Has anyone ever flown on any of these Ruskie rust-buckets? What are they like?
Posted by ShawnThePhantom@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 237 comments
badsanta_2020@reddit
I flew the TU-154. Pretty happy memories as I was young and it was my first flight.
Ok-Blueberry9613@reddit
I’m in Kiev, 1995 trying to get to BOS, only flight was Aeroflot thru St. Petersburg to Frankfurt . St. Petersburg , sitting in the “waiting area” a Brit told us to look at the tires, flights outside Russia the tires had tread, internal flights were bald tires. Sure enough as we carried our bags to the aircraft he was right. The pilot and co-pilot took our luggage and loaded the hold, no ground crew. Walk up to stairs and the pretty flight attendant offered us a tray with vodka shots and a glass of orange juice, bear in mind it’s 8 am. Couldn’t resist so stuck my head on the flight deck, 1960’s Technology along with four empty shot glasses on the center rest. Thankfully Delta from Frankfurt to BOS. We can have all the conversations about airframes, metallurgical properties etc. end of the day a nuclear power with little manufacturing or management capabilities.
Iansavio@reddit
Flew the il-96 with Aeroflot and the Tupolev 204. With red wings and cargo TNT. ( when I worked for them) passenger planes were very normal to be honest apart from the staff in red wings refusing to speak English ( that’s another story). Flew the SSJ with Cityjet lovely aircraft.
m4rkmk1@reddit
is it true that they still need a flight engineer?
Fragrant-Can-1467@reddit
Flown on the Il-62 and IL 96 before,
For the IL 62, I was a kid when i last flown on that thing, not the prettiest or most comfortable but it got us to where we needed without making much of any fuss..
The 96 on the other hand disturbs me greatly, reason why has to do with how spacious it feels within. I do not know if its the standard for all hulls of this type but the Cubana one i took did not have a luggage compartement for the middle row. It wasn't much of a silent or refined feeling plane but it certainly took turbulence like a champ; but then again many soviet planes are kinda built that way so...
Paqza@reddit
IL-96 is a solid plane. Only a a few dozen were built, though.
ywgflyer@reddit
There's talk of restarting production to move Russian aviation's reliance on Western airliners back to domestic products.
elFistoFucko@reddit
Might have something to do with stealing 12 billion worth of western aircraft and being sanctioned to shit making parts availability scarce and expensive to obtain, as well.
ShawnThePhantom@reddit (OP)
I don’t get why they don’t just reverse engineer the engines on the few western aircraft they have.
HamoozR@reddit
Metallurugy is hard to learn and they have a long way and a lack of will and funding to acheive it
MilesHobson@reddit
Good point but they have top line jet fighters so they must have the technology, for the military sector anyway.
2Slow2Nice@reddit
I think mass production is the problem. Building the infrastructure instead of using the infrastructure that has existed and improved for 50 years probably cost more than buying some here and there.
MilesHobson@reddit
Thank you for your well reasoned reply. Certainly better than those who simply maliciously downvote.
June1994@reddit
His reply is total nonsense. Russian are certifying the PD-14. The engineering and knowledge is there. The biggest obstacle is commercialization, which relies in large part on validation and certification.
Considering geopolitics, good luck getting the PD-14 certified in the West.
2Slow2Nice@reddit
My reply is nonsense or someone else’s was? I spoke to another piece of commercialization. It’s similar to your point— sanctions make it a lot harder to build up manufacturing capabilities and output.
June1994@reddit
Russians don’t have an issue with building an advanced powerplant. No more than most countries anyway. Aside from USA/UK/France/China, they’re the only other party that regularly does it.
The issue isn’t “cost” or “infrastructure”. The issue is integrating the engine into a number of different platforms, not to mention certifying the engine across a marathon of tests.
This last-mile “fine-tuning” is particularly problematic for Russians who are cut off from the West. If there was an actual military platform to put the PD-14 into, we’d probably be seeing it in mass production already.
Unfortunately for the Russians, the variant they actually need, the PD-8 has been going through development hell. Whereas the PD-14 is, for all intents and purposes, ready to go, but doesn’t have anywhere to be installed.
mkosmo@reddit
Their military engine production isn't capable of producing the engines used in airliners. The processes are not the same, and their military engines are still relying on Cold War era processes and capabilities.
SimDaddy14@reddit
Because they’re simply not that good at it.
rafiwrath@reddit
"stealing" lol, cute story
kyrsjo@reddit
Uhm. Weren't they renting a lot of them?
rafiwrath@reddit
leasing but sure... demanding them all back is still something nobody would accept
kyrsjo@reddit
I.e. they backed themselves into a corner and felt that the consequences of their own actions justified stealing a bunch of airliners.
rafiwrath@reddit
make unreasonable demands on people and get responses you don't like... it's not a complicated concept though i know that other nations standing up to arbitrary western rules is a new thing you might want to start getting used to it
Paqza@reddit
Stealing equipment you're renting is not a "complicated concept".
rafiwrath@reddit
did anything else change during that time? if it isn't a result of no payments what is it exactly?
or to put it in terms you might understand - if you have a rental car and the company demands you turn around in the middle of your family vacation and return it because they want it back would you just say ok and ruin your trip?
Paqza@reddit
You kept their car. No payments. You stole the car.
rafiwrath@reddit
why keep making up the no payments bit?
kyrsjo@reddit
So are they still paying?
kyrsjo@reddit
Arbitrary western rules = if you want the hardware, you have to pay for it? Riiiight...
So if I really really really want an airliner, I can wait for Russia to land one on an airport I control, and then appropriate it? And call them bad words if they complain about my "stealing". Mhm.
rafiwrath@reddit
yeah they were being paid for that isn't the issue at all... and, yes, you can do that as long as you want to deal with the consequences: canada seized, sorry stole, a russian plane in 2022 and is just holding it at their airport and is currently trying to formally to appropriate it... hasnt exactly improved relations with russia and might not be worthwhile in the long run but exactly that is happening.
the arbitrary western rules have nothing, in this case, to do with payments but with who is allowed to start wars and by extension dominate international politics... oddly enough there are other countries that take issue with that one sided arrangement and are pushing back - welcome to the fall of the unipolar world : )
kyrsjo@reddit
So they are still being paid for? With actual money?
I doubt Canada cares much about their relationship with Russia - but those consequences definitively apply to Russia also.
