Last chance to fly a Russian Tu134, May 18-20
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Moscow, Russia
Programs: AR, LA, A3, UT, 6R, U6, PS, SU, and many more
Posts: 136
Last chance to fly a Russian Tu134, May 18-20
I'm not sure if moderators will allow me to post this here, but I didn't know where else would it be fine.
Alrosa is the only operator of Tu134 (besides Air Koryo if I'm not mistaken).
They published in Instagram of the last ever flight (onboard RA-65690) will be on the route MJZ-IKT-MJZ (Mirny to Irkutsk) on the 18th and 20th of May. I'm not sure if they plan two return trip or just one (go there, spend two days, return).
Anyway, if you haven't done it, consider doing it.
Is the best aircaft ever to be built.
Also, you could try to connect with the only Tu154 available for passengers in Russia. I did last year the route MJZ-IKT (TU3), IKT-PYJ (AN4), PYJ-DME (TU5). Maybe something like that can be done.
On the website, I just found MJZ-IKT (ow 18th) for less than 150U$S. Is not expensive for this bird. Flight duration is around 1h50m
I suggest you do. And, if we organize a group, that would be awesome!
Plus, Mirny and Irkutsk are interesting places to visit...
По многочисленным просьбам любителей советской авиатехники и в связи с предстоящим завершением эксплуатации Ту-134, Авиакомпания АЛРОСА выполнит заключительные рейсы Мирный-Иркутск-Мирный 18 и 20 мая. Приобрести авиабилеты вы можете на нашем сайте www.alrosa.aero
Alrosa is the only operator of Tu134 (besides Air Koryo if I'm not mistaken).
They published in Instagram of the last ever flight (onboard RA-65690) will be on the route MJZ-IKT-MJZ (Mirny to Irkutsk) on the 18th and 20th of May. I'm not sure if they plan two return trip or just one (go there, spend two days, return).
Anyway, if you haven't done it, consider doing it.
Is the best aircaft ever to be built.
Also, you could try to connect with the only Tu154 available for passengers in Russia. I did last year the route MJZ-IKT (TU3), IKT-PYJ (AN4), PYJ-DME (TU5). Maybe something like that can be done.
On the website, I just found MJZ-IKT (ow 18th) for less than 150U$S. Is not expensive for this bird. Flight duration is around 1h50m
I suggest you do. And, if we organize a group, that would be awesome!
Plus, Mirny and Irkutsk are interesting places to visit...
По многочисленным просьбам любителей советской авиатехники и в связи с предстоящим завершением эксплуатации Ту-134, Авиакомпания АЛРОСА выполнит заключительные рейсы Мирный-Иркутск-Мирный 18 и 20 мая. Приобрести авиабилеты вы можете на нашем сайте www.alrosa.aero
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 1,186
Alrosa is the only operator of Tu134 (besides Air Koryo if I'm not mistaken).
They published in Instagram of the last ever flight (onboard RA-65690) will be on the route MJZ-IKT-MJZ (Mirny to Irkutsk) on the 18th and 20th of May. I'm not sure if they plan two return trip or just one (go there, spend two days, return).
Anyway, if you haven't done it, consider doing it.
Is the best aircaft ever to be built.
They published in Instagram of the last ever flight (onboard RA-65690) will be on the route MJZ-IKT-MJZ (Mirny to Irkutsk) on the 18th and 20th of May. I'm not sure if they plan two return trip or just one (go there, spend two days, return).
Anyway, if you haven't done it, consider doing it.
Is the best aircaft ever to be built.
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Moscow, Russia
Programs: AR, LA, A3, UT, 6R, U6, PS, SU, and many more
Posts: 136
maybe it isn’t, but today you have so little options, that flying in a very old soviet bird seems, at least to me, very exciting.
if it was an American built plane that doesn’t fly more like the 707 or DC8 I would also enjoy it. I was late for those ones, but this is something worth to try. As it was the 727 I was lucky enough to fly in Bolivia many times.
if it was an American built plane that doesn’t fly more like the 707 or DC8 I would also enjoy it. I was late for those ones, but this is something worth to try. As it was the 727 I was lucky enough to fly in Bolivia many times.
#5
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Palm Beach/ New England
Programs: AA EXP 3MM, DL GM, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,382
Lots of memories from my Russia working days in 1992-1994. The Tu-154 had largely replaced the 134, but passengers would still get the older bird on occasion. My primary routing was Moscow DME - SVX Ekaterinburg on Aeroflot. The planes flew like the Boeing 727, on which I had plenty of US experience in the 1980s, but the Russian air force graduates would really drive the Tupolevs aggressively. No soft landings, drifting into a lazy stall over the runway. Bang -- they would land them, and you would know it.
#6
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: YEG
Programs: Table scraps from Aeroplan and AmEx Plat
Posts: 896
Lots of memories from my Russia working days in 1992-1994. The Tu-154 had largely replaced the 134, but passengers would still get the older bird on occasion. My primary routing was Moscow DME - SVX Ekaterinburg on Aeroflot. The planes flew like the Boeing 727, on which I had plenty of US experience in the 1980s, but the Russian air force graduates would really drive the Tupolevs aggressively. No soft landings, drifting into a lazy stall over the runway. Bang -- they would land them, and you would know it.
#7
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: YEG
Programs: Table scraps from Aeroplan and AmEx Plat
Posts: 896
I think there is a typo in the OP, RA-65690 is Russian Air Force. Alrosa's is RA-65693,
This Russian website says this craft is almost 40 years old. I know, pressurization cycles are more important than age, but still. The airworthiness certificate, however and whenever that was issued, is good only until May 24, so that return leg on the 20th is cutting it a bit close.
