I'm sorry guys for being emotional today but it means a lot to me! My grand father, my mother, my dad and myself - basically my entire family worked for Antonov's company since early days . I'm very excited to see Mriya is coming to the sim. Back in days I was lucky enough to train in full motion AN124/225 sim for entire week, guided by very experienced test pilot Yuri Kurlin  (a test pilot for legendary AN-22)!

 

Here is a photo of Oleskander Galunenko (on the left) - a test pilot and captain of AN-225 who took Mriya in her maiden flight. And my dad (on the right) also test pilot and navigator, who did tons of test flights afterwards 

That is an amazing story. It's nice seeing when RL and the sim intersect like this.

I also can't wait to fly this plane.

Wow that's quite a connection!

I'm so happy that this is happening...I'm excited to virtually fly this legend but that's really the smallest part of it.  What it represents to have the AN-225 exist again at least in sim format, and the fact that the proceeds will go to support appropriate charities...it just all pulls at the heart.  Really a stand up move by all involved.

Great story ! That's a very proud Dad on that pic, rightly so too😁

I look forward to the day she once again flies - well beyond the virtual skies - as a powerful sign that Ukraine has defeated the terrible aggression and bloodshed thrown upon the country.

Cheers,

2Low2Slow  

1 hour ago, TooLowTooSlow said:

Great story ! That's a very proud Dad on that pic, rightly so too😁

I look forward to the day she once again flies - well beyond the virtual skies - as a powerful sign that Ukraine has defeated the terrible aggression and bloodshed thrown upon the country.

How about........ we all simply celebrate with the OP and his amazing connection to an iconic aircraft and commend him for willingly sharing those experiences with fellow simmers (friends)?   (and hopefully not get his topic locked).

Edited February 2, 20233 yr by irocx

To recreate such a powerful aircraft, you do not need to defeat anyone. On the contrary, we all need to cooperate. I looked at Wikipedia, it turns out the chief designer was Russian.

50 minutes ago, Flying-Hare said:

To recreate such a powerful aircraft, you do not need to defeat anyone. On the contrary, we all need to cooperate. I looked at Wikipedia, it turns out the chief designer was Russian.

This plane will be created by inibuild because this terrible Russian aggression against Ukraine and because of the destruction of the original Antonov in this war. 

It is uncomprehensible why you wouldn't wish the victory of the victim in an unjust, criminal war. 

We should not discuss this any further, I think, but ignoring the background of all this or expressing an ill-guided stance of neutrality in a genocidal war is just not right.

Edited February 2, 20233 yr by crimplene

I always like to come to Avsim to rejoice in the enthusiasm for aviation and flightsimming. 

So I loved to read the great personal story of the OP here.

Shame some people are abusing this forum and this thread in particular for their political comments. Hopefully this thread celebrating an iconic aircraft does not get locked but only those abusing posts get hidden.

 

Edited February 2, 20233 yr by RALF9636

2 hours ago, RALF9636 said:

I always like to come to Avsim to rejoice in the enthusiasm for aviation and flightsimming. 

So I loved to read the great personal story of the OP here.

Shame some people are abusing this forum and this thread in particular for their political comments. Hopefully this thread celebrating an iconic aircraft does not get locked but only those abusing posts get hidden.

 

You might not see it that way but the creation of this iconic plane as a sim model and the plan to donate the money to Antonov might be political, too. Ignorance sometimes is bliss. But claiming that all this isn't political to the core might be a step too far in the wrong direction.

 

Microsoft is doing something very political here, and it is of no benefit to ignore that or to claim that this step is just another attempt to celebrate aviation history. It is not.

Edited February 2, 20233 yr by crimplene

1 hour ago, crimplene said:

This plane will be created by inibuild because this terrible Russian aggression against Ukraine and because of the destruction of the original Antonov in this war. 

It is uncomprehensible why you wouldn't wish the victory of the victim in an unjust, criminal war. 

We should not discuss this any further, I think, but ignoring the background of all this or expressing an ill-guided stance of neutrality in a genocidal war is just not right.

Tons can be said about every war that has happened the last 100 years. A ton of bias and hypocrisy has surfaced in the flightsim community over this particular conflict lately deciding oppressors and victims.

As in all of a sudden we are supposed to despise Migs and Hinds as addons, but all NATO aircraft can remain the hero planes😒

Shame on the officials forums and Microsoft also for trying to push the bias political agenda regarding the AN 225.

25 minutes ago, crimplene said:

You might not see it that way but the creation of this iconic plane as a sim model and the plan to donate the money to Antonov might be political, too. Ignorance sometimes is a bliss. But claiming that all this isn't political to the core might be a step too far in the wrong direction.

 

Microsoft is doing something very political here, and it is of no benefit to ignore that or to claim that this step is just another attempt to celebrate aviation history. It is not.

In that case we should totally separate aviation technology and incredible genius machines from all politics totally. 

No matter the politics I'm still going to love looks and technology of Mig 29s, SU 57s, SU 34s, TU 160Ms and Mil Mi-24s and want to see them in MSFS as addons.

No one should stop nor shame anyone from loving all forms of aviation in general. Political humans command and determine what warfighter aviation does.

Well atleast until Artificial Intelligence fully takes over the world and determine all humans are the real enemy 🤪

 

 

 

 

Edited February 2, 20233 yr by blueshark747

Great story @sd_flyer, and it surely IS a great aircraft, in all meanings, to see added to this amazing flight simulation platform!

If I'm not wrong MFS natively supports up to 6 engines, not more, making the Goose a bit fake with it's 8 engines, so, it'll be possible to more closely replicate the true power of the Mriya.

When I was young my father and my mother had a serious quarrel with a neighbour who was seen as a very bad person in the building... I was in the primary school, and that neighbour had two children, a beautiful girl I was in LOVE with, and a boy a little older than me with whom I loved to play. We were very close, and I take my hat off to both my parents and their parents for, after all, never having brought to our youth the terrible sensation of having to be driven by interests which have nothing to do with our lives and what we value...

Simmers should IMO behave the very same way irrespective of whatever happens with their football clubs, and so on.... Those interests have nothing to do with happiness and true dedication to Live and what we care for or simply what we like to do, being it an hobby, work, business, ...

Edited February 2, 20233 yr by cagarini

4 minutes ago, blueshark747 said:

As in all of a sudden we are supposed to despise Migs and Hinds as addons, but all NATO aircraft can remain the hero planes.

What? 😀

The one flying AN225 was destroyed when Russian paratroopers tried to take the airfield where it was located as part of the original disastrously bungled attempt to take Kiev.

That is just the fact of the matter, no politics there.

2 hours ago, Flying-Hare said:

it turns out the chief designer was Russian.

 

Actually Ukrainian born from Luhansk, though he may have spoken Russian, no idea.  At the time the aircraft was designed Antonov and the Ukraine were all part of the former Soviet Union but that does not make them necessarily Russian any more than some one from a former British colony that can speak English is British.

 

11 minutes ago, crimplene said:

What? 😀

We don't have to choose sides nor care about what you consider an unjust nor genocidal war. We can love the AN 225 without the bias.😉

 

Edited February 2, 20233 yr by blueshark747

1 hour ago, blueshark747 said:

We don't have to choose sides nor care about what you consider an unjust nor genocidal war. We can love the AN 225 without the bias.😉

 

What? 🙂
 

Edited February 2, 20233 yr by crimplene