-
DPRK Aviation Tour
I am sure many of you have seen the trip reports on airliners.net about this tour. I joined it in Sept and had a great time flying Soviet-era prop and jet airliners, even the Mil-17 helicopter. Here are a few highlight photos. The full gallery can be found here: http://www.pbase.com/mugong/dprkaviation. I'd recommend this trip to all aviation geeks.
http://m2.i.pbase.com/o9/20/440020/1...091519il18.jpg
http://m9.i.pbase.com/o9/20/440020/1...091804il76.jpg
http://m4.i.pbase.com/o9/20/440020/1...il62engine.jpg
http://m2.i.pbase.com/o9/20/440020/1...lCUcrJ.101.jpg
-
I briefly considered going last year, before realizing that no matter how careful I was, as an American I would probably be arrested for 'spying' and be detained over there for months. Until we are able to establish more friendly relations with the DPRK I will have to appreciate their aviation through pictures like yours. Thanks for posting them Jiasong! The FA uniforms are actually quite nice looking
-
Megatop412: I am an US citizen; and there were 3 other US citizens on this particular trip. We didn't feel any different treatment from the North Koreans. I actually had a conversation on Korean towns in NY and LA with one of the guides. He appeared to know quite a bit about the US and his view about how Koreans live in the US was not biazed. While we were there, 3 Americans were tried and sentenced by the North Koreans. The collective view among the tour group members was that these 3 did touch the 'red line' while in North Korea. As long as you stay clear of the sensitive political topics, follow the guides' instructions and don't do anything rude or confrontational, you will be fine; and the North Koreans were quite accommodating. Within the airports and onboard airplanes, you will enjoy so much freedom to take pictures and peek and poke. The North Koreans will do a lot to make you enjoy your flights.
I'd encourage you to give the trip a try, and you will really enjoy it.
-
I know there was at least one US citizen that went in years past, but how much is it? DPRK is probably the only place left that isn't overrun with boring Airbus and Boeing twinjets so just that alone might be worth it, although it only seems to be Air Koryo planes.
I'd also like to go to Iran for planes..
-
MarioFL: there have been US citizens on every tour since the trip started in 2012, everyone returned without incident. The basic cost is Euro 1995, the IL-62 and IL-76 joyrides are extra at Euro 250 per flight, the An-148 ride is Euro 150 and the Mil-17 ride is 100. The basic cost covers your round trip PEK-FNJ, hotel and all meals while in DPRK, and flights on IL-18, TU-134, TU-154 and AN-24.
There is 50 Euro DPRK visa fee. The suggest tip for the tour guides and the bus drivers is 50 Euro. On top of that, you have to buy your round trip ticket to Beijing and at least 1 night of hotel in Beijing. You also have to apply for Chinese visa, which is $140. Finally there is the cost to buy souvenir, which is priced in Euro, Dollar or Chinese currency. I'd say budget at least $5000 for the trip.
You will photograph all the classic Russian types in FNJ. Then you can do spotting in PEK. PEK Terminal 2 has decent spots looking over Runway 36L.
Sam Chui's reports on the most recent trip are in airliners.net trip report forum. There is also a report on the German tour that went a week before us. Go check them out and see for yourself the hotels, meals and the everyday people we saw on the streets.
