Moscow & Gelendzhik Visit – 2006
First on today’s itinery was an excellent ramp tour at Domodedovo airport. Amongst the hundreds of very photogenic aircraft was a government operated Il-18 and a rare Sudanese Il-62.
These are just a selection of the photos I took – a government Kamov Ka-32A of the 'Moscow Aviation Centre' (MATs), a very smart An-28 and, from a line up of seven such machines, a Myasischev M101T Gzhel of Moscow-based Dexter Air Taxis.
From Bykovo, we went to the Central Armed Forces Museum – where I wanted to get a digital image of the remains of Gary Power’s U-2, but it was ‘not available’ – so I had to be content with photographing the resident airframes in the exhibition outside – including the Su-15 and Mi-24 Hind-A.
On the way back from the museum, we called in at
Park Pobed
(
Our first scheduled stop was the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI), but before that we called in to the old museum at Khodynka – to see what was happening at this old favourite site.
Sadly this once impressive collection is now gathered together in the centre of the old runway, surrounded by a chain-link fence, while high-rise apartment buildings go up all around.
There is talk of a new, indoor, super museum being built to house the collection, but in the meantime, the rare airframes are just exposed to the elements as the photos show.
From the depressing sight of Khodynka (not helped
by the
We visited the Structures Faculty - and had been told by a couple of knowledgeable Russians that we would not be allowed to take photographs - and this was confirmed when we were taken into a building containing loads of stripped-down airframe parts – including the escape module section from a USAF F-111 and an F-5 recovered from Vietnam.
The fin from Scott O’Grady’s F-16 shot down over
In another room there were complete sectioned airframes of a MiG-23 and Yak-38 – the former having working retractable undercarriage, swinging wings and folding ventral fin to demonstrate these components to the aeronautical students.
Amongst the large collection of undercarriage parts was an experimental tracked chassis from an Il-28, the landing skid from a Me-163 and the tail wheel from a Mosquito.
We politely asked if we could take photos, and one of our hosts went off to see if he could get permission - his response was positive when he returned – with the effect that his audience soon dispersed to all corners of the building, cameras snapping away as though our lives depended on it!
We were like kids in a sweet shop – running round taking as many photos as we liked and asking questions of our amenable hosts.
It was a great visit to this Mecca of Soviet/Russian aviation and I think they were impressed by our knowledge of Russian aviation history.
Despite all the dire warnings, we came away with hundreds of great photographs – definitely another coup for George Pick!!!
It was with great sadness that we left MAI for our next destination – Monino.
What can I say about Monino? Despite having visited the place more than a dozen times, I still find things to photograph – in spite the miserable weather.
The final visit of the day was to
the newly-relocated Moscow Model Club - a good opportunity to pick up
some bargain models, books and magazines.
On the road to Gelendzik via Novorossisk, we passed by an imposing memorial to the Soviet Naval personnel who liberated the port city from the Germans. Our request for a stop was duly met and we disembarked to take photos of this imposing monument - no-one does statues like the Russians!
On arrival at Gelendzhik, our guides also told us that, unfortunately, we had been ‘bumped’ out of our chalet accommodation in the Gloria complex by some Russian security personnel!!!
Alternative arrangements had been made at a small private hotel – which was clean and tidy – but it was some 2kms away from the airshow ramp.
We ate at the Glorai restaurant and the manager of
the complex arranged for
minibus
transport between our hotel and the restaurant, mornings and
evenings
plus a late minibus back after our evening drinks – but it wasn’t the
same as
being right on the doorstep of the Hydroaviation Salon.
During a look around the airshow chalets, where we picked up brochures and books, I photographed a couple of large models of two Beriev projects – the Be-112 with rear clamshell landing doors and the perennial Be-2500 WIG..
These were followed by a singleton
MiG-29
of the Swifts aerobatic team and then the six-ship
Su-27 Flankers of the Russian Knights display team.
Then followed the usual flights by the six-seat
Be-103 light
amphibian, the big Beriev jet flying boats – the A-42 Albatros and
the smaller Be-200ChS – newly operational with the Russian Ministry of
Emergency Situations – MChS.
The Strizhi returned in the afternoon - this time
with four-ship display to end of the flying display - which gave us the
opportunity to wander around the stalls, have a few beers admire all
the gorgeous Russian girls and take in the static display on the ramp.
There was a
newcomer, the La-8 amphibian - but unfortunately, his float got damaged
as
he taxied into the
water and he had to be helped ashore by his ground crew.
The evening ended with a spectacular firework
display - which we watched from the comfort of the balcony of the local
bar overlooking the show.
Aircraft numbers were down compared to the last time I visited in 2002 - due partly to the no-show of the Beriev Be-12P water bomber and the reduction in the numbers of microlight seaplanes. Another contributing factor was the closure of Gelendzhik airport itself.
In 2002, this small airport hosted a display of
'landplanes' - as well as the arrival & departures of scheduled
flights. The airport is being rebuilt with a huge new runway to handle
international flights, so with a bit of luck it will be ready for the
next show in 2008.
