Flying in Russia

[Whirlybird]

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.

[BRL]

Hiya Whirly, welcome back. Any chance of posting some pictures for us all to see?

Here is the link to the page on Rotorheads..... Link.

[LowNSlow]

Welcome back Whirl. Glad to see you survived the delights of the former Soviet Union.

If you make the Sywell trip you could still get to drive an AN-2

[Whirlybird]

Big Red L,

When I get my photos back, I'll try and learn to use my scanner. I'm only a helo pilot; computer technology is quite beyond me.

LowNSlow,

I really really wanted to go to Sywell and be totally blase about AN2s - been there done that etc. But since I can't...it would be nice to fly one anyway.

[Keef]

Hiya Whirly - glad it all worked out.

See you at Sywell: you can tell us all about it then.

[Whirlybird]

Keef,

Sounds good. I'll give you all the unexpurgated version at Sywell. I could bring the video too, if there's likely to be anywhere to show it - some of it's really amateurish and boring, but some is quite good.

[Whirlybird]

I went into chat last night - first time all week, as I've had this horrible cold, probably caused by too much flying. Anyway, people kept asking me if I was going to post about Russia. I guess I forgot that not everyone spends most of their life on PPRuNe as I do. So I thought I'd better bring this back to the top again. Thanks to BRL, you have a link to the fully, nearly unexpurgated version on Rotorheads. If you really want the full story, ask me at Sywell, the Covbash, or the Gatbash. And feel free to post comments to keep the other thread near the top. You're allowed to post on Rotorheads; they won't eat you, honest! Though I guess if you want to ask about the f/w flying it might be more tactful to post it here. Makes no odds to me; I read both forums far too frequently.