You're the weird one for supporting starting wars of land grab.
rafiwrath@reddit
why would you pay for something under the original contract when terms are violated and everything is done to make what you've leased useless (refusal of spare parts or maintenance)??? you'd have to be rather dense to just keep paying 😂
we'll see how things develop - canada is already trying to bolster trade with china... the future is hard to predict but to pretend that russia is meaningless to canada is foolish
i have zero support for the war in ukraine... i just dont pretend that it is somehow uniquely evil compared to the usa invasion of afghanistan and iraq, the usa assisted saudi bombing in yemen, the current war in iran, the assistance for the attempted israeli genocide in gaza... those are only the major recent wars and NONE of them were "just" or defensible...
kyrsjo@reddit
Fine, then give them back then.
rafiwrath@reddit
why? there's zero incentive and you just end up with a crippled domestic air network - sounds like a great plan!!! 🤡
kyrsjo@reddit
Shouldn't have started a war then.
Paqza@reddit
They leased planes and then kept them. That's theft.
rafiwrath@reddit
there's a lot missing in your timeline - almost like youre trying to obscure something
Paqza@reddit
You share your version if you'd like.
elFistoFucko@reddit
"nationalized" lol, cute story
rafiwrath@reddit
yeah cause they should've allowed sanctions to cripple their air traffic
not-really-a-panda@reddit
Most of the aircraft were bought out at this point though; that's why they are flying without arrests internationally.
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/russias-aeroflot-settle-deals-last-36-planes-leased-west-2025-06-05/
ywgflyer@reddit
Yup, absolutely.
Although they are still getting parts via their buddies -- India and China.
HSVMalooGTS@reddit
Man i am so jealous. The 62 is my favourite airliner
Danoct@reddit
Apparently, the L-1011 and early DC-10s also didn't have overhead bins. So, they too would've felt very open compared to what we're now used to.
Crusoebear@reddit
I remember jumpseating on TWA L-10s and that was one of the most notable things about the cabin. It looked like you could have hung up some hoops and played basketball in there.
I miss the L-10s & TWA.
epicstud1@reddit
And it had the big RGB projector for IFE at the front of the cabin.
DjQball@reddit
Pretty sure the center overhead bins were an option throughout the entire dc10 production life.
The_Bard@reddit
Most Soviet planes are built very rugged with the expectation of runways being optional
LateralThinkerer@reddit
As they should have. The Soviet Union spanned 11 time zones, was generally sparsely populated, and couldn't build infrastructure very well (to say the least). That's how things like their monster helicopters and AN-2 found their niche as well.
DavidBrooker@reddit
It is indeed standard for all hulls. Although the new passenger variant is supposed to have more overhead space, including over the centre aisle, nobodys bought any and the ability of Russia to enter mass production are suspect, both because of war related sanctions.
callmemedaddy@reddit
Completely agree with the “disturbs me greatly” part. I flew on the 96 when I was a kid but I still remember thinking how high the ceiling is. Didn’t help that I was flying in one of the middle rows.
ErmakDimon@reddit
The 86 and 96 don't have center overhead bins by design, I think on the 86 at least there was a separate hand luggage compartment by the retractable airstairs
LZA2@reddit
The 86 definitely took some inspiration from the L-1011, which for a time Aeroflot was interested in buying. That also originally didn't have centreline overhead bins, and at least intended to be able to load from air stairs from the ground, but never did. The luggage area on the Il-86 was to compensate for a lack of checked luggage facilities in the Soviet Union; passengers were supposed to board on the lower level, tore their luggage, then go upstairs, but as far as I know, this was not done regularly in service.
sunsetair@reddit
Malev Tu-154b, Tu-134, , IL-14
IL-14 noise was unbreable with tiny round windows and looked like a prison cell inside, Ty-134 was more cramped than the Crj-100/200 (yes it’s possible) , Tu-154b was like the B727 from the passenger point of view. Interesting that on the Tu-154b, the seats could fold all the way forward almost flat allowing me to do that in from off me and have my legs straight forward on them. With my seat pushed back, it was quite comfortable.
Kamusaurio@reddit
i had a flight from Habana to Cayo largo in a plane like that
it's an antonov 26
very cool flight i had the luck to be the first to enter at take the bubble seat
great experience
the plane was good to be honest
old but in decent condition
the flight was nice and smooth
far better than the plane who take me to abu simbel in egypt
alejandro_42069@reddit
Always wanted to. I haven’t even flown on a MD aircraft 💔. Closest ive gotten is a 717 from Atlanta to Tri Cities(TN)
Natsuko_Kotori@reddit
All my flights were Boeing (737, 757) or MD (90, 717).
I've been on a Q400 once. Loved it.
Never been on an Airbus. Ever. I was supposed to have taken an A319 on the last leg of a trip back home MCO->DTW->MSP but we missed our connection because one of those random popcorn thunderstorms popped directly over MCO and forced a ground stop. I will forever be bitter about it.
ThirdSunRising@reddit
The planes you absolutely gotta check out are the A350 and B787. Both offer absolutely stellar, game-changing levels of comfort compared to to the noisy old-school 737 and MD jets. Crazy quiet, lower cabin altitude so your body dries out less and feels better longer, it doesn’t matter for the first two or three hours but by hour nine you’re damn glad to be on one of the new composite airplanes. Man they’re nice.
ThirdSunRising@reddit
I think the 717 counts. It’s basically an MD-90 going by another name
DesertFlyer@reddit
MD-95
ThirdSunRising@reddit
DC9 Max
FlyHighAviator@reddit
First of all, don't you dare call these rust-buckets. They were as advanced as their Western counterparts and are (to some, including me) more beautiful than those Western jets. Tu-154M my beloved.
Secondly, I did not but I have been inside several of these beauties in museums. It's just a completely different vibe, smell and general looks.
ShawnThePhantom@reddit (OP)
Tupolev made a plane that was derived from a bomber that would pitch up so high it would stall and then slam into the ground.
MilesHobson@reddit
What is the designation of the plane in photo 1, the VC-10 rip-off or is it a genuine VC-10? When was that photo taken?
Katana_DV20@reddit
Not a rip-off , from VC10 own site:
>Whenever the VC10 is mentioned, the Ilyushin-62 tends to make a co-appearance in the demeaning role of a copy. Yet, the Il-62 is no VC10 copy, but a fascinating aeroplane whose story deserves to be better known.
https://www.vc10.net/History/Comp_il62.html
>As the Il-62 was developed at about the same time as the VC10, to which it bears a marked external resemblance, British Cold War commentators implied that the VC10 design may have been copied by dubbing the Il-62 the "VC10-ski.",^([6]) but no evidence of this was ever presented.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-62
pizzlepullerofkberg@reddit
Ilyushin Il-62
Katana_DV20@reddit
I have. I flew on an IL-62 from Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 1994.
