Vilnius Airport 2016.12.04

Returning from a weekend trip to Vilnius. Not much from the plane or flight itself (dark + a Q400 so nothing special). A thing I liked at the airport  is the small cinema available air-side. But you have to monitor the time not to miss your flight.

EPWA 2016.11.21 Austrian Boeing 767

A sunny morning in Warsaw. Austrian came by with one of their 767s for maintenance. Apart of that the usual Qatari A330, Emirates 777 and the unusual Slovak Yak 40 and an Open Skies An-26

OE-LAY

EPWA 2016.11.04

For the winter season Travel season leased one Airbus A330-200 from Air Transat for flights to warm destinations far away. Here it is seen resting at PPS12.

C-GTSN

C-GTSN

LO3837/LO3838 WAW-GDN-WAW Carpatair F100 experience 2016.10.29

During the late summer of 2016 LOT leased one Fokker 100 from Carpatair for it to fly on the WAW-AMS-WAW-GDN-WAW-AMS-WAW rotation. At first it was supposed to be a short term lease but later it got extended to a total of couple of months. Here aa short roundtrip to Gdansk and back.

#1
29 October 2016
LO3837 (1330-1425) WAW-GDN
YR-FKA Fokker 100

The flight to Gdańsk departed delayed, around 20 minutes. Seated in the emergency exit (row 14). Despite the cloudy weather the flight was smooth. Almost zero turbulence. You can feel the age inside.

LO646 OTP-WAW 2016.10.22

One of the goals for October was to fly the Tarom A310 before they retire it at the end of the month. In fact I wanted to fly it already back in August but due to work duties I had to cancel my flights (then it was WAW-VIE-OTP-VIE-WAW). So, after the final flight date was set I started to look for flight combinations that would fit me. Already in September the first of two A310s stopped flying, making the risk of a equipment change even greater. After all, I booked a one-way flight from Madrid to Bucharest. As I was time restricted there wasn't too many flight options. I ended up in flying the evening before with Ryanair on WMI-MAD, getting the night at the terminal, some spotting before the flight and a quick, little risky 70 minutes scheduled stop in Bucharest before flying back to Warsaw with LOT.

22 October 2016
LO646 (1800-1845) OTP-WAW
SP-LDF Embraer 170

An on time arrival from Madrid made it possible for a stress free transfer. If I remember correctly it took me 7 minutes to get from the plane to the duty-free shops area. Having plenty of time I browsed a little around the shops and later on proceeded to the gate. Boarding was swift and all ended with an on-time departure. The flight wasn't too full, around 40 I'd say. After take-off and cutting the clouds we could admire the sun set. Always worth it!

RO416 Tarom Airbus A310 MAD-OTP 2016.10.22

One of the goals for October was to fly the Tarom A310 before they retire it at the end of the month. In fact I wanted to fly it already back in August but due to work duties I had to cancel my flights (then it was WAW-VIE-OTP-VIE-WAW). So, after the final flight date was set I started to look for flight combinations that would fit me. Already in September the first of two A310s stopped flying, making the risk of a equipment change even greater. After all, I booked a one-way flight from Madrid to Bucharest. As I was time restricted there wasn't too many flight options. I ended up in flying the evening before with Ryanair on WMI-MAD, getting the night at the terminal, some spotting before the flight and a quick, little risky 70 minutes scheduled stop in Bucharest before flying back to Warsaw with LOT.

22 October 2016
RO416 (1215-1650) MAD-OTP
YR-LCA Airbus A310

Managed to get the seat I wanted during on-line check-in, confirmed prior to boarding that the seat next to mine is vacant. Luckily it was. Over 3 hours of flight ahead of me with an empty seat next to mine. Awesome. We push and start a little after our scheduled time, quickly taxi to 36R and off we go, bound for Bucharest. The flight itself was smooth and fast. The food was decent, edible, wide selection of beverages and the crew with a smile. Somewhere around Italy I decided to go for a walk to the back of the plane. The ride was smooth and pleasant. The weather both in Madrid and Bucharest was rather gray. Luckily we arrived on time, which gave me more than enough time to transit for my next flight. I even had time to browse the duty-free! 7 minutes from leaving the plane to getting to the gate area.
All in all, I'm glad I had the pleasure to experience the Romanian A310. Something a little different than the usual that one can find around in Europe.

Looking out the window while boarding

MAD pre-flight spotting 2016.10.22

The next goal of October was to fly the Tarom A310. The story of all the troubles and adventures that I had before flying it at last will be in a different post. Here, to make it short, I'll just say that I've managed to take it on the MAD-OTP sector. I flew into Madrid with Ryanair and had around 12 hours to my flight to Bucharest which I decided to spend at the terminal. Terminal 4, used by Tarom, is quite nice for spotting both during the day and the night.

N780AV

LO706 MSQ-WAW 2016.10.09

The return home after some aviation fun in Belarus. The quickest option, direct with LOT.

09 October 2016
LO706 (1455-1510) MSQ-WAW
SP-LNC Embraer 195

Check-in opens and a queue is already formed. Many transfer passengers for ongoing flights, many transatlantic. With my boarding pass I head to the security and passport control.
Having plenty of time I browse the shops, and take some pictures. Lucky to catch both the World of Tanks and new Belavia liveries. Finally my Embraer arrived and boarding commenced shortly. The flight itself was quick, smooth and comfortable. After leaving the plane a friendly face greeted the passengers in Warsaw. A pleasant welcome.

Flying the Mi26 in Minsk 2016.10.08

After arriving to Minsk with Ukraine International Airlines the time had come for the main aspect of the journey, the Mi-26. After meeting up with some friends at Minsk airport and after everyone had arrived we headed to a smaller airport in Minsk to get on our rides. For today pleasure flights on the Mi26, Mi8 and Mi2 had been planned. I took only the first option. No regrets!
The sound was, well I have no words to describe the sound. One hour of pure greatness. Talking was hard, hearing yourself talk was hard. Cruising around the city with some nice weather around, the windows open for some fresh air.
Fantastic experience!