Last few Moscow trip photos

[Doug Taylor]

I didn't stay up late enough the last night in Moscow, so I got up a little too early:


Might as well review the departure procedures so I don't look like a dope in front of the new guy:


These inspection stickers really don't come off too easily:


Sheremteyvo(so?) "2" terminal where we park:


Airbus-ski 340-esque:


Yup, this is the control tower. One at the arrival end and one at the departure end. When they change directions, the tower personnel have to exit one and be transported to the other.


RJ-ski? I'm not sure what in the heck that is. But look at the glass nose, probably used for a navigator:



A few hundred meters above in Russian, non-RVSM airspace. Hmm...


Somewhere over Sweden:

[Swen]

No food!!?

[skidz]

well...
just so you know...

...
...
....
I hate you

[Doug Taylor]

Originally Posted by Swen

No food!!?

Ooh! Well, I think I've shown everything for September except the fish and the crab cakes, but there'll be a new menu in October. They change monthly. I'll get you some new food shots on the IST and BUD trips next month.

[Doug Taylor]

Originally Posted by skidz

well...
just so you know...

...
...
....
I hate you

All you've got to do is apply, brotha!

We're hiring and you can get the ER immediately.

[FiveO]

Sorry but I'm gonna spill the beans. Thanks for letting me jumpseat Doug. The trip was a blast! Can't wait for the next one. I'm gonna go finish filling out my log book.

[skidz]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

All you've got to do is apply, brotha!

We're hiring and you can get the ER immediately.

Really?
I mean...I got the pulse...
is there anything else I need?

[Skygrabber]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

Might as well review the departure procedures so I don't look like a dope in front of the new guy:


RJ-ski? I'm not sure what in the heck that is. But look at the glass nose, probably used for a navigator:

In the Jepp picture the speed note: "Max 270 KT below FL98" looks weird as hell! The procedure dude was probably halfway through his bottle of Vodka when he decided on those numbers...

The pointy plane with glass nose is a Tupolev 134. An old model, since the "newer" ones have real noses. 'Twas indeed for the (drunk) navigator to sit in.

[Doug Taylor]

Thanks for the info. The 270 knots below FL98 (feet), it's probably a round number in metric.

Usually you can request "high speed descent" on arrival because the controllers will generally leave you "high and fast" very close into the airport. So being able to exceed 270 is handy.... Speedbrakes are your friend in the 76.

The arrival on the first day was even wackier.

[Skygrabber]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

Thanks for the info. The 270 knots below FL98 (feet), it's probably a round number in metric.

Usually you can request "high speed descent" on arrival because the controllers will generally leave you "high and fast" very close into the airport. So being able to exceed 270 is handy.... Speedbrakes are your friend in the 76.

The arrival on the first day was even wackier.

Interesting how other countries seem to be more lax with the 250 kt (or 270) below 10K rule. I guess the biggest birds are in America!

(I seem to remember that one reason the rule is in place other than traffic flow management & "see and avoid" is in case of a direct bird strike on the windshield...below 250 kt apparently the bird [frozen chickens/turkeys?] won't penetrate)

The UK I know I've heard countless times "Speedbird XX, no ATC speed restriction, climb and maintain FLXX."

[Doug Taylor]

If a seagull (not the user "Seagull"!) hits your windsheid at 250 or 335 knots, it's still going to ruin your day!

[skidz]

I think the 250 rule is to help ATC handle traffic better.
About the navigator in the nose cone? huh? Why would anyone need a navigator in the nose cone?

[Doug Taylor]

I can see it. The Russians can build an excellent airframe but they weren't all that hot with electronics.

We've got triple IRU's and GPS in the aircraft so we can navigate just fine, but Russia is riddled with NDB's and there aren't that many high-precision ground-based navigational aids. So unless you're pimping the IRU's and/or GPS which really wasn't widely available in Russia, you'd probably greatly benefit from having a fourth crewmember (many still have FE's I've heard) whose sole purpose was to navigate.

