Oliver From Switzerland, joined Oct 1999, 142 posts, RR: 0 Posted (12 years 3 weeks 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 1151 times:
What were your experiences? Is it really so scary? Or is it just like in any other plane? What about service and noise during the flight?
Is there any Russian plane with Inflight Entertainment System? And if so, is it Russian?
Jan Mogren From Sweden, joined Dec 2000, 2043 posts, RR: 52 Reply 1, posted (12 years 3 weeks 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 1120 times:
Not scary at all, in my experience anyway.
I have flown on TU-134, Yak-42 and AN-24. Not much difference from western built really in the cabin. The service depends on the airline, but wasn't too good on my flights. Lousy food ! Terrible coffee ! The AN-24 interior was pretty crappy, but that would be just like an old poorly maintained F-27 or 737-200 in the west.
/JM
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Slawko From Canada, joined exactly 14 years ago today! , 3799 posts, RR: 10 Reply 2, posted (12 years 3 weeks 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 1105 times:
I was on an AN-24 and the interior had been totally re-done...Looked like and ATR or Dash-8 and was not too much lounder then those two planes...Service was awsome...Just depends on which airline you fly on.
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Ilyushin96M From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 2609 posts, RR: 14 Reply 6, posted (12 years 3 weeks 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 1060 times:
I've flown on IL86, IL62M, TU154B-2, TU154M and TU134A-3. While passenger comfort is not as good as on comparable Western types, I found all to be very smooth in the air, and especially on landing.
The safety record of Soviet-built aircraft is based mostly in myth; the truth is, if you compare each aircraft type to its Western equivalents, they are just as safe. In fact, the only Soviet-era widebody, the IL86, has never had a crash involving loss of life.
Newer Russian aircraft are supposedly much better in terms of engine noise and comfort. Soviet-built aircraft are among the noisiest in the skies, which is why many types are banned outside of Russia nowadays. However, most of them have rear-mounted engines (with exception only of IL86, which is LOUD if you're seated behind the wing!), so cabin noise is comparable to a 727 or DC-9.
In terms of service, this varies per airline. Aeroflot has made HUGE strides in terms of passenger comfort and service, relegating most Soviet types to routes within Russia, using Western types on international routes. Having flown Aeroflot as recently as 1999, I found the service and staff to be as good as any European carrier I have ever flown, and the food was great. I also understand Aeroflot is refitting TU154s and IL86s with newer and more modern cabins so that passengers will travel in more comfort and style aboard these types.
In terms of in-flight entertainment, currently only the IL96-300 offers any sort of cinema or stereo channels onboard. I've never flown in one, so I don't know what the set-up is like. Other Soviet-era aircraft have no inflight entertainment to speak of.
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Has anyone had any experience on this aircraft?
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