THE SIGHT & THE SOUND 4/4 : Flight onboard Alrosa TU-154M RA-85684 from Udachny (PYJ) to Moscow

*** Traffic at 2:07:46 ***

Announcements on Social Media for event flights on Soviet Classics within Russia always come on too short notice.

Getting a visa, getting leave from your employer, shifting plans, especially if you live as far as Japan, are the most common reasons for a “No No”.

There was a short term announcement that the Izhma TU-154M RA-85684, operated by Alrosa Avia would perform a Farewell rotation from Moscow to Sochi on a weekend in August.

I had four weeks ahead for planning, yet the decision was clear, this opportunity was not to be missed, so it was of the long way to Moscow from Tokyo via Frankfurt.

In 2018 Alrosa is still operating scheduled flights on TU-154, TU-134, AN-38, AN-24 and helicopters from their operational bases in Mirny and Udachny.

Sampling these beauties would require a 10 day itinerary, which I am simply unable to afford, not taking into account the usual unexpected changes on short notice.

Making things worse, filming and photographing opportunities are extremely limited on these remote locations.

A foreigner travelling alone without prior official arrangements, is always under suspicion and high risk.

However due to the kind invitation and extraordinary hospitality provided by Alrosa and my special friends Mikhail and Alexander, I decided to add a rotation to the Far East to Mirny (MJZ) and Udachny (PYJ) in the week following the Sochi-rotation on short notice.

As the mini bus broke down in the middle of nowhere inbetween Mirny and Udachny, I ran a high risk of being stranded for another five days in Far East Siberia with limited connection to the outside world. Finally I arrived at 2 AM in Udachny catching a 4 hours sleep before getting ready for the return flight to Moscow.

Despite previous arrangement for airside video taping, all arrangements were cancelled in the last minute by security officials at Polyarny Airport without any given reason despite endless efforts of Alex to make the impossible possible.

All footages at Polyarny Airport were made on own risk and the author of this video feels no longer committed to mutual agreements.

This video features the return flight 6R 516 onboard TU-154M RA-85684 from Polyarny-Udachny (PYJ) to Moscow (DME) on August 24, 2018.

This video is the uncut and original version.

History of Tupolev 154M RA-85684

Airframe 90A851 was manufactured 1990 and delivered to the East Siberian Division of Aeroflot Soviet Airlines on October 30, 1990 and registered CCCP-85684. CCCP-85684 was newly registered RA-85684 and operated for Chita Avia after 1993 and was leased to Sayanyi on September 21, 1998, however stored shortly thereafter on October 13, 1998 under the name of Avia Express Cruise until April 28, 1999.

RA-85684 was acquired one month later on May 28, 1999 by Alrosa (Aviakompaniya Alrosa), a subsidiary of the Alrosa Mirny Diamond Corporation formerly Alrosa Mirny Air Enterprise based in Polyarny and Mirny.

On September 7, 2010, RA-85684 operating flight 6R 514 from Polyarny / Udachny Airport to Moscow DME suffered a complete failure of the electrical system in-flight.

A successful emergency landing was made at closed Izhma Airport but the aircraft overran the overgrown runway and was substantially damaged.

All 81 people on board escaped uninjured. The aircraft was under the command of Captain Andrey Lamanov, later awarded the title “Hero of the Russian Federation”.

This aircraft was flown via Ukhta (UCT) to Samara (KUF) on March 24, 2011 for repairs and returned back to service on June 16, 2011.

This flight onboard 6R 516 on August 24, 2018 from Polyarnyi (PYJ) to Moscow-DME was the last flight on this route operated by RA-85684. The following flights from Polyarnyi (PYJ) to Moscow-DME are operated by tail sign RA-85757, the last remaining TU-154M in passenger service

RA-85684 performed her final flight on September 29, 2018 from Mirny (MJZ) to Novosibirsk (OVB) under special flight number 6R 684. It is planned to preserve RA-85684 for display in Novosibirsk

Enjoy with me the Sights and especially the Sounds of one of the last flights onboard a passenger service TU-154M.

Thank you for visiting my channel.

Flight details

Flight : 6R 516
Date : Friday, August 24, 2018
Aircraft : TU-154M
Registration : RA-85684
Former Registrations :
- CCCP-85684 (Aeroflot)
- RA-85684 (Chita Avia, Sayanyi, Avia Express Cruise)
Built : 1990
From : Polyarny-Udachny (PYJ)
To : Moscow (DME)
Take off : 11:08 h (0208 UTC)
Touch down : 09:58 h (0658 UTC)
Duration flight time : 4 hours 50 minutes
Flying Distance : 4.052 km
Altitude : 10.973 / 10.988 / 10.996 m
Speed : 900 / 770 / 759 / 1.156 / 770 / 967 / 746 km/h
Flight Captain : Chernyshchov, Andrey
Flight Captain Instructor : Stebenkov, Evgeniy
Flight Engineer : Omarov, Abdullah
Navigator : Belikov, Nikolay
Boardwriter : Beznogov, Konstantin
Cabin Crew : Bazarova, Irina
Cabin Crew : Kotelnikov, Sergey
Cabin Crew : Milorava, Tejmuraz
Cabin Crew : Rogachev, Victor

Видео THE SIGHT & THE SOUND 4/4 : Flight onboard Alrosa TU-154M RA-85684 from Udachny (PYJ) to Moscow канала THE SIGHTS & SOUNDS OF CLASSIC AVIATION