Daniel’s Travel Vlog
FLIGHT #4/4 ALROSA TU-154M RA-85684 POLYARNY (PYJ) - MOSCOW (DME), AUGUST 24, 2018
Announcements on Social Media for event flights on Soviet Classics within Russia always come on too short notice.
Getting a visa, getting leave from your employer, shifting plans, especially if you live as far as Japan, are the most common reasons for a “No No”.
After missing the Kosmos TU-134 pleasure flight from Zhukovsky, there was another announcement that the Izhma TU-154M RA-85684, operated by Alrosa Avia would perform a Farewell rotation from Moscow to Sochi on a weekend in August.
I had barely four weeks ahead for planning, yet the decision was clear, this opportunity was not to be missed, by all means.
Simon De Rudder and Mikhail from Alrosa were the mastermind behind this idea and after getting my Russian Tourist Visa, it was off to Moscow from Tokyo via Frankfurt.
In 2018 Alrosa is still operating scheduled flights on TU-154, TU-134, AN-38, AN-24 and helicopters from their operational bases in Mirny and Udachny.
Sampling these beauties would require a 10 day itinerary, which I am simply unable to afford, not taking into account the usual unexpected changes on short notice.
Making things worse, filming and photographing opportunities are extremely limited on these remote locations.
A foreigner travelling alone without prior official arrangements, is always under suspicion and high risk.
However due to the kind invitation and extraordinary hospitality provided by Alrosa and my special friends Mikhail and Alexander, I decided to add a rotation to the Far East to Mirny (MJZ) and Udachny (PYJ) in the week following the Sochi-rotation on short notice.
As the mini bus broke down in the middle of nowhere inbetween Mirny and Udachny, I ran a high risk of being stranded for another five days in Far East Siberia with limited connection to the outside world.
Finally I arrived at 2 AM in Udachny catching a 4 hours sleep before getting ready for the return flight to Moscow.
Despite previous arrangement for airside video taping, all arrangements were cancelled in the last minute by security officials at Polyarny Airport without any given reason despite endless efforts of Alex to make the impossible possible.
All footages at Polyarny Airport were made on own risk and the author of this video feels no longer committed to mutual agreements.
This video features the return flight 6R 516 onboard TU-154M RA-85684 from Polyarny-Udachny (PYJ) to Moscow (DME) on August 24, 2018, the last time RA-85684 to operate on this route.
This video is the uncut and original version.
History of Tupolev 154M RA-85684 "Izhma"
Please see the history in detail at the end of this video.
Enjoy with me the Sights and especially the Sounds of one of the last flights onboard a passenger service TU-154M.
Thank you for visiting my channel.
Flight details
Flight : 6R 516
Date : Friday, August 24, 2018
Aircraft : TU-154M
Registration : RA-85684
Former Registrations :
- CCCP-85684 (Aeroflot)
- RA-85684 (Chita Avia, Sayany, Avia Express Cruise)
Built : 1990
From : Polyarny-Udachny (PYJ)
To : Moscow (DME)
Take off : 11:08 h (0208 UTC)
Touch down : 09:58 h (0658 UTC)
Duration flight time : 4 hours 50 minutes
Flying Distance : 4.052 km
Altitude : 10.973 / 10.988 / 10.996 m
Speed : 900 / 770 / 759 / 1.156 / 770 / 967 / 746 km/h
Flight Captain : Chernyshchov, Andrey
Flight Captain Instructor : Stebenkov, Evgeniy
Flight Engineer : Omarov, Abdullah
Navigator : Belikov, Nikolay
Boardwriter : Beznogov, Konstantin
Cabin Crew : Bazarova, Irina
Cabin Crew : Kotelnikov, Sergey
Cabin Crew : Milorava, Tejmuraz
Cabin Crew : Rogachev, Victor