Dear Flight Sim Mates,

 

I wish all of you a very peaceful merry Christmas!

 

I'm still in Novokusnetsk, some real world activities hindered me from flying to Irkutsk where I intended to spend Christmas. However, that's life! As long as there's enough Vodka in the refrigerator - nu ladno!

 

Best regards to you all,

Harald

Merry Christmas to you Harald!

Merry Christmas to you, your family and your old Tupolev Harald.!

I hope you all had a nice Christmas day - thanks for your good wishes!

 

After all the family trouble, I got back to the yoke of my beloved Tu and made the leg Novokusnetsk UNWW to Irkutsk UIII. Had no ground sight most of the flight; nevertheless here is an impression out of a curiosity - my flight went over Mongolian territory for only some miles and this is the moment I did this shot:

 

 

Curving into NDB-Approach Rwy 30

 

In Irkutsk there's obviously more traffic than in Novokusnetsk but all I see of it after landing is - nothing. Extreme fog again; when taxiing I almost collided with something of that I only saw the position lights. Will explore the airport later. Merry Christmas, Tu SCK!

 

For my next leg, the weather has to be definitely better, as I want to have a look at Lake Baikal when I cross it for my flight to Chita.

Most surprising, the weather was fine today so I flew my next leg Irkutsk UIII to Chita UIAA.

 

Some impressions of Irkutsk (only the airport this time, but the town and it's area are definitely worth some GA flying in summer):

 

 

 

 

 

And finally Lake Baikal!

 

Approach to Chita: The clouds are no good sign.

 

And indeed, the same old fog for the ol' smoker again.

 

Who is watching whom?

 

 

 

An An-24, a coal fueled power plant and a Zil-130 based passenger bus are a perfect combination, aren't they?

 

 

Say what you want, but this is the ideal habitat for a Tu-134.

 

 

Best regards,

Harald

Chita UIAA to Yakutsk UEEE

 

Siberian morning

 

 

Descending into the Lena valley

 

 

My neighbourship in Yakutsk (the AI planes hover only when using Active Camera)

 

Regards,

Harald

excellent shots!

Открыты Лондон, Дели, Магадан!

Yakutsk UEEE to Magadan UHMM

 

 

 

Aldan River

 

Above Oymyakon, one of the coldest places on northern hemisphere

 

Approach to Magadan

 

Crossing with a Transaero flight to Moscow

 

 

 

Impressions from Magadan: ZiL 131, KrAZ 255 (?), ZiL-130

 

 

 

 

Открыты Лондон, Дели, Магадан!

Lucky you that you indeed had to go to Magadan, rather than Odessa (obviously not from Mosocw, though ).

 

Great shots, btw!

Lucky you that you indeed had to go to Magadan, rather than Odessa

Yes, indeed - although without any doubt the weather would have been better there than at my today's flight. Anadyr seems to be my Odessa. Anyway, Styuardesa kak printsesa also for me - if I set the cabin temperatur correct.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of0TPS_4Of0

 

And I'm still very glad that you like those pictures.

 

Some more pictures from Magadan: A visit at the gate guard

 

Looking from the nearby hill

 

Magadan UHMM - Anadyr UHMA

 

 

The first aurora borealis (note also the rising moon)

 

Anadyr: This will be the place to await the new year (before Australia and New Zealand btw - at 66°44' N 177° 31'E). Landing took place in severe snow storm with almost zero visibility - a serious challenge.

 

 

 

 

 

Now Vodka and Champaign ar chilled well. I wish you all mates a happy new year!

Harald (from Russia with love)

After the storm calmed down, at new years day the weather in Anadyr was almost unbelievable good.

 

 

I used the opportunity to fly farther eastward - to Provideniya Bay with an old and venerable Il-14. Note the Russian inscript at the nose: Polar Aviation!

 

Never expected to have queues here:

 

In fact, this route means crossing the Anadyr Bay towards the Chukotka Peninsula.

 

 

Provideniya is already in the western hemisphere - at 173°15' western longitude. So it's not far from Alaska - and I took the chance to perform a touch-and-go in Gambell at the St. Lawrence Island.

 

 

And finally Provideniya Bay Airport. Looking down the gravel runway:

 

 

 

 

Did you ever drive an Ural truck? I did!

 

Enjoying the setting sun - at 1 o'clock PM.

 

My Russian flights slowly come to an end - as my Vodka does. I will still spent the Orthodox Christmas in Russia. But then I will go south - towards Oceania and finally Southern America. Al sur!

 

Best regards and always three green for you mates in the new year!

Harald

Anadyr UHMA to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy UHPP

 

Another cold and dark morning in Anadyr. A last look back to the Terminal

 

 

But soon it gets brighter - good bye polar night

 

 

Approach to Petropavlovsk around the volcanoes

 

 

 

 

A venerable Lisunov Li-2 as gate guard

 

Some more impressions from the apron - almost pure Russian

 

 

 

Petropavlovsk UHPP to Khabarovsk UHHH.

 

Early preparations at UHPP - still without clouds

 

... took a false taxiway... :ph34r:

 

Up in the sky!

 

Approach at Khabarovsk - the final approach to Rwy 5R leads directly over the city

 

 

This version of UHHH is a stunning piece of freeware and looks very good even although I didn't install the phototerrain for the city. Recommendation! Look for it at the Russian Avsim under

http://www.avsimrus.com/f/fs2004-sceneries-44/uhhh-54022.html

 

 

Old and new Russian planes

 

 

 

Fortunately no forest fire alert

 

Do you want...?

 

I will make a break of some days now. Will spent the Russian christmas here and relax, before I leave Russia. It was a good time of flying here. My next destination is maybe a kind of adventure: Pyongyang...

 

Have fun,

Harald

Happy New Year Harald, and thanks for continuing to sharing with us this great journey! Stunning shots as usual

 

Cheers,