Sat right in the back, the howling screaming engines are avgeek dream. The plane itself was not in good shape. Cabin was beat up and lots of rust patches on wings along with loose panel rivets.
But what an incredible ride,. Howled down the runway and he stood it on its tail as we blasted up leaving a trail of black smoke. Lightly loaded just 30% pax so I guess Capt was having fun with it.
Felt cool to hear the pilots give a progress report mid flight. "We fly now at nine thousand meters and speed is 850 kilometer per hour.." etc.
Cabin service was no nonsense.
FA: You want food?
Me: Yes please
FA: Then why tray not down, PUT TRAY DOWN!
I was then handed an old brown plastic tray with an apple, custard, a sandwich, chips, small tiny box of dates and a soda can.
After that I flew on on an IL-86 which was even more fun. We boarded from the belly door ( no ladder or jet bridge needed, genius) and inside that was a cloakroom and a giant spare tire with all the tools. I was then told by the Uzbek pax behind me that all these flights carry a mechanic as part of the crew because the airlines fly to such remote areas.
Really exciting and I feel lucky to have experienced that.
mcwobby@reddit
Just one. I’ve flown on the Air Koryo Tupolev 204 Beijing to Pyongyang. Tried to get on the IL-62 too but failed the logistics before covid happened.
I booked the Cubana IL-96 on Business class from Havana to Caracas in late 2024, and it was the week it stopped working so I ended up on a Turpial 737 😂
Will aim for a Yak 40 this year or next hopefully
kylleo@reddit
you willingly went to north korea?
gotta respect the bravery, not gonna lie
mcwobby@reddit
Have been multiple times for many weeks. Its really just an all-inclusive package holiday, until you get to know enough people to have some degree of freedom
chunkymonk3y@reddit
I always figured it was like an adult version of a school trip to DC
Cheez_Mastah@reddit
What county do you live in?
koxxlc@reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/s/W4JBYAgQYc
PerfectPercentage69@reddit
Most likely China. Majority of NK tourism comes from there.
MilesHobson@reddit
You go to the DPRK for holiday time? If you holiday with wife and children how do they like it?
bem13@reddit
Not to glaze them or anything, but them actually kidnapping or killing you for no reason is very, very unlikely. If you do something stupid, however, even for something minor that would only yield you a verbal warning or a small fine anywhere else, all bets are off. See the case of Otto Warmbier.
A guy I know went on a tour and his group was explicitly told they weren't allowed to take pictures of the view from the hotel window. Next morning they were gathered and told that someone was seen taking pictures, so either that person comes forward and they delete the pictures or everyone is going home. A guy admitted to it, deleted the photos in front of the tour guides and that was that.
notcrazypants@reddit
I did the same. What I remember most from the flights is the old 80s style TV monitors suspended overhead every few rows, showing a looped propaganda video about destroying America.
Xenoanthropus@reddit
I was on an AA 767-300 in 2019 and it still had those overhead screens as well as ashtrays in the armrests.
Tyraid@reddit
Flew on an AN-24 when I was 17 in Uzbekistan. It was an experience. The ground crew was hosing down the engine intake during startup. We back taxied after landing at maybe 1kt below V1. The seats folded forward easily flat so, if nobody was in front of you, you had a lounger. My family got a picture together, the 8 of us there. We will never forget it.
MilesHobson@reddit
“We back taxied after landing at maybe 1kt below V1.” I don’t understand how that is possible or the reason to try.
Tyraid@reddit
Maybe I exaggerate a little bit but I will maintain that to this day I have never traveled in an airplane across the ground that fast that had no intention of taking off.
Tenzipper@reddit
LOL, had this experience with a flight out of McCarran. Wondered if we were going to take off from the taxiway, then suddenly stopped, and one of the engines shut down. Pilot came on the PA and said, "Well, we were cleared to take off before Air Force 1 got here, but we didn't quite make it, so now we wait while they land and taxi in. Sorry about the delay."
ignacardel@reddit
I think there are some YouTube channels of enthusiasts booking flights in obscure surviving soviet era jets
tristanbrotherton@reddit
Noisy. One time I paid for an upgrade and they just turned the seats around.
InstantSarcasm321@reddit
Flew TU-154M once 15 years ago, Russian domestic flight SPB-Sochi. Very high noise level, final approach seemed very fidgety (very little wind but seemed like they struggled to keep it steady), a lot of overhead bins opened upon touchdown and felt like we would run out of runway. 0/10, scary shit. Flew with a tobacco smelling very old 737 in China (domestic, Shanghai - Beijing) that they conjured up after a 5 hour delay as the scheduled plane endes up unavailable (no English explanation for the reason though) - it felt a lot more solid and refined.
Joked before the Tupolev flight that the plane type was overdue for a major accident, as it seemed that every few years there had been a hull loss and it was 3 years without one (not exact numbers, but the gist of the joke). Gf was not amused.
Navinor@reddit
Yes me. 1994 as a kid, 1998 as a teenager and 2003 and as a young ongoing adult.
1994: IL 86
1998: TU 154
2003: TU 154
The IL 86 was really comfortable for a soveit airliner. It had a lot of room for you feet and the seats were higher class than in the TU 154. Back then i was a kid, so the cell seemed huge in general. Later i saw the cell again in a documentation and it was really huge for an airliner.
But i personally loved the TU 154 more. The engines had a one of a kind sound. Up to this day i think it is one of the most amazing eninge sounds i ever heared. Compared to new planes today it had a lot of room for the feet too. Then the smell which wasn´t even that unpleasent. The soviet lacquer which was used for the belt had a very distinct smell. You immediately knew you were in a soviet aircraft.
The food wasn´t half bad too. Especially in the soviet airlines it was even tasty.
I really enjoyed flying with soviet airliners. Sadly it is nearly impossible nowadays.
damcasterspod@reddit
I flew on a UT Ait Tu-155 between Munich and Tyumen, Siberia in 2008. Remains one of the smoothest flights I've ever been on. Noisy on takeoff but quiet at cruise and the landing was like butter. Great crew, UT was a lovely airline to work with and Tyumen was an amazing place to visit. Good times in a very different time.
Ok-Extent-7515@reddit
I've flown on Soviet passenger planes, and it was... well, like flying on a really cheap airline. Unfortunately, I've never flown on Western planes, so I can't compare cabin noise levels or comfort levels.
squash-finder-london@reddit
The overhead bins don't close? They're just open-fronted like that?
Telepornographer@reddit
I’m surprised they didn't at least put netting there.
rapzeh@reddit
I guess they didn't invent turbulence in Russia yet.
HugsAreMadeForGiving@reddit
Reminds me this, from a friend flying to Japan many years ago. No idea what aircraft type.
