THE SIGHT & THE SOUND 1/2 : Flight onboard Goldtimer LI-2 HA-LIX from Budaörs to Berlin-Schönefeld

Daniel’s Travel Vlog

This video has been completely remastered and substantially improved in Sight & Sound from the previous version, published in 2017.

In September 2012, I was once again invited together with a group of good friends to join the ferry flight of Goldtimer Foundation’s Lisunov 2 HA-LIX, the last airworthy LI-2 in the world to visit the ILA in Berlin.

Riding the LI-2 is always a great pleasure because there are load restrictions on these long nonstop flights and the plane is half empty.

Gathering a group of a maximum of six people for each flight is never a problem.

A few telephone calls, and the party can begin.

This inflight video documentary features the flight from Budaörs in the Western suburbs of Budapest all the way to Berlin-Schönefeld Airport parking on the ramp of what was then supposed to become the new Berlin-Brandenburg Airport, in the very distant future.

Landing on the brand-new runway 25L, nobody thought back in 2012, that it would take eight more years, until the opening of BER would take place, end of 2020.

The flight was lots of fun, with superb Hungarian catering with the compliments of Goldtimer Foundation.

History of Lisunov 2T HA-LIX Kármán Tódor

Airframe 18433209 was manufactured 1949 in Factory No 84 in Tashkent and delivered to the Hungarian Military Transport Division at Székesfehérvár on September 9, 1949, registered S104.

From 1952 she operated under the Military Registration Number 209.

After flying for the 16th Independent Transport Company Number 209 was transferred to Malév Hungarian Airlines for regular domestic passengers flights and registered HA-LIX on March 24, 1957.

After Malév withdrew all Lisunov 2 from service, HA-LIX returned to the Air Force, registered Number 209 again on November 30, 1964 and was permanently based at the Kecskemét Air Base, where she was used as a Military Transport Aircraft and a Parachute Trainer.

From 1968 to 1969, HA-LIX was completely overhauled in Mineralnye Vody, Soviet Union.

At the end of 1973, HA-LIX was withdrawn from service and flown to Szolnok to be displayed at the Museum of the Air Force Academy as 209.

209 was dismantled in July, 1996 and transported to the MÉM-RSZ Repair Facility in Budaörs during autumn, 1997.

The same year an agreement was concluded with the Aviation History Museum of Szolnok
about the restoration of the LI-2.

Goldtimer Alapítvány - Goldtimer Foundation - joined the restoration project early 2001
and continued the work investing nearly 45.000 man-hours.

The avionics system, panels, instruments, cabin interior and seats, previously installed in the TU-134A-3, HA-LBP and TU-154B-2, HA-LCR, as well as the “Fasten Seatbelts” display, removed from an IL-18, have been put to use again.

After years of hard work, the efforts of Károly Hajdu - Fedö - and his Team of Goldtimer Alapítvány, sponsors, partners and many friends, finally paid off and HA-LIX took off to a new life after several retirements, completing her first flight on September 21, 2001 and receiving her Certificate of Airworthiness on April 15, 2002.

HA-LIX completed her first flight on September 21, 2001 and received her Certificate of Airworthiness on April 15, 2002.

In honor of the Hungarian Pioneer of Aerodynamics, HA-LIX was named after Kármán Tódor.

With the support of sponsors, HA-LIX is a major attraction on many air shows throughout Europe and is the last remaining airworthy Lisunov 2 in the world.

Enjoy with me the Sights & Sounds of Classic Aviation.

Thank you for watching my channel.

Flight details

Flight : Goldtimer Foundation
Date : Thursday, September 13, 2012
Aircraft : LI-2T
Registration : HA-LIX
Built : 1949
From : Budaörs (LHBS)
To : Berlin (SXF)
Take off : 13.45 h (1145 UTC)
Touch down : 17.10 h (1510 UTC)
Flying time : 3 hours 25 minutes
Flying distance : 400 nM / 741 km (including holding)
Altitude : 4.500 ft
Speed : 120 / 124 knots
Captain : Lezsovits, Gábor
First Officer : Györi, Gyula
First Officer : Hajdu, Károly (Fedö)
Flight Technician : Bobák, György

Видео THE SIGHT & THE SOUND 1/2 : Flight onboard Goldtimer LI-2 HA-LIX from Budaörs to Berlin-Schönefeld канала THE SIGHTS & SOUNDS OF AVIATION