No offence to anyone, and it may be unfair of me to say this, but I'm too chicken to fly regional Russian/ex-Soviet airlines. I think I've flown the Tu 134 twice, 1985-ish and 1990. That's enough.
Bit of trivia: this was Alla Pugacheva plane for her 1998/9 tour, with her own livery:
This Russian website says this craft is almost 40 years old. I know, pressurization cycles are more important than age, but still. The airworthiness certificate, however and whenever that was issued, is good only until May 24, so that return leg on the 20th is cutting it a bit close.
No offence to anyone, and it may be unfair of me to say this, but I'm too chicken to fly regional Russian/ex-Soviet airlines. I think I've flown the Tu 134 twice, 1985-ish and 1990. That's enough.
Bit of trivia: this was Alla Pugacheva plane for her 1998/9 tour, with her own livery:
#8
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,399
That's a nice picture. Those round windows look so distinctive.
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Moscow, Russia
Programs: AR, LA, A3, UT, 6R, U6, PS, SU, and many more
Posts: 136
I think there is a typo in the OP, RA-65690 is Russian Air Force. Alrosa's is RA-65693,
This Russian website says this craft is almost 40 years old. I know, pressurization cycles are more important than age, but still. The airworthiness certificate, however and whenever that was issued, is good only until May 24, so that return leg on the 20th is cutting it a bit close.
No offence to anyone, and it may be unfair of me to say this, but I'm too chicken to fly regional Russian/ex-Soviet airlines. I think I've flown the Tu 134 twice, 1985-ish and 1990. That's enough.
Bit of trivia: this was Alla Pugacheva plane for her 1998/9 tour, with her own livery:
This Russian website says this craft is almost 40 years old. I know, pressurization cycles are more important than age, but still. The airworthiness certificate, however and whenever that was issued, is good only until May 24, so that return leg on the 20th is cutting it a bit close.
No offence to anyone, and it may be unfair of me to say this, but I'm too chicken to fly regional Russian/ex-Soviet airlines. I think I've flown the Tu 134 twice, 1985-ish and 1990. That's enough.
Bit of trivia: this was Alla Pugacheva plane for her 1998/9 tour, with her own livery:
The bus was way much older than the Tu134.... And parts of the floor were missing, so a beautiful "breeze" kept entering from some "lost" parts of the floor...
What an experience is traveling in Russia
I completed last night a 1325km (823 miles) C-shape form trip in Central Russia, visiting Lipetsk, Voronezh, Saratov, Syzran (Samara), Ulyanovsk and Saransk (Mordavia) in just 72 hours. Buses and shared taxis... It was an amazing experience. I did trecking, visited museums, tries local dishes, and obtained more than 500 photos. Now, mrs. iCloud wants me to pay for more space...
Cheers
Eielef (finally @mow)
#11
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: YEG
Programs: Table scraps from Aeroplan and AmEx Plat
Posts: 896
My mistake, a typing error while posting this from my phone, in a long distance bus between Voronezh and Saratov. The correct reg is 65693, as you mentioned it.
The bus was way much older than the Tu134.... And parts of the floor were missing, so a beautiful "breeze" kept entering from some "lost" parts of the floor...
What an experience is traveling in Russia
I completed last night a 1325km (823 miles) C-shape form trip in Central Russia, visiting Lipetsk, Voronezh, Saratov, Syzran (Samara), Ulyanovsk and Saransk (Mordavia) in just 72 hours. Buses and shared taxis... It was an amazing experience. I did trecking, visited museums, tries local dishes, and obtained more than 500 photos. Now, mrs. iCloud wants me to pay for more space...
Cheers
Eielef (finally @mow)
The bus was way much older than the Tu134.... And parts of the floor were missing, so a beautiful "breeze" kept entering from some "lost" parts of the floor...
What an experience is traveling in Russia
I completed last night a 1325km (823 miles) C-shape form trip in Central Russia, visiting Lipetsk, Voronezh, Saratov, Syzran (Samara), Ulyanovsk and Saransk (Mordavia) in just 72 hours. Buses and shared taxis... It was an amazing experience. I did trecking, visited museums, tries local dishes, and obtained more than 500 photos. Now, mrs. iCloud wants me to pay for more space...
Cheers
Eielef (finally @mow)
#12
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
#13
Moderator: UK and Ireland & Europe
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Biggleswade
Programs: SK*G, Lots of Blue Elsewhere
Posts: 13,611
Another aircraft I struggle to have fond memories of
I can't remember if it was a 134 or a 154 that Balkan Bulgarian used to charter out, but I do have very distinctive memories of a GLA-VAR flight in the 80s in the aircraft nicknamed by local airport staff as the "vulgar Bulgar".
The 111 used to be a staple of charter flights from NCL when I lived up that way. It could just about make the Balearics. Which, of course, meant refuelling stops at LGW if there was a slight headwind. I'm sure they were sparkling and new at one point, but they certainly weren't by the time they made it up to NCL.
I can't remember if it was a 134 or a 154 that Balkan Bulgarian used to charter out, but I do have very distinctive memories of a GLA-VAR flight in the 80s in the aircraft nicknamed by local airport staff as the "vulgar Bulgar".
The 111 used to be a staple of charter flights from NCL when I lived up that way. It could just about make the Balearics. Which, of course, meant refuelling stops at LGW if there was a slight headwind. I'm sure they were sparkling and new at one point, but they certainly weren't by the time they made it up to NCL.