Much the same today – flights by all three Berievs
After asking politely, we were allowed inside the MChS Be-200ChS - where I took lots of photos!.
Beriev were offering flights in their six-seat amphibian Be-103’s - to which we immediately signed up - 30 US Dollars for a 30-minute flight is not to be sniffed at!After the pilot selected who would sit in the front (it’s a weight/CG thing – heaviest first) we were seated and strapped in - I’ll leave it to you to decide who lucky with the front seat– and he isn’t wearing a red T-shirt.
The twin Teledyne-Continental IO-360ES4 piston engines were started up and we taxied down the ramp into the water. It felt strange to be sitting on the sea with the water lapping over the wings as we accelerated for takeoff.
I think the Be-103 is a fairly sprightly performer – but with three hefty British aviation enthusiasts plus their cameras, plus the pilot - it took a while to unstick – even after bouncing off a few wave crests!
Once airborne however, we circled the beautiful
Gelendzhik
bay a few times taking photos of the Beriev ramp – with the new airport
being
constructed in the background.
There was another Be-103 up at the same time, so our pilot formated on it, allowing me to take some good air-to-air shots..
As the flying display finished at
As we passed the docks, I spotted a Soviet
Sverdlov Class
cruiser – the Mikhail Kutuzov, with a US Navy Oliver Hazard Perry
frigate
berthed behind it.
Although the household paints he was using were not strictly accurate and the aircraft had car wheels in place of its originals, he was at least making some attempt to preserve his country’s proud wartime aviation heritage – unlike the vandalism at Domodedovo.
From the Il-2, we continued down to the shore –
with its
monuments to the liberation of Novorossisk
From our excursion to Novorossisk, it was back on
the coach
for the journey back to Gelendzhik.
Friday
8 September.
This was the day
that our party split – with 6 returning home and 4 of us staying for a
few more
days.
The departure
airport was Anapa – where a ramp tour had been arranged – so all ten of
us
boarded our coach for the 2.5 hour drive to the airport.
Being a small
regional airport, there wasn’t much there, but I did photograph an
Atlant-Soyuz
Tu-154 and a government Tu-134 - amongst others.
Unfortunately, this
was the day that the two aerobatic teams, the Russian Knights and
Swifts,
decided to fly as a nine-ship formation back at Gelendhik – 5 Knight’s
Su-27’s
and 4 Swift’s Mig-29’s – so we missed them.
With the main party left behind at the terminal to
catch their flight from
Anapa, the remaining 4 of us made the trip back to Gelendzhik - where
we went back inside the show to have a few more beers, watch the pretty
girls - and look at the aircraft.
The hapless La-8 finally got his
float fixed and went up for a display - and we retired from the show to
sample the excellent local wine at a waterfront bar, before returning
to our hotel, tired but very happy.
Saturday
9 September and Sunday 10 September.
For the remaining
two days, it was pretty much the same – visit the show chalets in the
morning,
photograph the ramp and the flying display until mid afternoon, have a
few beers
until the evening meal, then visit the bar and sit on the balcony with
a cold beer to watch to moon rise over the hills
on the balmy Gelendzhik nights.
The Beriev Be-200’s
performed lots of water drops, the Aquaglide
Ekranoplan transited the ramp and skimmed across the waves at high
speed before
returning.
The Be-200 and A-42
Albatros went up for a final display, while the Be-200 made
some more water drops – and taxied past very slowly with its main cargo
door
open - the amount of
freeboard below the open hatch looked very small – it looked like it
would take
in water very easily in anything but the very calmest of swells.
The model Be-112
that we had seen on display in the chalets on the opening day was
wheeled out
and taken up for a flight – it looked very real as the photos show.
The final highlights of
the show was the Mi-8, a ‘break’ by the three Be-103’s and final
displays by the Strizhi MiG-29 and Russian Knights Su-27 aerobatic teams.
Russian Beauties
Gelendzhik was bursting at the seams with gorgeous
looking girls - even the waitresses at the bars and the Gloria
restaurant were stunning.
The following photos are not for those of a
nervous disposition - they
were taken at quiet moments during the flying display and in the
interests of social anthropology - in order to prove that not
all Russian women look like Olympic shotput champions!
Maria Sharapova, eat
your heart out!
Summary
This was another excellent George Pick trip to
my
favourite
aviation country,
For a committed Russian aviation enthusiast, the
unique
opportunity to visit the Aladdin’s
Add to that the beautiful setting of Gelendzhik bay, the sight of large jet-engined flying boats taking to the water, the superb weather, the excellent beer and local wine - not to mention the stunningly beautiful local Russian girls - and you have the perfect recipe for an enjoyable trip by anyone’s standards.
Everyone at Gelendzhik is so friendly – we made lots of new friends with the staff at the Gloria complex and promised to return in two year's time.
The fact that I took 4,000+ photographs speaks volumes about the trip – and I wasn’t the top shooter by a long way!
The little local difficulty with the accommodation in Gelendzhik was soon overcome – but we owe the Russian Militia a return match!!!
Please note that I have no connection with George Pick Aerotours – I am writing this trip report as a satisfied customer.
March 2007