Eastern Bloc Operators

[WileyCoyote]

Hey Guys
Anyone know of companies a guy could get on with operating eastern bloc aircraft? I think it would be pretty sweet and interesting exercising some of those Ruskie beauties... Or am I out of luck and most favor eastern aircrew?
Thanks!!

[gabo]

I think the only places those planes operate are in the Eastern Block or in Africa.

[longjon]

Can you live on $500 a month and a bottle of Vodka a day?

[AlphaSierra]

Do you have a deathwish? Flying old USSR equipment anywhere is dangerous. There's a reason why Aeroflot flies Boeings and Airbuses!

[modi13]

Can you live on $500 a month and a bottle of Vodka a day?

That's what instructors make here anyway, less the bottle of vodka.

[KK7]

I have worked with some of these folks in Africa, and all I can say is pick your operator very wisely. They generally don't make big bucks, except for a few. I met some Georgians flying CRJ-100s for a Georgian company and they seemed to be doing okay. Others have pretty poor living conditions and unfavourable rotations. You're probably only talking about fixed wing, but from what I see of the rotary guys they require extremely high experience, probably so they can continue to fly well after several shots of vodka.

Seriously though, there are good operators and very bad operators, so do your research and pick very wisely.

[flyinggreasemonkey]

Can you live on $500 a month and a bottle of Vodka a day?

That's what instructors make here anyway, less the bottle of vodka.

LOL I was going to say less the $500...

[LegoMan]

I have friend working as an ops manager for Volga-Dneper and he told me captains on the IL-76 are making between $64,000-$80,000/yr on a heavy jet! And you guys thought you had it bad here.

[Jim la Jungle]

Hi,

I wonder how that salary would compare to other jobs in Russia. Being an emerging and developping country, one would not expect high wages. Maybe it would pay more working for a foreing company operating in Russia.

I have talked to a young TU-22 Backfire co-pilot on a train to Moscow, and he was surprised that I could live off my King Air pay. I think he was working at another job to make ends meet. Quite shocking. Aeroflot seems to pay well from what I gather. My friend's father is a retired captain and seems to be living comfortably.

It is a country where you can buy a pack of cigarettes for 1$ for top brands and 25 cents for cheap ones. So maybe the 80k something salary is not that bad. Smokes, vodka and some shashlik is all you need!

It is certainly a challenging place to live. I would make sure to be paid well before working there. Also, learning the language is top priority if you don't want to loose your hair.

Anybody have first hand experience over there?

[hawker driver]

I spent almost 5 years flying and working in Eastern Europe, and might be able to answer a few of your questions. First of all I was working there just when all of the JAA licensing was getting started, so I got around that requirement.

Secondly there are just as many scum bag operators there as there are in Canada.
At my first employer there I was promised 1000 DM ( $500US) per month but rarely saw over $400 flying a LET410 for a charter company flying pax/cargo. I left when I found a job working as an operations manager for another cargo operator who was leasing an AN26 from the Ukraine. The aircraft came with a full crew ( Captain, Co-pilot, Navigator, Flight Engineer and Radio operator a total of 5 in the cockpit!!!!) they also sent 2 mechanics. My job was to be the baby sitter and make sure everyone was sober before the flights. (attached are some of the photos) I learned a lot from those guys like, vodka can accompany breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The lease price for the An26, Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) was $275 per hour. We paid for the fuel and room and board for the crew. I did quotes and was the “bag man” on some flight. (A bag man in case you are unfamiliar is the guy who carries the bag of cash to pay for fuel and airport fees.) One is needed when you don’t trust giving the crew who earn $300 per month $50,000 US in cash.

I eventually started flying another LET410 for another company that had a UPS feeder contract and stayed there for a while making $ 1200 US per month. When the excitement of my European adventure started to dry up I returned back to North America to continue living the dream.

[hawker driver]

Some photos of the LET410

[modi13]

What's the thing beneath the compass in the second photo that looks like a giant View-Master?

[hawker driver]

What's the thing beneath the compass in the second photo that looks like a giant View-Master?

That's the weather radar. Who needs a gain control when you can just put a periscope in the cockpit.
Another interesting thing is in the cockpit photo of the LET410, above the warning panel. There is a visor that is used at night to dim the lights.

[KK7]

I think there is a guy there smoking a cigarette in the cabin right next to a fuel drum? Seen russian crews having beers with breakfast - while in uniform prior to heading to the airport, seen moonshine being made in the back of an airplane... always amazing how these guys can do this, fly intoxicated, fly a half working machine over loaded and most of the time make it from point A to B... In all honesty, these must be amazing pilots.

Nice photo hawker driver, I really enjoyed them! Sounds like quite the adventure.

[hawker driver]

I think there is a guy there smoking a cigarette in the cabin right next to a fuel drum? .

It was a drum of oil.

Another thing I learned flying there is when the cockpit ashtray is full with the butts of two packs of cigarettes you just have to hold the ashtray close to the storm window and crack it just 1 cm and the contents of the ashtray will be sucked out the window.
( I do not smoke but have breathed in the second hand smoke from many packs of cigarettes in the cockpit)

[KK7]

Hehe, I'm not saying that the smoking next to a fuel or oil drum is bad, just an observation of something you'd never see over here in a photo!

[LegoMan]

The wages are low in Russia, the salaries for professional businessmen are high. There is a flood of new millionaires all of which have gotten rich by owning their own business. Moscow is now the most expensive city in the world to live in but dont expect to be living and flying out of Moscow. Unless you speak russian and can read the instruments, all in russian you will most likely find yourself flying in Africa if you want to fly these types of jets.

[Jim la Jungle]

Nice pictures Hawker Driver. The ones with the guys smoking is quite typical. Smoking has to be done with style! Were you there in the 90's or more recently?
It's not easy to find operators there that hire expats.

Happy holidays

[DAVE THE RAVE]

It's also a case of where you are looking in the eastern Block aswell. Some of the "Old Eastern Block" countries are now integrated into the European Union. An EU passport is almost essential. Also, most of the countries are JAA, or near JAA approved. So the same hoops to jump through for a UK licence would be the same. As for anywhere outside the EU or JAA I wouldn't have a clue.

[hawker driver]

Interesting article about the need for pilots in Russia

http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20101208/161692191.html