Anadyr

Arrival in Anadyr (UHMA)

It could have been fast, but one of the plane had lost its temporary import papers..no papers no go.

Fortunately the iPhone work in Russia and I had the handlers phone numbers all in the phone, the network worked and the handler were available.

we got the problem resolved after 90 minutes, e are going to be arriving very late in Anchorage.

Russian Antonov An-72 transport

The Kamov Ka-27

a lot of official for our departure and missing papers, but we were freed after a fax made all of us very official

we did pass the data line were the E180 become W180

Soon over the point Valda we will be in US airspace

great weather and tail winds all the way to Anchorage

Disaster Strucks

Timing is perfect, we leave the hotel right on time and we are met at the airport by the representative of Streamline for a speedy departure, we have 1700 nm to cover today.

Fast airport check and we are on the ramp, flight plan filed and in the process of doing the airplane pre take off check.

A Airbus 330 from Aeroflot is moving slowly on the taxiway.

He miss the turn to his left, tower told him to stop, then to turn 180 degree and park behind where he stands.

50% power is apply to the engines and the airliner start his turn.

Our planes are barely 70 yards behind him, we all get the full blast of the powerful engines.

All hell break loose, when the maelstrom is finally over, we access the damages.

Broken 796

Broken iPad

The ground is in very bad shape with gravel every where and larger rock in between

we basically spend 30 minutes cleaning up the engine intakes full of gravel and assessing the airplane damages. The TBM seems to have taken the full blast and numerous paint impact are present.

Upon entering the cockpit of the Mustang, the co-pilot side windshield shattered

It is quickly decided that the plane is not going anywhere today.

The airport authorities and the crew of the Aeroflot Airbus are working with us.

Within 2 hours, all the happening has been recorded and signed by all the people present.

We have 2 tickets for th crew of the Mustang, they will leave the next day to Anchorage on a dire t flight from Petropavlosk. 

It is very sad to leave an airplane behind.

PS: Update on the situation, Team Mustang has the part, 2 technicians, 1 ferry pilot and the completion date of the repair locally is set for August 2. We are helping with the visas, hotels and local arrangements

Finally on our way to Anchorage via Anadyr.

The hotel internet connection does exist and while slow does provide what we need.

There was last minute scramble for Jepp FD update for one of the crew on they iPad .

Here are both brief for the journey.

Pretty direct route

This will be a long day, but the weather seems to cooperate with us and if all go well with the time difference we should be in Anchorage at about 7 pm local time.

On of the exciting part of the journey is that we have gaining another 4 hours we are gaining also a day.

all these hours we have been losing since we left Quebec will be all gained back.

Difficult to make a correct eAPIS report showing that we arrive before we left.

Unschedule stop in Petropavlosk

Upon arrival in Petropavlosk (UHPP), the forecast weather was not to our linking for Anadyr (UHMA).

Facing thunderstorm over the airport after a 922 nm and an alternate another 200 nm away was not in the plan.

Luggage out and taxi (the Fangio way ) to town.

our hotel:

The Complex "Petropavlosk"

http://www.petropavlovsk-hotel.ru/en/

The website is rather "misleading" and local research did not result in a different place.

But this is the gift certificate for the one who like very much to be sent in an outing

our room is not this one

There is a number of volcanoes shadowing the town

we did a city tour and were treated by a "Puffin" in the harbor

Victor did show his visit

Fishing boat fleet

Well after the Apple store of Singapore and Hong Kong, this one was an entrepreneur in the making

we were ready for a "Pizza " evening

Thank you Google for their IPhone translation software, we did get pizzas close to what we were looking for.

interesting to say that the Lenin statue is still shown in Petropavlosk.

Flying the Kamchatka to Alaska

After a surprising interesting hotel, the Mega palace in this part of the world. The idea is to get to Alaska today with a quick technical stop in UHPP, Petropavlosk refuel and then fly one of the longest leg of the journey 922 nm to Anadyr, a quick turn around and our exit to Alaska.

We are mentally ready and prepared.

Here is the brief:

A lot of water and cold one I guess

We are losing another hour today

While we are looking at shortcut for our flying, this map is tempting, looks like we can have a couple of them.

How wrong were we, none of them accepted and even with good radar coverage, there was no chance of getting any shortcut.

The assignment of HF frequencies, make me wonder if we needed to pull the sat phone out, but after about 20 nm of a dead VHF zone, where messages were relayed by the other participants we were in good VHF contact the whole way as well as radar.

No much traffic in this part of the world, but still old approaches and NDB fix, amazingly complicated and could be so simple with a GPS overlay...but I guess the Russian cannot admint to be using the american radar constellation for GPS usage....This is one to be kept in the open. We start to see GPS on the western market offering to use both the US and Russian satellite network...Hopefully this one will be less complicated in the future

Even the ILS was an amazing one with 3 NDB as passing point.

Plus the signal was pretty unreliable on the Glide and to top it all after seeing the ground we were aiming at the left runway ( the closed one) before the LOC brought us back to the correct heading.

This is a case where you need to be ready to follow the needles all the way to the decision height or respect the rules and be ready for a miss is you are not on a stabilized approach. We saw the ground at 700 feet AGL

Old Soviet look, the real look of a bygone era.

The be careful notice was a premonition.

Very nice tailwind on this leg , as advertised

Clear sky most of the way

Getting ready for the approach

Captain Louis-Alain, getting ready for the approach with a full brief on the do and don't

Intersting rock formation with a lot of volcanoes in this part of the world

Right on the approach

Mig 25 Foxbat on the ramp and in active readiness

Unique follow me car

The weather report for our arrival in UHMA is not good with thunderstorm over the airport confirm by the handler and a rapid phone call to the office.

With the alternate beyond the range of the Mustang

we decided to pack it for the night and spend our second night in Russia