15 June 2006
Kras Air 7B 127
Moscow Domodedovo (DME) - Krasnoyarsk (KJA)
IL86 RA-86137
STD 2025 ATD 0005 Delay 3hr40mins
STA 0510 ATA 0837 Delay 3hr 27mins
Flying time 4hr 30mins at 10100m, 850km/h (Info from pilots)

This is my first of 16 flights in Russia for a trip to visit Siberia and Russia Far East cities on a spotting tour in June 06.

Initially the tour is flying Moscow to Magadan to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky with MAVIAL- Magadan Airlines. However, 5 days prior to the departure day, MAVIAL went bankrupt and the travel agent rebooked the tour on Kras Air flying Moscow to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky via Krasnoyarsk. The scheduled aircraft for the flights are IL96 DME-KJA and Tu204 KJA-PKC.

On the departure day check in was usual at DME with 3 small counters opened and received boarding pass stating ontime departure and board 30 minutes prior. After having some excellent Russian fast food at the Sbarro Pizzeria in the terminal, I head over to the gate and stood their a while and saw the screen shows “Delay until 16 June 2006” I freaked out initially but then found the time of new departure is 0005, so I guess not as bad as a 1500 or 2200 the next day.

Very disappointing to have your first flight out of 16 being delayed which it may signaled a bad trip ahead came to my head (luckily all other flights were right ontime!) as I sat down quietly waiting for my flight. The reason of the delay according from the translator is because the forecast of fog in Krasnoyarsk. DME terminal gets very crowded and busy at the evening, as many Siberia Far East flights departs. 2 hours went past, I saw another Kras Air flight 7B 147 is boarding and later pushed back on time, the aircraft is an IL96 operateing as scheduled. I was wondering if that flight took off on time, which means that it will land at KJA at 7am. Then why our flight is delayed a further 1hr 30mins after this?

After another 90 mins in waiting, finally boarding call was made and my group head down the stairs to the bus (no aerobridge). It was dark, cold and pouring down with rain outside. Passenger was cramped in the bus and the older Russian lady was yelling to tell people to squeeze in and move on---I guess this is always done like this during the former Soviet days.

After a short ride on bus, we arrived at our aircraft, an IL86! I have a mixed feeling when I saw this plane, I have flown on the IL86 twice before, it is very nice but I haven’t flown an IL96 and was looking forward to fly a modern Russian airplane. Well, I still have to fly so I proceed to the end of the plane lined up for boarding via the lower belly stairs with pouring rain! Lot of hassle you can imagine when lot of people actually carry many bags and line up in rain! The ramp agent tried to prevent the group from taking pictures and threaten to arrest someone in our group. I walked away with good video footage.

After walking up the stairs to the main deck, first impression is such a wide airplane! Seating is 3-3-3 and feels having a lot of head room with no overhead bin in the centre. Pax were encouraged to store bulk baggage downstairs in the luggage compartment. Our group was assigned forward cabin seats in row 6-11. Doors closed quickly and the plane was pushed to start up position for engine to be started. I changed my seat to an empty 3 seater in the middle in row 5. Seat is about 31-32 pitch, but various. You have your own inseat fan mounted at the seat back.

Takeoff was slow but very steady, feels like spending 2 minutes on the runway until finally airborne but climbing very shallow but smooth! Not a bit of turbulence was encountered although feels a bit less powerful than on those western planes I’ve used to flown. Interesting when we finally flew past the clouds, it was still reasonably bright up at 10000m cruising altitude, we continue to fly eastward and chasing the sunrise and the sun came in not long after.

In-flight service started with buy your liquor and nuts service, mainly consist of Vodka, and whisky. Then a free meal service. See picture



The in-flight meal onboard Russian carriers are not bad at all! Choice was chicken or fish. I have the fish. After the meal service, as a tradition, flight attendants brought out 2 large metal kettles for tea and coffee service. I notice in Russia FAs do not show a lot of emotions, someone told me it is to be considered weak when showing excessive emotions, especially to foreigners. (at least in the old days this was the case)

I then walk around the spacious cabin of the IL86. There were a few drunken people yelling around….



I didn’t get into First Class cabin but saw it after deplane that it was just bigger seat with slightly more room. All the toilet in economy class on IL86 were at the back. There were 6 in total.

Then I took some much needed rest until final descend, the noise was moderate in the front cabin but I believe considerable louder in the aft cabin. Landing was surprisingly smooth and I’ve flown Russian jets about 25 times so far and all has been very smooth even some in bad weather! The fog must have lifted in time for our arrival.

Loads of people came off the plane and boarded the funny looking carriage bus (a bus carriage at the back of a truck!) and were carried into the transit terminal with many flights to Far East such as PKC, Komosovlsk-Na-Amure, Khabarovsk, and Vladivostok. On a given morning in Krasnoyarsk you can see Tu154 one after another one on approach every 5 minutes. Our connecting flight to PKC was delayed also due to late arrival of aircraft. It has been rescheduled to 1110 instead of 8am which allow us to meet the flight with no problem.

Overall, it is quite different in Russian flights in standards and expectations compare to the Western companies but the experience is also unique and well worth trying. If you see everything as a critic does, then that may spoil the experience but generally flying is smooth and safe in Russia. Hope you guys like this report.