metoo

I have a ticket on hold. There will be a flight on Sukhoi from SVO to CPH leaving just before midnight for about 2 1/2 hour flight.

Is it safe? Are the pilots very competent?

I have never taken an Aeroflot flight before but found a very cheap RT from LAX to CPH for June 2013

bwiadca

The SSJ-100 is safe. The crash of the first one happened because of ATC and pilots errors.
So far only two SSJ lost wheels while airborne. But they landed safely.
I wouldn't think twice about it and go for a ride.

metoo

What is ATC? Losing wheels while airborne doesn't usually happen to planes, or do they?

Also, the flight from /to SVO to CPH will be in the dark ,just before midnight.

Goldorak

ATC = Air Traffic Control

dh01

Take the flight, but make sure you have insurance....

metoo

Chickened out and cancelled my Aeroflot flight to Copenhagen. Even though it is $500 cheaper on economy class, i have read horrible reviews on customer service, interior plane and chaos at Moscow Airport.

Not worth it for my sanity...now just need patience to find a Business Class Awards ticket for RT to Copenhagen in the Summer 2013.

bwiadca

Oh come on. Last year I flew to Poland just to fly in Antonov AN-2 built in 1971. You have no idea how rare these planes will become.
Armavia already grounded their fleet of SSJ's and they are canceling rest of the deliveries.
Take a flight till you can. I'm serious.

chinatraderjmr

I flew Polkovo Airways twice and had 2 great flights on old Soviet aircraft. Forgot what kind. A short hop from Moscow - St Petersburg an a plane that looked like a 727 on steroids. But the best was St Petersburg - TLV in a converted bomber. I was only passenger in C and the F/A's let we come down the giant stairs that lead to the belly (bomb bay) from the center of C class. That's where the crew smokes so I was welcome to come down any time. They also let me in the cockpit during the flight. 4 PILOTS!!!!! The largest cockpit I've ever seen and everything was analog. Not an led light or dial in the whole place (Captain, F/O, Engineer and NAVAGATOR

MSPeconomist

It doesn't sound safe to me for a flight to have its FAs smoking downstairs, presumably near the cargo and checked luggage. However, what an interesting experience!

raistlin

You are making this up, right?

Teamstone

Well nothing highly flammable is supposed to be checked, and I remember the smoking flights of the 80s and before. As long as there is a place for their butts!

homelyboy

Absolutely.

The only Soviet passenger jet aircraft which might be called 'converted bomber' was Tu-104 (its design was based on Tu-16).

But one couldn't fly LED-TLV on a Tu-104 for two reasons:

1. The distance is larger than operational range for a Tu-104.

2. Tu-104s were operated between 1956 and 1979. During all that period relations between USSR and Israel were poor, and in 1967 diplomatic relations were officially broken.

bwiadca

I think he was flying on IL-86 of Pulkovo from the description.

KQ321

Hmm. I was also thinking IL-86, which indeed has wide stairs going down from the main passenger deck (I thought they were at the front of the Y cabin, rather than in the C cabin, but I might be mistaken, or maybe it varied depending on individual operator's layouts). I think this design was to facilitate passenger embarkation at remote strips with no airbridges nor high enough stairs. The IL-86 was always designed as a passenger airliner (although it has also been used for military purposes) - not as a bomber.

The other option would be the IL-76, which is a multi-purpose aircraft used for both military and civilian purposes. It has a glass-nose, which makes it look like an old-style bomber (although I think the glass-nose may have just been designed to facilitate landing at remote strips, rather than as a bomb-aiming facility...) Unfortunately I've never flown on one, but I guess it also has steps inside. However, I don't think it has ever seen wide-spread use for scheduled passenger flights.

I'd also be interested to know what this one was. I'm guessing Tu-154, but it could also have been a Yak-42.

Sadly not. It's one of the very few current civilian manufacturers that I haven't flown on yet - although I would if I had the chance.

homelyboy

Indeed! Somehow I managed to forget about Il-86. Though by no means it may be called 'converted bomber'.Actually, it has 3 staircases, in every cabin.

They were made in an attempt to save on installing baggage handling systems in airports. It was supposed that passengers in smaller airports would bring their baggage with them, leave it on shelves in the lower deck, and then walk up to the upper one.