[Skygrabber]

Originally Posted by skidz

I think the 250 rule is to help ATC handle traffic better.
About the navigator in the nose cone? huh? Why would anyone need a navigator in the nose cone?

Russian technology isn't known for much automation!!!

[Doug Taylor]

You're doing position reports all the way down to almost the initial approach fix.

[sdfcvoh]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

You're doing position reports all the way down to almost the initial approach fix.

Approach, we're twelve miles out over the vodka plant.

Approach, we're ten miles out, over another vodka plant.

Tower, we're turning final over the vodka plant.

Ground, the ramper appears drunk.

[skyrunner1500]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

If a seagull (not the user "Seagull"!) hits your windsheid at 250 or 335 knots, it's still going to ruin your day!

Been there, done that....not too long ago. 305kts indicated.


Hey Doug, PM or email me your BUD dates. I've got 3 BUD trips in Oct and even 1 IST.

[Doug Taylor]

The ground ops people in Moscow are great though.

We had a Russian Aviation inspector that did a surprise check onboard and the station manager read the guy the riot act, demanded his papers and rose a stink.

The captain tried to mellow the situation down a little bit, but apparently, according to the station manager, it's what the inspector is looking for in order to demonstrate that he's not lax on security.

Different culture!

[Doug Taylor]

Originally Posted by skyrunner1500

Been there, done that....not too long ago. 305kts indicated.


Hey Doug, PM or email me your BUD dates. I've got 3 BUD trips in Oct and even 1 IST.

Will do! Check your PM's in about 3 minutes.

[Swen]

Originally Posted by Dough's blog

There’s a mechanic on every leg to make sure the aircraft is certified

Does he have required work to perform at each destination? Or does he only work if something breaks? Do the mechanics get scheduled just like pilots and FAs? It seems like nice job.

[Doug Taylor]

Originally Posted by Swen

Does he have required work to perform at each destination? Or does he only work if something breaks? Do the mechanics get scheduled just like pilots and FAs? It seems like nice job.

There's certain checks to be performed before any ocean crossing including an "ETOPS PDC" check each leg. Plus they're there if something breaks.

Sometimes they live in the city, other times there's regular CONUS Southernjet mechanics that are TDY in the city.

[APAviator]

Thanks for all the photos Doug. You mentioned in your blog 'secondary passports' Are these special to Russia for your visas? I figger'd it would be a poor idea to send your only passport off to get a visa that (from the sound of it) took weeks to get sent back.

Anyhow, Russia and the old soviet-bloc countries are among the top of my list for 'must visit' once I can stop spending all this money on flight training. Prauge is probably my first stop though.

-Mark

ps - that RJ-ski looks like it got squeezed out of an AquaFresh tube.

[GrantHubbell]

Doug is turning into a Flat Stanley of sorts, but for adults!!!

[Doug Taylor]

Originally Posted by APAviator

Thanks for all the photos Doug. You mentioned in your blog 'secondary passports' Are these special to Russia for your visas? I figger'd it would be a poor idea to send your only passport off to get a visa that (from the sound of it) took weeks to get sent back.

The secondary passport just has the 24-month Russian visa. I have a "Shengen States" work visa in the other passport. I think it's because you'll turn in your passport to the authorities when you first enter Russia, they hold them for about 25-40 minutes each entry and exit and it's probably a little better if they decide to hold your passport and deport you that you still have another passport with your Shengen work visa so you can motor on.

Anyhow, Russia and the old soviet-bloc countries are among the top of my list for 'must visit' once I can stop spending all this money on flight training. Prauge is probably my first stop though.

It's very interesting, the differences.

[Doug Taylor]

Originally Posted by GrantHubbell

Doug is turning into a Flat Stanley of sorts, but for adults!!!

Perhaps I ought to pick up a garden gnome!