[cpt speaks at length in russian]
Then… in thick accent:
“Hello, I Captain. Welcome. We fly Japan, big turbulence. I was fighter pilot, don’t worry, is normal.”
Cue rolling takeoff and climbing rate that had him glued in the seat. The flight was great, all normal.
Ok-Extent-7515@reddit
In my photo is the interior of a Yak-42, which he considers a cheap aircraft for short local flights.
Mission_Mulberry9811@reddit
They have turbulence but this one doesn't take off so it's not an issue
rapzeh@reddit
They really addressed the root cause
HerrFerret@reddit
In Soviet Russia, turbulence invents you!
Hope you enjoyed the vintage meme.
Orruner@reddit
I've flown on a 737 that had that kind of overhead bin
PerfectPercentage69@reddit
737 entered production in the 1960s and has been modernized many times since. You probably flew on an older version.
SharkAttackOmNom@reddit
I’ve been on a coach bus that had that kind of overhead, but I don’t think the comparison sticks.
JuculianD@reddit
Wtf the quality of the Overhead panels
Rxndrive@reddit
I took a domestic flight in Egypt on a Tupolev Tu-154 in the early 2000s (Air Egypt). The aircraft was very noisy and the pilot wasn't very good, many passengers were frightened.
dvornik16@reddit
I flew on all of them during my life-time except the Il-62. 154 and 134 I flew on where in a different stages of their life. But they were quite similar to old delta's 727s I took in the US. Il-96 took me from svo to sfo, aeroflot used to fly it on this route in the late 90s. My experience was quite similar to B747-4. SSJ was surprisingly good after transatlantic flight on B777 in economy class, spacious and quiet. Don't remember much about Tu-204, flew on it from Yerevan to Moscow in the state of heavy hangover...
Ecstatic-Profit7775@reddit
It was a copy of the VC10 from Vickers
alettriste@reddit
Flew some Tupolev mid 90s in domestic flights in China. It was smallish but OK. Regarding rust.... Most of these things are made of aluminum, so the definition of rust is quite different
ProfessorrFate@reddit
I flew a TU-154 from Irkutsk to Moscow in pre-Gorbachev USSR. I recall it as a completely unremarkable flight for the time. What I recall most of that trip is that toilets/restrooms everywhere were absolutely filthy, disgusting.
BurpelsonAFB@reddit
I flew on Aeroflot (Mos/LAX) 15 years ago and it was a nice new plane. Though the AC was way too cold and I froze my ass off the whole way. I assumed they had bought that plane from the west?
DziungliuVelnes@reddit
INOP basically.
AnrufBeworter@reddit
Flew both the TU-154 and the IL-76 as a kid from Frankfurt to Tokio via Moscow.
Transfer to Moscow was the most crazy flight I was on ever - it was still soviet era, the Aeroflot stewardesses looked like Weightlifters in Uniform, and the majority of the passengers were Russians in cheap suits, ignoring the no smoking signs, the fasten year set belt signs, walking in the aisles while the plane was taxiing, others cutting bread and sausage with a large knife on the table still folded down, they just did not care.
The cabin was cramped like in a Ryan Air flight and the smoke in the air thick like in a pub or concert venue. The flight was rough and noisy, but did not take long.
Our family of 4 got seated in 2 separate rows not near to each other, on which my father complained loudly, but to no avail.
During our plane change transit in Moscow two officials in plain clothes approached us while we were waiting and signaled us to follow, while being both discrete and very determined.
We were ushered into a deserted hallway away from the other passengers which felt pretty odd - what would happen next? Are we getting arrested, sent to a Gulag?
They make sure no one‘s watching, demanding to see our boarding passes. The guy taking them tucks them into his pocket, hands out 4 other passes, and they walk away, leaving us behind with 1st class tickets to Tokio.
The IL-76 ride was sheer luxury: Wide, confortable seats with wooden Armrest, 2 taking up the space of 6 in Economy class. You could tell since there were 6 lights and 6 AC vents above the two seats..
Thick woolen carpet canceling most sounds, footrest cushions. Since we were sitting in the front and the engines were far in the back there was almost no engine noise audible. The economy class cabin was separated from the 1st class by a thick divider wall, and the aisle was blocked by a thick woolen curtain. None of the russians flying with us spoke or did anything, they were eerily quite and ignored us for the whole flight which we eventually did not mind after a while.
We were served Champagne in cristal glasses (not us kids, we got Pear Juice instead), Beluga Caviar and Salmon Fillet with proper fancy silverware.
All international newspapers and magazines were handed out free.
We had enough footroom so we could play some card games while one of us used to footrest cushions combined to sit on it in the middle.
Even the stewardesses were pretty somehow and did not look like bouncers. They were genuinely friendly, polite and considerate (unlike the one‘s in the economy class on the transfer flight.
Flight back from Tokio to Moscow a few weeks later was just like it. But from Moscow to Frankfurt we were in the Economy class again, which was quite sudden drop in comfort. Luckily it dot not last long..
TLDR: Flew TU-154 and IL-76 run by Aeroflot 2-way once. The Tupolev was cramped and noise, the Ilyushin luxurious and spacious
DingDong50001@reddit
Was it an IL-62? That’s an airliner with the engines in the back. The IL-76 is a high-winged cargo plane.
Very interesting story though, thanks for sharing!
alex_ziobr@reddit
Yep, missed that part. 62 for sure. And probably in a configuration for international flights judging by the "luxury" described by OP. I saw economy-only configuration and it was not luxury nor comfortable.
alex_ziobr@reddit
Il-76 is a cargo plane. I think it was 86 for you :)
MightySquirrel28@reddit
Does antonov 2 counts ?
Flown in it few times but never landed with it
V-Jupiter@reddit
Calling them rustbuckets is doing them a major disservice
rdirkk@reddit
Ruat is property of Iron which is rather too h avy to use in aircraft
Planes are aluminium which cannot rust
OP seems to be a child or a childish person
ShawnThePhantom@reddit (OP)
They are tho
V-Jupiter@reddit
I am sorry, your statement lacks maturity
Vladeath@reddit
My beautiful AN-3 is not listed...Shame!
ShawnThePhantom@reddit (OP)
Antonov is Ukrainian. Slava Ukraini.
g500cat@reddit
It was originally Soviet/Russian and it wasn’t even a country for decades
Treinrukker@reddit
Lol ukraine wasn't even a country then.
MacGibber@reddit
I’ve been in a couple and the biggest thing I remember was accelerating as we landed in the Tu
ryanturner328@reddit
Honestly, my bucket list aircraft is a super jet
Staylin_Alive@reddit
Feels like author was not allowed on the flight and he is terribly angry now.
