Lviv - Ukraine
September 2008
By Jan Koppen
In September 2008, my friend and colleague Pieter Alderden and I visited Ukraine. Next to some flights in vintage Russian transports, like; - AeroSvit/Lugansk Airlines An-24RV Kyiv-Boryspil to Dnipropetrovsk, Motor Sich An-140 Zaporizhzhia to Boryspil, and Donbassaero Yak-42D Boryspil to Lviv, we visited the State Aviation Museum at Zhuliany Airport. Very sadly, Pieter passed away in June 2017.
Below, I focus on our flight with the DonbassAero Yak-42.
Below, I focus on our flight with the DonbassAero Yak-42.
A very wet day at Kiev Boryspil, September 9, 2008.
DonbassAero UR-42372 taxi in at a rather wet and miserable Boryspil Airport.
Boarding flight flight VV083 for the 1.15 hour flight to Lviv, in Western Ukraine.
The Yak-42 trijet was developed as a replacement for Tupolev's Tu-134 twinjet and Antonov's An-24 turboprop.
This airframe was one of the Finnair Douglas 51-niners. She seems presently stored at Boryspil.
Two engines are mounted in pods on either side of the rear fuselage. The middle engine is at the end of an S-duct, embedded inside the rear fuselage, under the T-tail. An auxiliary power unit (APU) is also fitted in the rear fuselage. The aircraft lacks thrust reversers.
Next to us, Sky Wings MD-83 SX-BTF was parked. In the background rain poured down on two parked Aero Charter An-12's.
The Yak's cousy cabin.
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The Yak-42's moderately swept wing was a compromise between the need for good field performance and high speed cruise capabilities.
The Yak-42D was a long range variant of the regular ‘42’ with larger fuel tanks but became the standard Yak-42 model in production. Many entered service with six abreast seating configured to accommodate 120 passengers. RA-42445 has been reduced to carry 72 with additional leg-room while achieving a range of 4,000km.
Mind the open hat racks. This too is a remnant of a bygone era.
Our Yak-42D displays its impressive array of high lift devices on final approach to Lviv runways 31 during a early afternoon in September 2008.
Lviv Airport control tower.
It was a warm and beautiful September 2008 afternoon when I photographed some former Russian stars from yesteryear.
UR-46326, an An-24B, was built in 1969 and scrapped at Lviv in 2013.
There were a large number of aircraft in various stages of dismantle at Lviv in 2008.
Stored russian hardware on a remote Lviv tarmac in September 2008.
Two Yak-42's gets some attention from mechanics at the Lviv Airlines ramp in September 2008.
Yak-42D UR-42369 and UR-42403 of Lviv Airlines receiving maintenance in the open at Lviv airport.
South Airlines Saab 340, UR-IMS, seen on a busy ramp, note the Lviv Airlines Yak-42's in the background.
The Saab is presently operating for RAF Avia as YL-RAF.
Ukraine International Boeing 737-400 is presently working as a freighter for Aviation Service Liége.
The Yak-42 features a three engine configuration for increased redundancy and good short field performance.
The Yak-42 suffered with slightly under-powered performance delivered by its Lotarev D-36 turbofan engines. A low shallow angle of ascent is often witnessed upon departure climb-out with a gentle persuasion to gather altitude the preferred option for pilots of the type.
An integral airstair, APU and double main undercarriage are all incorporated into the Yak-42 design for austere airfield operations.
Note; - The big hole in the tail is the outlet of the APU's fumes.
It's a flying machine, that's all there can be said about the Dash-8-400.
Lviv's beautiful, old style, airport.
At the airport we found this An-22 bar!
I always hated those concrete walls around eastern block and russian airports.
Lviv Airlines UR-46383 An-24B, by now chopped-up.
Geriatric jet and proplines hulks were an familiar sight around the former eastern bloc in 2008.
Lviv is really a nice place to visit.
Fortunately, Pieter spoke quite a bit russian.
Back at the airport.
OE-LVL calmly awaits passengers.
Our Austrian arrows Fokker F-100 at Lviv in September 2008 and in a few minutes she'll be heading for her home base in Vienna Austria.
OE-LVL is seen here boarding the last pax for the one hour flight, OS0382, to Vienna, Austria.
What the f*ck are they doing in the middle of the apron?
Taxi-out for runway 31.
Time capsules of aviation history.
Engineless and in lackluster uniforms, outside in the Lviv sunshine in September 2008.
A time expired An-24 is seen here, most likely, resting forever.
IL-18 UR-BXD still manages to look majestic despite being parked amid the stored Yakolev's at Lvivi September 2008.
1974 built Ilyushin IL-18D UR-BXD is seen here stored with Ukraine West titles. In 2011 she was sold to Ukrainian cargo operator Air Sirin. Several years later she was sold to IrMa Air as UP-I1805 and it seems she presently is stored at Benina Airport Benghazi, Libya.
Stored Yak-42, UR-42544, looking rather shabby at Lviv.
UR-46301 awaits a task.
She looks quite ‘weather-beaten’ so to speak but UR-42358 is still a proud airliner. Her last operator was Ukraine Mediterranean Airlines (UM Air).
Face to face picture directly from our Austrian arrows Fokker-100.
Colorful Airplanes have low resale value. Painting an aircraft in a color other than white can negatively affect its resale value as the buyer will have to repaint the plane which will further add more weight to the plane.
Her Rolls Royce Tay 620's singing loudly.
- The End -