THE SIGHT & THE SOUND 4/9 : Flight onboard Ruby Star AN-12 EW-338TI from Minsk-1 (MHP) to Vitebsk

Daniel’s Travel Vlog

FLIGHT #4/9 : RUBY STAR AN-12BP EW-338TI MINSK-1 (MHP) – VITEBSK (VTB), MAY 30, 2015

This video has been remastered and considerably improved in Sight & Sound and replaces the earlier version, posted in 2015.

After the unforgettable Farewell Flight Event of Belavia's TU-154 to Geneva the previous day, MERLINTOUR organized two spectacular triangle flights between Minsk-2 (MSQ) - Minsk-1 (MHP) - Vitebsk (VTB) - Minsk-2 (MSQ) onboard the cargo work horse of the former Soviet Union, the legendary Antonov 12.

This particular aircraft is registered EW-338TI and operated by well known Ruby Star of Belarus and was one of the oldest airworthy AN-12 still flying in 2015.

This video features the second morning flight on May 30, 2015 from Minsk-1 - the old city airport - to Vitebsk in the Northeastern part of Belarus.

Minsk-1, the “Tempelhof of Minsk”, was located just a few kilometres South from the City Center and was eventually shut down on December 23, 2015 after 82 years of Belarusian Aviation History.

This location used to be the home of OAO Minsk Civil Aircraft Repair Plant #407 to provide repair, upgrade and maintenance services for the Yak-40, Yak-42, Yak-52 and Tu-134 aircraft series, and was on the Top of our Priority List.

This inflight documentary is intended to present the viewer an impression of what it is like to fly onboard an AN-12 in the unpressurized cargo hold with the cargo doors opened during the flight !

Belarus proved to be the Number One Aviation Heaven, with Boris Vlassov – The Managing Director of merlintour - pulling the strings, making the impossible possible, repeating the success from the previous year.

History of Antonov 12BP EW-338TI

Airframe 1340106 was manufactured on September 30, 1961 at Plant number 84
in Tashkent-Vostochny and delivered to the Soviet Air Forces - MAP Rostov VPO -
in October, 1961 in the original version AN-12A.

Serial Number 1340106 was registered CCCP-11976 at a later date.

On September 11, 1989, CCCP-11976 was transferred to the Transport Division
of Rostvertol, a manufacturer of helicopters, based in Rostov-on-Don
modified to version AN-12BP and was registered RA-11976 on October 5, 1995.

RA-11976 was sold to Bulgarian Vega Air and registered LZ-VEA on November 24, 1998
carrying the name of ‘Khan Asparukh’.

LZ-VEA was sold to Jupiter Jet, belonging to ATMA of Kazakhstan
and registered UN-11018 on March 27, 2007.

On March 26, 2008, UN-11018 was transferred to Ruby Star Air Enterprise of Belarus
and was registered EW-269TI.

From June 11, 2010 until May 30, 2012, EW-269TI operated for Aero Charter Ukraine
registered UR-DWI.

UR-DWI returned to Ruby Star and was newly registered EW-338TI on May 30, 2012.

EW-338TI arrived at Dunsfold-Aerodrome, UK on October 18, 2012 for filming
and was painted in USAF Military Markings ‘06-987’.

EW-338TI departed Dunsfold on October 26, 2012 and returned to Belarus.

EW-338TI was chartered on May 30, 2015 by merlintour to operate two triangle flight rotations for aircraft enthusiasts from Minsk-2 to Minsk-1, onto Vitebsk
and then returning to Minsk-2.

During a thunderstorm on July 13, 2016, EW-338TI was blown into the parked
Belavia Boeing 737-3Q8, EW-283PA and suffered minor damages.

Since this incident, EW-338TI serves as a source for spares and is stored in Minsk (MSQ)
missing some engines and it is unlikely, that she will return to the skies.

By the year 2021, EW-338TI reached the respectable age of 60 years.

Enjoy the Sights & Sounds of Classic Aviation.

Thank you for watching my channel.

Flight details

Flight : RSB 1098
Date : Saturday, May 30, 2015
Aircraft : AN-12BP
Registration : EW-338TI
Former registrations
- CCCP-11976 (Aeroflot Soviet Airlines)
- RA-11976 (Aeroflot Russian Airlines)
- LZ-VEA (Vega Air Bulgaria)
- UN-11018 (ATMA of Kazakhstan)
- EW-269TI (Ruby Star of Belarus)
- UR-DWI (Aero Charter Ukraine)
Built : 1961
From : Minsk-1 (MHP)
To : Vitebsk (VTB)
Take off : 10.15h (0715 Z)
Touch down : 10.55 h (0755 Z)
Flying time : 40 minutes
Flying distance : 129 nM / 239 km
Altitude : 3.833 m
Speed : 448 km/h
Flight Captain : Zhuravlev, Konstantin Grigoryevich
Flight Captain : Morozov, A. S.
Navigator : Muzychin, Yu. A.
Flight Engineer : Kraminkin, D. F.
Radio Operator : Malashko O. F.
Technician : Vaitovich, A. M.
Technician : Klimtchuk, S. N.
Flight Manager : Mitryushkin, Alexandr Yu.
Flight Manager : Lutskii, V. A.

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