ShawnThePhantom@reddit (OP)
No I’ve just never been to countries with airlines that don’t have access to modern western aircraft from Boeing, Airbus, or Embraer.
g500cat@reddit
They did have access to them a few years ago
Texas_Kimchi@reddit
I have! Flew on one in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Was an absolute bucket of bolts and one of the loudest experiences I've ever been through. Loved it though. Specifically booked that flight to fly on it before they retired it for a 737-600
DirDox@reddit
Completely filled with smoke is always the answer. People smoked packs of cigarettes and quite a few were smoking cigars.
alw-03@reddit
Flew 3 times in my life on the Sukhoi SuperJet 100, I didn't notice any difference to Airbus or Boeing. Quite boring
Fr00tman@reddit
Il-62 in 1986. At that point, I was struck by the fact that it was older than I was, some of the seats were broken, and it was clearly dated. I enjoyed the chance to fly in it, and the “limonade” and cold cuts were interesting. Fast forward to last year and this year, flew on 777s that were older than that aircraft was at the time (including N777UA), they were clearly dated, and the AA examples I was on had broken seats and various nonfunctioning equipment…
NewsMarsupial474@reddit
We went on a family vacation to USSR in 1976, and I still remember how the plane dripped on my seat from the air vent one entire flight.
Mother-Orchid-6770@reddit
Yes, when I was very young. Loud is my overriding memory
OriginalEvening4307@reddit
Flown on Tu-154, Tu-134, Yak-42 many times when I was kid in 2000s. People was ALWAYS clapping after landing - not because people was afraid, more like a tradition. Really decent planes to be honest, as far as I remember.
pizzlepullerofkberg@reddit
My mom flew on an Aeroflot Tu-154. It was really shitty according to her. This was also in 1989.
LoXoNoT@reddit
ssj 100, flew it few times. Pretty normal experience tbh
Paqza@reddit
It's a POS for a modern airliner. Lots of odd decisions made reducing safety.
Sad_Might7328@reddit
Everyone I don't agree with is a Russian bot. Sure.
As for Aeroflot flight 1492 - the aircraft sustained second impact of 5,85 G. and survived. The third one was 5+G as well.
There's nothing to blame there. Only an idiot that was "piloting" the airplane and killed a lot of people in a result.
Paqza@reddit
Read the articles and get back to us.
ErmakDimon@reddit
I wouldn't go as far as calling it a POS, it's a decent project plagued by corruption and supply chain issues.
For instance, the CSeries also has constant software issues and Boeing have made questionable safety decisions on their MAX.
Paqza@reddit
It's objectively unsafe relative to its contemporaries. Max was also an unsafe POS at launch.
Quattuor@reddit
The main chassis on ssj100 designed in a special way that during hard landing they puncture the wing fuel tanks.
ErmakDimon@reddit
I suggest you read Admiral Cloudberg's article on that crash. No commercial aircraft landing gear is designed to withstand repetitive impacts with increasing vertical load. It simply isn't in the certification requirements. There are a lot of issues with the SSJ, but its landing gear isn't one of them.
Vectron383@reddit
Far more relevant is the total lack of redundancy in the SSJ’s FBW architecture where, due to the procurement of various off-the-shelf systems with different programming languages, an absurd amount of critical systems relied on the function of a couple of ‘translator’ units which in that case were both somehow rendered inoperable by a lightning strike
ErmakDimon@reddit
Yup and no way to restore Normal law is also something that baffled me, considering the aircraft was technically fine after the lightning strike and a reset would fix it.
Vectron383@reddit
Cherry on top surely has to be the manual which literally copy and pasted sections of the Airbus FBW manual which included modes and systems that didn’t exist on the SSJ
ErmakDimon@reddit
That's what happens when all the good aeronautical engineers go work for Airbus/Boeing because they offer triple the salary
Paqza@reddit
Kyra and her colleagues on the CPIT podcast tear into the SSJ and this is actually one of the major issues they bring up.
WalmartKobe@reddit
State of the art engineering right there.
Fluffy-Pilot-4765@reddit
Antonov, was Great
Paqza@reddit
Ukrainian more than "Ruskie"
Sad_Might7328@reddit
Antonov born in Russia.
Antonov design bureau formed in Russia in Novosibirsk.
By the order of Khrushchev (a ukraninan) was ordered to move to Kiev.
Paqza@reddit
Typical Russian propaganda. Antonov's been headquartered in Ukraine for 74 years but Russians trying to claim it as Russian 😂😂😂
Suharrik@reddit
Soviet Union. Did you hear about that?
StraightUp-Reviews@reddit
Does this one count?
2020fakenews@reddit
I worked on an oil & gas project in Russia back in the 90’s / 00’s. Traveled to Russia and within Russia quite a bit. We were not allowed by our employer to travel on any Russian airlines. However, we did have our own company place (a 20 passenger propeller plane) operated by a Russia crew, which I believed to be very safe.
ErmakDimon@reddit
Flown on the SSJ a few times. As a passenger, it's less comfortable than an A320 or 737, but significantly better than the CRJ. I did note that the cabin furnishings would rattle quite a bit while moving on the ground.
Also, calling them "rust-buckets" is extremely disrespectful seeing as many of these Soviet aircraft were pretty reliable and impressive for their time, especially considering they were built by one state.
Paqza@reddit
The SSJ is neither reliable, nor impressive, especially when you consider how much better the Embraer E-jets have been, or even the Canadian designed and engineered A220. The SSJ is not at the standard that was set decades ago by Soviet engineers.
bender__futurama@reddit
A220? Really? That airplane will probably have the same fate like SSJ. Biggest European operator will probably go bankrupt soon.
Paqza@reddit
The A220's issues primarily have to do with Pratt and Whitney.
ErmakDimon@reddit
It's a decent starting point that was meant to revive the buried Russian aerospace industry, with good international support and cooperation.
You'd have to understand that the E-jets were based on the ERJ which itself was based on the EMB 120, so this is coming from decades of experience in aircraft building.
Bombardier also has tons of experience, and even so their CS clean sheet design faced several issues that had to be solved initially.
The SSJ is pretty much a start from 0, burdened by corruption and no real desire to be the best, so it came out as kind of meh
Paqza@reddit
Agreed. I'm curious about the MC-21 or whatever they're calling it these days.
Sad_Might7328@reddit
Still called MC-21 now. Just add "-310" after the 21.
ErmakDimon@reddit
The MC-21 would've been good 10 years ago, but just like the SSJ it's plagued by constant delays, and now almost a complete internal redesign due to sanctions, making it significantly heavier and less competitive
Its only selling point essentially is that Russian airlines have no other options if they want a brand new plane. As soon as sanctions are lifted, the MC-21 will be dead.
