Flying the Belavia Tupolev 154

Arrived in Minsk two days earlier just for this day. Early morning wake-up, I take the first train from the center to the airport and am the only passenger on it :) . At the airport I have over two hours to my flight, I check my bag in and go for a short walk around the terminal. There is a couple of old planes in front of the terminal building, a Il-76, a T154, a T134, a An-24, a An-2 and a Yak-40. Later I go through the security and passport control and walk around the interior.

29 May 2015
B2871 (0820-1010) MSQ-GVA
EW-85748 T154

After a short walk around the area of the terminal and one shot of a aircraft standing near the terminal it is time to board. We take the bus to the plane. Total of around 30 people on board (the return flight was full). We are just about to get on board (some even do) but well, the authorities tell us that we can walk around a bit and many do. It looks like if we wouldn't want to fly the T154 and preferred the standing nearby 737. Boarding completed. Engine start-up is accompanied by a majestic hum of the engine. A short taxi to the runway and off we are in the air. Flat climb. 2 hours later we reached Geneva but before that we could experience the plane in all it's majesty. Walk around the cabin, chat. Plenty of room for everybody. There was even a cameraman from a Belarusian TV station making a material about those last commercial flights. Sometime during the flight a meal was served. Cold turkey (or so I think) with  cucumbers, a bun, ketchup and a sweet waffle bar as dessert.
A picturesque approach to Geneva airport with view on the Alps to the left, and a bit to the right. Deboarding, picking-up baggage and together with a fellow traveler we headed to one of many spotting locations in order to catch the departure back to Minsk (which got delayed due to a slot loss due to enthusiasts activity while boarding :D ) and later on to the city for some sightseeing. Later that evening I had my first leg of the return flight back to Warsaw. GVA-CPH with SAS.

Slowly boarding todays ride

Air Koryo Tupolev 154

I wake up. A morning like many others. At a first glance there is nothing spectacular about it. But wait! I look out of the window and the same view comes to my eyes, the sight of Pyongyang city. The day has come. The day that most of us anticipated most. The day of flights. The day that I am going to hop on 5 flights, on 4 different planes, all of them being my first time. The Ilyushin 76, Ilyushin 62, Tupolev 154 and the Mi-17 helicopter. The 18th day of September 2014. A date I surely will remember, not only for the reasons stated above ;)

Midday came fast. We were already after two flights. We got on the bus after deboarding the Il-62 and moved a coupe of meters towards the Tupolev 154. This wasn't my first encounter of the type. It has previously visited many times Warsaw, and let's not forget about the Polish Air Force planes (101 and 102) that have been stationing at EPWA. One of which later crashed under Smolensk. For some it is the most beautiful plane ever made (I won't argue, it has its looks). It surely is the fastest sub sonic commercial plane made. with a huge amount of power form the three engines mounted at the back of the plane. There have even been situations when it flew the entire flight on only two engines as the third one was broken and they had to transport the plane to its base for a fix. Now, would any western plane be capable (or permitted) to do so? to takeoff, cruise and land without one engine?

We were already familiar with todays route, to Hamhung and back. This time without dinner, only a photo session after arrival and then we hoped on to return to Pyongyang. The B version has different engines than the M one. The sound they make at startup is unbelievable. Until now the I only had the pleasure to see it in flight, landing or departing. And it was fantastic! This day I was to fly on one. To hear it from the inside, to smell it. Worth any hassle! Unfortunately the seats at the rear are much more closer to each other than at the front, giving your knees some pain, so because of that, and to give others the possibility of flying at the end of the plane I returned to Pyongyang in business class. Quiet comfy :P

Now it's time for some (detailed) pictures and videos of the main character of this entry. 

 

Resting in Hamhung