Vladivostok Air, returning from Irkutsk by UT Air Tu-154, then from Moscow-Domodedovo to Tyumen by Yamal Tu-134, on to Samara by Gazpromavia Yak-42, on to Ekaterinburg by Ural Airlines An-24, and returning to Domodedovo by Ural Il-86.

The only service from the EU by Antonov 24, so I understand, is Donbassaero's thrice weekly connection between Vilnius (Lithuania) and Kiev (Ukraine). Aeroflot-Nord also operates An-24 equipment on its route from Tromso in northern Norway to Murmansk and Archangelsk.

A word too about the language issue you mentioned. While Russian is quite a tricky language to master, learning the alphabet is easy and can be done in half an hour. It will help greatly if you can read the name of the city to which you're heading on the departure board!

[Milan N]

Il-86 of Ural Airlines are not flying eny more. More probably IL-86 will fly from April from Vnukovo to Antalya.
I'm not shure about AN-24 Nord Avia(Aeroflot-Nord) now.
BTW in some days Vladivostok Avia use A-330's for flights from Vladivostok to Vnukovo.
I can help with finging if you want.

[backseatjock]

This thread brings back some fond memories of time spent living and working in Central and Eastern Europe when I flew a few sectors on TU154s. These flights were generally good, although the cabin interior was odd by modern day standards (no luggage bins, swing around emergency chutes by doors, metal trays etc. Flew only infrequently in the Tu134 and never did nab an Ilyushin scalp.

More 'interesting' were my flights in Yak 42s - for some reason, I never really felt too sure about flying in these aircraft and with those three tiny little engines, I had myself convinced they were generally underpowered.

Best of all was the AN2. Climbed to 'altitude' even more slowly than an
A342/343 and cruised at about the same speed as the Cessna I fly myself. But there was something about being in such a large bi-plane with that single engine up front. Some very interesting AN2 flights, especially in Poland!

Hoping you get as many types as possible in your log book - enjoy and fly safe.

[Timothy Quinn]

All of you who replied,I thank you.Hopefully I will make the trip some day and I may ask one of you again to sort me out on those awkward timetables!

[mercurydancer]

I fly fairly regularly fro SVO to MRV. Lost time Aug 2009
Its Tupulov 154. In he main Ive found the flights ok but I can see why they are scary