It could be a good starting point for production chains and domestically-built components, however
Suharrik@reddit
One thing Mc-21-300 pretty good plane with good warkable systems. Of course they re produced by american and European manufacturers which praduct it for years. Now sanctions and restrictions forced Yakovlev to make 21-310 with russian systems.
ptico@reddit
Oh yeah, that mighty reliable Tu-104 /s
KickstandSF@reddit
I wouldn’t get on a Russian plane if it was the last flight out of Tehran.
JasonandtheArgo9696@reddit
Best friend did. Plane started filling with smoke taxiing. They stopped and called to evacuation. He was one of the first to the door and when they opened it the slide didnt deploy.
Slow_Description_773@reddit
Yes ! Back in the 80ies my parents were die hard communists and everything that came from Russia was just no question asked good. We flew Italy - Moscow - Beijng with the IL62 multiple times. They served caviar and it was excellent !
aomt@reddit
Had a ride in cockpit of Sukhoi. It’s like airbus, but way more agile. Feels like it reacts quicker, more precise and aggressive. It’s cool to see such Sukhoi DNA in it.
Level-Brain-4786@reddit
Yeah, flue Aeroflot a number of times in the old days. The food was certainly a lot better than what I get today on a WestJet flight.
PalpitationNo3106@reddit
The one time I flew on a 62, my seat back didn’t work. Not that it didn’t recline, it only reclined. Fully. Option was clench your abs and stay upright, or get very friendly with the chap behind you.
Treinrukker@reddit
Where is the rust?
anechoicche@reddit
Flew on Tu-154 in 2003, my first time flying, I remember my ears hurting during climbing/descent, probably air pressure changing too rapidly.
BlackDiamondDee@reddit
My abuelo died on one in Cuba. 🪦
DownRedditHole@reddit
I was on Tu-134 when I was 12. Don't remember anything, but that was my first ever flight.
metarinka@reddit
I don't recall what I flew in while I'm Russia. Ask I know is that they clap when they land which makes me feel like they were all praying it happened successfully
enakcm@reddit
I flew on the Tu-154 as a kid. It was super cool if I'm honest, more raw than today's polished western aircraft.
Aeroflot also had food included, with a choice between "chicken or mean". I liked it, but the comparison may be off.
swfs0@reddit
I don't think I've flown on any of the aircraft pictured, but I have flown on other Eastern-bloc jets:
Ilyushin Il-86 Yak-42D ROMBAC 1-11
I remember the 1-11 was very loud even when hushkitted. The Il-86 was also loud and had a very warm interior, I assume the a/c system wasn't good enough to handle hot climates.
The Yak offered the best passenger experience overall. Felt comparable to a DC-9 or earlier MD-series.
69RetroDoomer69@reddit
YOU FLEW ON THE ROMBAC? Can you tell us more, please?
swfs0@reddit
Sure thing! It was around 1992 or 1993, Aero Asia was a new domestic Pakistani airline and their initial fleet was made up of three or four wet-leased ROMBAC 1-11s, crewed by Romanian pilots and cabin crew. Over time this grew to seven examples of the 1-11.
I believe their hub was out of Karachi, and they flew to Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, and perhaps other cities; not a very dense schedule (due to the small fleet). They eventually acquired other aircraft like 737-200, MD-82/83, Yak-42D, DC-9, and even a 707 briefly. It was a pretty wild timeline for domestic plane-spotting!
Boarding on the ROMBAC wasn't done at the terminal, they had passengers bussed onto the tarmac and we went in through the rear air stairs with the APU running. Insanely loud, from what I remember. I also vividly remember the elongated black hushkits fitted to the rear of both engines.
Noise aside, it was overall a pleasant experience. Smooth flight, soft landing, and the cabin crew gave me & my sister all of the leftover sweets / candies at the end ... it wasn't a full flight, so there was a lot left over.
This was my one and only exposure to Romanian aviation. Overall, it was a good one!
69RetroDoomer69@reddit
Fantastic, thanks for sharing.
doubletaxed88@reddit
Flew on a CAAC IL-62 back in 1980. It was super clean inside it looked like it was brand new from the factory in 1968 -> with little white doilies over the headrests.
We walked up the stairs from the tarmac so I got a good look at the wing roots and was blown away how thick the wings were at the root.
The tires were completely bald and belts showing through, I suspect the plane is hard on tires.
Service on the flight was efficient but dour -> we got the full on commie level of service experience for sure.
The plane flew well
MrCuzz@reddit
I believe eastern-bloc aircraft tires were never designed to last as long as western aircraft. Ben Rich has a couple lines about it in his book about the Skunk Works.
PeckerNash@reddit
Both IL96 and TU154. Not much difference from western aircraft as a pax other than the Russian planes feeling much lower tech. Rugged though.
propofjott@reddit
I was a passenger on a Aeroflot Il-96 a couple of decades ago.
It was a bit worn, but not the worst plane i have been in. A cool feature was that all the passenger seats folded forward so they could use it as a cargo plane if needed.
Scared-Concentrate44@reddit
I flew on one from Moscow to Nizny Novgorod on a work trip to Russia. It was a hard landing and everyone clapped, but otherwise okay
aktionaerderbaer@reddit
Tu154 m and yak 42d. Very noisy but with soviet flair. Very steep climb.
alex_ziobr@reddit
Flown Yak-40, Tu-154, Il-62, Il-96 and SSJ-100. Tu-154 and Il-62 are pretty much a standard 70s style narrow body. Flown 62 from Moscow to Vladivostok a couple of times in the early 2000s. 9 hrs in a narrow body is not fun. Especially if seating in the back where the engines are.
Yak-40 felt like a small fight jet rather than a liner. But I was a little kid back then, so my impressions could be just because of that.
Flown Il-96 just before Aeroflot retired the type. It was spacious compared to other Soviet types but really outdated by that time. Reminded me of the A310 for some reason. The only thing that I remember, it was constantly yawing left and right during the whole flight from Istanbul to Moscow. And it was really noticeable in the back.
SSJ-100 is just your standard modern regional jet like Embraer 175. Nothing special.
anotheronje@reddit
I've flown on a Balkan Bulgarian TU-154 back in, like, 1992 or so. Weirdly a key childhood memory for me as 1) plane dork and 2) the first overseas family holiday I really remember. The plane was 3 or so hours late arriving, which, looking back, was probably a sign that something needed fixing back in Bulgaria, but I was just excited to fly. The bloke at the gate jokingly asked whether the little backpack I had on was a parachute.
