Antonov 124 and 225

[MrSnuggles]

I admire both these behemoths but of course the An225 is the czar among kings.

Does anyone know how to find information about where one of these beasts might be headed? I have tried the Antonov web site but there is little information in English and my Russian is more than a little rusty, ahem....

If someone DOES know but do not want to share why and how, could that someone at least please give me a hint of if and when this beautiful creature is going to visit Sweden next time? Hell, I'll even drive to OSL/ENGM to see it!

And please, if you have taken some pictures or maybe a video of these works of art and engineering, I'd like to see them just for the fun of it! I hope it would be OK to have an Antonov fan thread here in Spotters Corner, yes?

[Liffy 1M]

This may catch any An-124s flying to or from North America:
Aircraft Type ? Antonov An-124 Ruslan (quad-jet) (A124) Aircraft ? FlightAware (http://flightaware.com/live/aircrafttype/A124)

The An-225's activities appear to be monitored at least to a degree here:
https://www.facebook.com/an225

[grounded27]

Here is one right now. Place the reg. UR-82060 in the search box. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/UR82060
(http://flightaware.com/live/flight/UR82060)

[TWT]

Wednesday 2nd July 2014 !

[John Farley]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v145/johnfarley/An225atFY_zps1c6af46c.jpg

[John Farley]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v145/johnfarley/PaulHandJFF225Paris_zps725e37ed.jpg

[Wile E. Coyote]

Given an hour's briefing, Mr. Farley could probably fly the AN-225 :ok:

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Whether he could make it hover might take longer!

[grounded27]

Hell, did not notice the date, may be the reg has changed. What I did notice is that 225 on that flight was a dog, had to step climb several times. Probably over loaded as hell.

[MrSnuggles]

I am very glad to see Mr Farley's contribution! This makes me feel like less of an Antonov spotter fan - when even such a well known person is eager to have a flight deck photo taken!

TWT, thank you for your information even though it's a little weird and a lot confusing.

Mr Farley, if I dare... how was the flight deck on the behemoth? It looks kind of spacey up front but this is a four crew airplane, like most of those old Soviet built ones, no? yes?

[TWT]

Mr.Snuggles,the Facebook page linked earlier tells you where it is and where it's going next.As for 'weird and confusing' ? The Flightaware track log and graph posted above by grounded27 was for a flight in July last year,so not relevant.

[John Farley]

Warton's Paul Hopkins with me in the Pariis cockpit shot sadly died after a nasty illness last year. As to the size of the cockpit it is much wider than the cockpit shot shows. In fact during Farnborough 1992 I sat on a shelf to the left of the left hand seat during its validation flight for both the good and bad weather routines. Memory is not what it was but I seem to recall the full crew for some types of trips might have been as many as six.

The cockpit shot was just a bit of Dunsfold /Warton one upmanship on my part. I knew the Russians from earlier shows and asked them if I could show the cockpit to Paul later in the day. Having fixed everything as Paul and I wandered round the static park later and he ooooohd and aaaaahd about the 225 I asked him if he would like to see round it. He of course responded by saying they would never wear that. I said follow me and we walked in and of course people just nodded and nobody stopped us - so his face was a picture. They even took the pic.

[Donnyman84]

AN 124 due at DSA early next week

[Double Hydco]

During the 90's I worked for a company that had a joint venture operating a number of the 124 variety. I decided it would be a great idea to take our ops crewbus on a booze cruise in one, while the aircraft did a trial loading of a satellite container in France. We flew from a secret airbase in Oxfordshire to Beauvais and then back to Stansted. The jumpseat was a kitchen chair positioned between the pilots seats.

JF - you're correct, the basic flight crew were two pilots, two flight engineers, a navigator and a radio operator.....

[John Farley]

Double Hydco

Thanks, that gives me confidence to tackle next week and perhaps the one after that. (nobody under 80 will understand that)

JF

[MrSnuggles]

TWT, I am sorry, I misunderstood you.

Donnyman84, DSA, that is somewhere in the UK I believe. A little long for me to go, but very helpful for UK Antonov fans.

JF, I am oooh-ing and aaah-ing just reading that story. Huge Antonov fan over here. I am just so very sad that Ukraine and Russia are fighting because then the other 225 may never see daylight. But gosh how I would like to just pat that masterpiece on the chin.

I looked up the Antonov 225 facebook page and it seems Ostrava was very lucky a few weeks ago. Apparently the beast was refuelling there a lot. Says nothing about Sweden though, but as I include the 124 in my quest for answers, maybe Pprune may help me at least get a glimpse of one of these big white marvels?

[joy ride]

Thanks for the photos and comments, JF!

[Donnyman84]

AN 124 due DSA tues 21st am

[MrSnuggles]

Donnyman84

Pictures?

[Donnyman84]

None myself but a few here
21st April 2015 - FinningleyGallery | SmugMug (http://finningleygallery.smugmug.com/Airplanes/2015/21st-April-2015/48764604_zf6zhZ#!i=4006645928&k=VmPJ5wx)

[Double Hydco]

Here's some from way back....

http://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag21/belfast97/113_zpsjfckkzfb.jpg

http://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag21/belfast97/124_zpsojftmryz.jpg

Thats me standing by the nose for some scale....

http://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag21/belfast97/111_zpsvxdijkbx.jpg

http://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag21/belfast97/pb1_zps2l5riagy.jpg

[Flightmech]

I believe there's a AN-124 on the ground at STN right now. Alpha stands which is unusual for a 124.

[dc9-32]

what is a 224 ?

[Flightmech]

Sorry, its a 124 that hasn't been typed correctly:O.

[razorrawe]

An124 just gone over my house from Stansted:ok:

[MrSnuggles]

You lucky bastards! :-D

[Double Hydco]

Another from Stansted, 1990's....

http://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag21/belfast97/adb_zpsi61liew4.jpg

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Don't forget this little chap (EGNX 2 Dec 2005)

http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a610/brendan_mccartney/Aircraft/UR82060_4_zpsqs6cj9na.jpg

[Donnyman84]

Not mine but 225 at DSA last November
16th November 2014 - FinningleyGallery | SmugMug (http://finningleygallery.smugmug.com/Airplanes/2014/16th-November-2014/45758534_THQ2jj#!i=3699600425&k=Gq9xCDf)

[MrSnuggles]

Haha, the worlds' only airplane that could scoop up a tractor in an engine and still take off. Amazing.