Can anyone shed some light on this video ?

[alberchico]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG_ljtOXqvo

Looks like this was shot in Florida, possibly Miami, sometime during the 1980's. Why would these 2 Cuban aircraft be there in the first place ?

[captmjk16]

I'm under the impression that it IS legal for Americans to visit Cuba under special circumstances (family still in the country). It is not surprising that they'd leave out of MIA, I'm pretty sure an episode of Airport 24/7 featured a behind the scenes look at some of the things that it takes to pull off the Cuba flights from an ops perspective.

[Cary]

It definitely looks like MIA's old tower in the background.

[Mateo]

There's a local NBC crew in the background, so it must have been for some special event.

There's no restrictions on US citizens visiting Cuba. It's not like there's a CBP officer standing at the gate of every MUHA-bound flight around the world waving a finger at the Americans. The restriction is on you spending any money there, since that would violate the economic sanctions. The Treasury Department grants "licenses" for you to spend money (read: travel) there. The licenses are only granted in conjunction with trips for family, religious, or other cultural reasons. Treasury loosens or tightens the license guidelines occasionally, usually based on phases of the moon, the number of Soviet SA-2 missiles near Camaguey, or if the Administration wants to shift the political scene in South Florida.

[EDIT: and now that I watched the whole thing, those AOM/Cubana DC-10s were frequent Montreal visitors back in the early 00s, and I'm still annoyed that I've never seen an An-2!]

[megatop412]

The second half looks like its from the Just Planes video filmed at Havana(I snagged a vhs copy at the Newark collectibles show and its awesome, lots of An-2 action)

[JHNA57]

This is a shot in the dark, but...
Didn't a pilot defect in the An-2 biplane defect from Cuba in the 80's. (although I thought it was to Key West). maybe the Cubana brought in pilots to retrieve the aircraft????

[alberchico]

Thanks for the replies. Pretty surreal to see at the 4:55 minute mark a an-2 taking off with two Pan Am 727's in the background :smile:




The second half looks like its from the Just Planes video filmed at Havana(I snagged a vhs copy at the Newark collectibles show and its awesome, lots of An-2 action)

Yes its this one:

BTW this is the only just planes program to feature the IL-62

http://www.worldairroutes.com/images/Cubana2_Cover_500.jpg

[moose135]

You sure that's Cubana, and not just a sneak peek at the new AA colors...
:wink:

[Mateo]

Got it. The An-2 was hijacked to Miami in 1991. http://www.pbase.com/donboyd/image/59147626/medium

[megatop412]

Great detective work! Mystery solved

[JHNA57]

, and I'm still annoyed that I've never seen an An-2!]

I think the An-2's are now banned from flying in the U.S., but I did walk through one at the Dutchess County Airshow in the late 90's. I remember the back of it being like the cargo interior of a box truck..........with windows.

[alberchico]

I think the An-2's are now banned from flying in the U.S., but I did walk through one at the Dutchess County Airshow in the late 90's. I remember the back of it being like the cargo interior of a box truck..........with windows.

I'm amazed they never caught on with Alaskan bush operators. This airplane was designed to withstand the worst conditions in Siberia. Only a few were ever flown in the U.S. This is all that I could find on the an-2 in alaska:

http://www.foundersacademy.org/Gallery_Survey of World Cultures/vid pages/mattstories/Flying An-2 in Alaska.pdf

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