I remember it being quite comfy and quiet, albeit quite a tired looking cabin. Tons of legroom, not that I needed it when I was that small, but I remember dad commenting. The flight was pretty empty and I remember playing a game with my grandmother to find the broken seats (seat pads sunken in, broken arm rests, that kind of thing).
fiolel28@reddit
Not quite Russian and not quite a passenger plane, but last year I got to fly in an M-28 "Bryza" (Polish version of the An-28) with a Polish airborne unit. The cabin was adapted for dropping parachutists, so there were no seatbelts, and it had cargo doors in the back. The flight was obviously a bit rough, but really fun. The only thing that I found a bit weird was the strong smell of fumes in the cabin during engine startup.
hereweg00@reddit
Il 86 (2005 my first "big" turbulence when i a bit fly inside the airplane while on my way back from the toilet), Tu 204 (same year and i really thought until the end that i flew in airbus at the time), Tu 154 - actually my first ever flight from Moscow to Oslo (2003) those are nice memories
AbsolutelyKebab@reddit
I have flown on the Superjet. Can’t say I was a huge fan. It felt pretty rough, for lack of a better word. Also, weirdly loud.
Pale_Change_666@reddit
Tu 154, it was loud and the interior made of 80s couch material.
Opening-Restaurant83@reddit
Yaroslavl Locomotiv hockey team flew in the Yak-42D
For a few minutes anyway…
hawaaa777@reddit
This is less about the technical side, but I had the huge ‘pleasure’ to fly the Aeroflot Nord TU-134/154 (and even YAK-40 once to Minsk) most of my childhood when visiting my parent’s hometown in Russia. First of all the noise. That thing was screaming 😱They used to give these “barbaris” bonbons to everyone before takeoff because the pressure change during takeoff could most probably pop your ears out. The TU-134 was always interesting because it had a glass nose and apparently the flight engineer was sitting in that thing. It also has circle windows like in a boat. I don’t remember if the seats were comfortable, but I remember having a public meltdown anytime I saw these airplanes near the gate because after flying in cute A320-s the whole day and suddenly seeing this was too overwhelming for a child raised in western Europe. Also, when sitting in the terminal and watching these puppies take off, you could see a black trail left by the aircraft when airborne. I don’t know what kind of nuclear fuel they fly on. The TU-154 was always more spacious and felt more luxurious. For some reason the meals were always better on this one. A piece of ham and a piece of Russian cheese on white bread. For some reason it was delicious. A chocolate and tea. They also served red caviar with butter and bread in the terminal and I was really fascinated by it. They never sold stuff like this in European airports. The ambiance on these flights was very particular. I don’t know if it is the spirit of Russian people or the lack of serious regulations at that time, but I remember pilots and cabin crews cracking jokes, people opening duty free bottles and getting to know each other, strangers were always talking. There was no silence on these flights, it was a constant bla-bla-bla mixed with laughs. Not a single flight went bad yet I was very afraid so it was difficult to relax. I knew that Russia had a thing for over exploiting aircraft and that these things could be 30-40 years old. I doubted maintenance because in the province airports you would disembark on the tarmac and walk to the terminal and airport employees would just bring the luggage. One day my mom and I arrived late to the airport, so they just told us, you see the plane? The stairs are still there, run quickly and hop on it. They didn’t even check us in. So we were running with our luggage across the huge field. The cabin crew’s face was priceless when they saw us walking up the stairs. Oh btw the smell of carburant onboard when the engines started was very strong. Overall it was cool to experience these aircrafts but I’m glad they’re long gone now.
jarski60@reddit
-In the mid-70s we flew from Helsinki to Budapest and back on TU134 and TU154. The airline was the Hungarian Malev. Nothing extraordinary was noticeable. The take-off acceleration was faster than a DC8 or DC9. When landing, I noticed that the backrests of all the empty seats fell forward when landing.
And another observation on the TU134 plane when I was queuing for the toilet in the front of the plane was the cockpit curtain open and the views from the glass windows. There were glasses in the front like in a bomber.
GnarlyNarwhalNoms@reddit
Sukhoi: we have 737 at home!
kevinosx@reddit
Flew in the Il-62 from Moscow to Newfoundland to New York. Felt cramped after flying a 747 from New York to Moscow a few weeks earlier.
kielu@reddit
I flew on a few. IL 62 had a long range but was noisy (from what remember), but not as noisy as the TU 134, which was a converted military plane. That was also super crampped. The IL 18 was small, super noisy and had an extremely bumpy ride - I heard they had a very inflexible wing design. TU 154 was the most comfortable of them
sirvoggo@reddit
There is obe on the roof of a hotel along with a B727. It‘s a bar and restaurant. Unfortunately no pictures from i side the plane. :(
kruzzik@reddit
Flew on Tu-154, Il-86 and Il-62. The only thing not great about them was the fuel burn. Awesome jets.
Manguneer@reddit
I was on a TU 154 a couple of times. Was on one that squawked 7700 and had a full on emergency landing after some engine trouble. Glad we didn’t have a crash landing because some of the seat just folded forward.
victorinseattle@reddit
Flew on a TU-154 as a kid visiting China in 1990. My dad found a loophole to travel independently there back then. (We were technically on a “business trip”, as individual tourism by foreigners was restricted back then. ) Between Beijing and Xian. I remember the lack of safety briefings, the “No Smiking” sign, and the general sense that I’d likely die on that flight. Then I saw a bunch of blond haired people and kid me thinks “they won’t crash the plane with white people on there!”
orbak@reddit
I flew on Tu-154 from far east Russia, through Magadan, to Anchorage in very early 2000s. I wish I had a way to document it. Most vivid memory was that upon landing in Magadan, the runway was so rough to luggage fell out of overhead bins while the plane slowed down.
Otherwise I remember it being old and very loud.
John97212@reddit
Tu-154 in China. The overhead cabins were made from painted wood/plywood... LOL
It didn't crash; that's all that matters.
WrongRub6533@reddit
Back in the early 80’s Poland purchased 5 Russian planes to fly Warsaw to USA routes . Two of them crashed. One was an engine fire and the other one was a failure of the turbo fan .
