Yak Attack

[Matt Molnar]

So a friend of mine visited an undisclosed country 90 miles south of Key West this past week, via the Bahamas. He flew C***na, and he said the plane was about 20 rows long, which leads me to believe it was Russia's finest 727 knockoff, the Yakovlev Yak-42D. The thought of flying aboard something named after a yak has motivated me to consider my own covert op to the same undisclosed island.

Has anyone flown any Russian jets? My friend is not an aviation enthusiast, but he said the flight was smooth, the landing was extremely rough, the service was bare bones...beverage service and hard candies...but of course, like all non-U.S. airlines, the attendants were all gorgeous.

Check out the hot Yak action below:

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1075365/L/
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1075039/L/
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0890999/L/

[TransIsland]

Does your friend remember whether or not it was a jet?

The airline that you chose not to name has operated the following aircraft in and out of Nassau this summer:

Hola Airlines B733: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1135642/L/
Hola Airlines B752: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1107455/L/
Loftleidir Icelandic B752: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1103939/L/
C**@^@ Yak42: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1075365/L/
C**@^@ IL62: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1012681/L/
C**@^@ AN24: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0502773/L/
Aerocaribbean ATR72: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0580586/L/

The Aerocaribbean ATR is by far the most frequently used plane. And at least Thai seems to find 19 rows in that plane... rather close to 20: http://www.thaiair.ch/en/travel_destina ... ps/ATR.htm

[TransIsland]

Oh, forgot to answer one of your questions:

I have flown the unnamed airline's AN24 (not a jet, I know), as well as a Malev TU-154 back in the 1980s from West Germany (STR or FRA, don't remember) to Budapest. All I can say is that I was very happy to fly on a B727-200 operated by Pan Am on the way back!!

As far as that mysterious island is concerned, I would seriously consider Bahamasair instead, if they still offer the route.

[Matt Molnar]

Thanks for the info, TransIsland...welcome to the boards. :)

He said he heard some Russian name, but he didn't remember what it was. He also said it was about 20 rows, which the Yak is closest to, though his count could have been off.

[SengaB]

I will be vacationing in the Bahamas this spring. I have been speaking with a local down there who has provided me with lots of good information about spotting there and the best way to get a shot of the CUB YAKs. For me the biggest thing is to get a shot of the CUB YAKs when I get down there.

Senga

[hiss srq]

I am Amazed you do not have a shot or two of them as it is lol. There are few airplanes out there that you have not placed in the viewfinder and pressed the magic button for yet lol I am more amazed by the IL62 I got to se once up at YYZ

[TransIsland]

I will be vacationing in the Bahamas this spring. I have been speaking with a local down there who has provided me with lots of good information about spotting there and the best way to get a shot of the CUB YAKs.

Hopefully, my "new camera fund" has filled up by then... I keep warning you though that while I do see the Yak-42 on occasion, I have not been able to determine a pattern there. For some reason it's not like "On Sundays they use the Yak-42..."

You could end up seeing any of the planes mentioned above.

Anyway, looking forward to spotting in company, usually I'm at the airport all by myself, or, if it's a busy day, I have two police officers shouting at me ;)

Actually, the most likely Russian bird to show up is this one: http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=5722020

[PhilDernerJr]

Great info, TransIsland, thanks! Welcome to the site!

[SengaB]

Steve!
Nice to see you on here.
Yes we have discussed many times about the lack of a pattern when CUB flies to MYNN. You might remember thats why I cancelled the trip I was booking before. If CUB was a little more consistant then it would be easier to nail this one.


Senga

[cancidas]

i was brought to this country on an IL-62... trough zurich. i've logged about 10 hours on an AN-2 flying glider pulls in poland.

[uplander]

I've never flown on a YAK or any other Russian jet, but I've been to Cub@ several times and even flown CUB once. It was an A320 or 319 (can't remember), which kind of made me feel safer. :roll:

The in-flight service was excellent. On the ground was another story. Their airports are pretty much deserted so I caught no YAK sightings and not much of anything else except foreign airliners.

I hope "the situation" fixes itself soon. When it does, I'll bet the 2nd American destination for CUB will be JFK. Or is that wishful thinking?

[TransIsland]

The in-flight service was excellent. On the ground was another story. Their airports are pretty much deserted so I caught no YAK sightings and not much of anything else except foreign airliners.

I hope "the situation" fixes itself soon. When it does, I'll bet the 2nd American destination for CUB will be JFK. Or is that wishful thinking?

Sounds like you've been to Varadero? At HAV I saw all sorts of Cubian planes.

I don't think any NYC airport will be the second destination for Cub@^@... there's too many airports in South FL they have to fly to before that ;)

[PhilDernerJr]

[uplander]

I don't think any NYC airport will be the second destination for Cub@^@... there's too many airports in South FL they have to fly to before that

Right. I was only considering MIA. I guess the whole south Florida region is ex-pat land. OK, JFK before any other US-south destination.