Far_Zucchini_9597@reddit
As a kid in the 80s and 90s flew a bit on Aeroflot. Probably more than your average bear. Tu 134 cabin felt like 707. 154 was bigger but I do not recall if the seating arrangement was 2/2 or 3/3. An24 was a different feel probably cause of props. Highlight was my mom renting a hand held video game which was a big deal. Flew IL-? Moscow-JFK. Had to stop in Shannon Ireland and St John to refuel. I remember all were pretty loud.
bentloy@reddit
Been on an Air Koryo IL-62. Beijing to Pyongyang. Wild white knuckle ride through stormy skies. Very uncomfortable. Awful food. Curious passenger manifest. Sat next to an unassuming and friendly American lady who was about to complete her final stop on her quest to visit every sovereign country in the world. Loved every minute of that trip. IL-62 was a highlight.
slickd0g@reddit
I have on Tu 134, 154 Yak 40 and IL 86/96
dragonhouse10@reddit
Robert Young Pelton, author of Worlds Most Dangerous Places stated that flying on a Russian airliner actually scared him more than some of the locales he discussed in his book.
Bocika@reddit
Flown on Tu-134, Tu-154. Jak-40 and Il-18 from 1988-1996. Seats were very comfortable, engines were loud. That's what I remember :).
Academic_Ruin_1602@reddit
I flew on an IL 86 from JFK to St. Petersburg and return in 1993. People rolled tired onto the plane. We climbed up through baggage into the seating area. There was a business/first class area in the front that was completely empty. Dogs ran around the cabin during the flight. We stopped in Shannon to refuel. Aeroflot.
things_most_foul@reddit
Flew out of Paris to Kiev and back on an Aeroflot TU-154 in 1992. Worst plane I was ever on. The seats were just hoops with foam backs and the tray tables were crudely stamped out metal with rough edges. Awful.
Antekcz@reddit
I've never flown on them but calling them "Riskie rust buckets" is unnecessarily hostile, many of these aircrafts were impressive and interesting, many still serve their unique roles like the Yak 40. There are many places that would be a lot more isolated without the Yak 40 and there aren't many aircraft that could do its job as reliably although the few that can would probably burn less fuel...
-kiedd-@reddit
I flew some of them in late 90-s and early 2000-s.
IL-62M: Cabin is similar to A321, standard narrow body 3-3 layout, except you fly this for 8 hours (but so you can in A321 LR and XLR). I like D-30 engines sound, so this is a plus for me.
IL-86: I flew it only once and only recall that it's super loud. It also has built-in stairs and you go throw lower deck when boarding.
Tu-154M: Cabin is very similar to IL-62M, although you don't sit there for that long because this plane has much lower range. It has the same engines as IL-62M.
Yak-42: It's a reginal jet similar to Embraer E-Jet, but slightly wider, so it has 3-3 layout. Similar experience to other Soviet narrow bodies. Boarding via built-in stairs in the aft.
Bergwookie@reddit
I once flew in a Tupolev trijet (sorry, don't know the model anymore) but it was a decent flight, they have very cozy seats but are more on the louder side.
JelloBooBoy@reddit
Didn’t fly on them but was a baggage handler in 1989-1990 and often had to fill or empty the baggage compartments on IL-62’s and TU-154’s, from Cuba and eastern bloc countries at YMX.
Educational_Clothes2@reddit
Couldn’t find rust on any of them. Just because they don’t fly where you live doesn’t mean they can’t fly other places.
BadWolfRU@reddit
Flying SSJ-100 from time to time (as a passenger), can't say anything bad, bit more comfortable than CRJ and I don't like the overhead bins hanging too low there
JSpencer999@reddit
Flew Il-96 twice. The first thing that struck me was the space inside... with no overhead bins in the centre you could stick a trampoline in there and still not hit your head. Very basic interior, no IFE. Once off the ground the rate of climb out of Bangkok was more due to the curvature of the earth than anything the engines were doing.
jr5mc1lio03fbc4zqsf8@reddit
near death experience
Remote_Dot217@reddit
TU-154 here. They were used on high demand Iranian domestic routes. They were loud. Very very loud. But comfortable and spacious. Just loud
TomVonServo@reddit
Yes. 20 years ago on Air Moldova Tu-134. Piece of shit aircraft. Best in-flight food ever. Because the one flight attendant had to make it all at home and bring it on the plane herself.
Forward-End-8286@reddit
Made of 100% aircraft-grade stainless steel to prevent spontaneous fall-apart.
NikobasNiko@reddit
Flovn on Tu 154 and Tu 124, they were slick and confortable. Fun fact to sit in pilot seat you sin under the floor, its like a rocket. Also flown JAK 42, he is more like Boing 737 style.
LoczekLoczekLok@reddit
Polish President Lech Kaczyński and the other 95 passengers did not have good experiences with the T-154 :)
5alzamt@reddit
I flew on a Yak-42 from Havana to Santiago de Cuba. Very narrow cabin and the least space between sear rows I have ever experienced. (Less than Ryan Air). I remember that a candy was the only serving passengers got 😂. Otherwise not much different than smaller planes used in US or Europe. Comparable to MD-80 just a bit shorter.
CPD1960@reddit
I think you would need a seance to get the answer!
FMC_Speed@reddit
My dad flew on the IL-62 and IL-76 once, the 62 he said was fairly normal and comparable to the 707 he used to ride frequently, the 76 however was for a special humanitarian flight and it was converter with seats, he said it was very Loud and the whine permeated everything
Musclecar123@reddit
There is a YouTube video somewhere of a NK 62 taking off from inside the cabin. They’re half way down the runway and engine 4 decides to finally spool up 👀
GJohnJournalism@reddit
I flew an Air Koyro from Beijing to Pyongyang back in the day. Flight was unremarkable but a bit noisy and outdated decor.
Pepeu_Pepeu@reddit
Flew from YUL to MOW in the early 80’s on one. Very military interior, disgusting meal service. I think we stopped in Gander to top off fuel.
beebeeep@reddit
SSJ is as uninteresting as it gets, you'd unlikely notice any difference as a passenger from any Boeing or Airbus. I flew Tu154 several times, but I was too young to remember anything specific, I was just bored and food was not really tasty. IL-86 is amazing. We boarded from ground level, by her own ladder through luggage space upstairs to the cabin. Cabin was wide and tall, chairs dated but comfy. Idk how to explain the feel of taking off, probably pretty much like B747 or A380 - you just feel how huge the plane is.
EstebanEscobar@reddit
Do they have issues with rust?
ErmakDimon@reddit
Funnily enough, a couple of Rossiya 737s were grounded for repairs after corrosion was discovered while they were stored for a bit, awaiting transfer to Aeroflot in 2019, I think
Thalassophoneus@reddit
No. That's just how Americans say "Russian airplane".
Thalassophoneus@reddit
"Russkie rust-buckets" (show some absolutely normal Russian airplanes)
VikingLander7@reddit
Had a friend that flew on an IL-62 on a trip to Russia. His seat was near the rear and said he could have screamed at the top of his lungs during takeoff and the passenger seated next to him wouldn’t have heard him.