Soviet Jets before the wall came down

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Member for

12 years 11 months

Posts: 390

These are photos from the late 1970s and early 1980s. They represent the final years of the Soviet jet airliners, I think. won't write a frontspiece because you guys who will be looking at this thread know more than I do about these aeroplanes. :)

There is even an Interflug IL-62M for 'InterflugIL62M'!

Sarah

IL62 Aeroflot at Heathrow
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/aviation/AeroflotIL-62cccp86464lhr82sarah.jpg

IL86 Aeroflot at Gatwick
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/aviation/AeroflotIL-86cccp86059lgw84sarah.jpg

Tupolev 134 Aeroflot landing 28Left Heathrow
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/aviation/Aeroflottu134cccp85837lhr78sarah.jpg

Tupolev 154 Aeroflot at Gatwick
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/aviation/Aeroflottu154cccp85097lgw82sarah.jpg

Tupolev 134A Aviogenex departing Gatwick
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/aviation/Aviogenextu134ayuahylgw83sarah.jpg

Tu-154 Balkan Bulgarian Airlines on the next stand to mine at Stansted when landing fees were affordable!
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/aviation/Balkantu154lzbtpstn85sarah.jpg

CSA IL-62 at Heathrow
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/aviation/CSAIL62okdbelhr83sarah.jpg

CSA Tu134A at Heathrow
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/aviation/CSAtu134aokafblhr83sarah.jpg

Cubana IL-62 at Orly
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/aviation/CUBANAIL62cu-t-1225ory83sarah.jpg

Interflug IL-62 landing at Heathrow
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/aviation/InterflugIL62DDR-SENlhr83sarah.jpg

Interflug Tu-134A departing 28R Heathrow
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/aviation/Interflugtu134aDDR-SDOlhr83sarah.jpg

LOT Polish Airlines Tu-134 departing Heathrow
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/aviation/LOTpolishTu134sp-lhelhr83sarah.jpg

Malev Hungarian Airlines Tu-134A departing Heathrow
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/aviation/Malevtu134halbplhr83sarah.jpg

Malev Hungarian Airlines Tu-154 landing at Heathrow
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/aviation/Malevtu154ha-lcolhr84sarah.jpg

Syrianair Airlines Tu-134A at Heathrow on diplomatic visit
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/aviation/SyrianAirTu134aykayblhr83sarah.jpg

TAROM IL-62 departing Heathrow in semi old livery
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/aviation/TAROMIL-62LOTyr-ireoldlhr84sarah.jpg

TAROM IL-62 in classic livery rolling on 28R
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/aviation/TAROMIL-62yr-irdlhr85sarah.jpg

TAROM Tu-154 landing on 10R at Heathrow
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/aviation/TAROMTu154yr-tpllhr83sarah.jpg

Original post

Member for

15 years 7 months

Posts: 1,707

Particularly smashing photos, VeeOne!...How did you get the low angles with the grass blades in foreground?...you shouldn't let anoraks like myself prevent you from saying what you feel about the subject :)

Member for

12 years 11 months

Posts: 390

Some of the Heathrow departure photos were taken at the fence abeam 28R (or 27R these days). You could park in a small sub-power station area and walk across the road but the fence had a central grey plastic length of material to stop drivers from watching the aeroplanes rather than the road. I was too short to see over this so I had to take the photos below it! So the grass became the foreground. I did see a man once who had a foldaway stool that he would stand upon to photograph from above this blanked out area of the fence - clever.

You guys are not anoraks to me, just enthusiasts and former airline workers and we share the same subject. I learned a lot about the subject when I did the airline history website but I cannot tell you the difference between a series 61 or a series 63 DC-8 so I guess I don't know so much after all. ;)

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 7,536

Best set of shots I have ever seen on here!

Sensational stuff... in the third, TU 134 pic, is that a Biman 707 in the background?

Member for

12 years 11 months

Posts: 390

That is very kind of you to say KabirT!

Yes it was the original Biman 707 over at PanAm maintenance. I have found an old print I took at Heathrow at the same year.

http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/aviation/Biman707olds2-acelhr83sarah.jpg

Sarah

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 2,623

Sarah

Absolutely fantastic photos, thank you so much for sharing, I really enjoyed them. Some great angles too.

Member for

12 years 11 months

Posts: 390

My pleasure... Glad you enjoyed them, Deano!

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,886

Hi Sarah, what can I say, an absolutely priceless collection! The pic of the Tu154 at STN would possibly have been taken by you on a Saturday morning. The guy in the foreground walking away from you, was a chap named Archie Tucker, who was our Ramp Supervisor in those days at Servisair. He was a very hard but fair man, but God help you if you crossed him! It looks as though he is about to go over to the aircraft to pounce on the poor Traffic Officer ramping the Balkan, and it might very well have been yours truly, as none of the other T/Os liked doing the Soviet made stuff, for parking the ramp van where you see it in your pic, this was a classic Archie no no! The 727 tail in the background may well have been one of the Aviogenex -200s, which did a an SPU-STN-SPU trip on Sat mornings. Sometimes if the SPU flight was late, it would be on the ramp with another 'Genex -200 going to Pula. I still have nightmares about Archie Tucker......happy days. Just look at that Interflug Tu134A, grey leaden skies and wet tarmac...pure cold war! Back in the 80s I was lucky enough to be sat in the nose of an Aeroflot 134A for a night time landing at LHR, when I hitched a lift on one that was positioning from ABZ to LHR, an experience I'll never forget Thanks for posting those Sarah.

Member for

12 years 11 months

Posts: 390

Hi IL62

That would be right, a Saturday, in 1985 my photo says. I flew in a Piper Archer because big airports are my love and I wanted to fly into Stansted before the landing fees went sky high (as London's 3rd airport).

We parked next to that 154 and I stuck my SLR out the storm window and took the picture. I had to go thru a small door that ran alongside a cafe area to book in and pay £23 landing fee. When I came back to the aeroplane I took these two pics.

Here is the actual Aviogenex 727 that was behind the 154. It looks like you parked the blue van next to that jet too! I guess you were not allowed to take cameras airside? Heathrow at that time was the same but I know some people snuck them in at the risk of their jobs.

http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/Aviogenex722yu-akmstn85sarah.jpg

And here is the Viscount that took the Balkan 154's stand after it had pushed back... It is not straight because I used a 200mm zoom lens thru the little pilot's storm window that the PA-28 has for no clear use. I had been cleared to the hold and was rushing the picture because I didn't want to get my wrist slapped by ATC for just sitting there.

As I recall when I was short finals I noticed the THY 707 fleet (at least 3) in the cargo/maintenance area on the far side from the pax terminal. That runway was 2 miles long and as I landed on the numbers it was a long taxy to the terminal. Great days. Sometimes I really miss fixed-wing flying.

Hope they bring back memories. :)

http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/LondonEuropeanViscount8g-londstn85sarah.jpg

Member for

14 years

Posts: 1,234

Great shots of a better time gone by.
Certainly taking me back!

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,886

I'm glad my memory hasn't totally disappeared! On Sat mornings 0600-1400, there was usually only one of us traffic officers on at a time, the late guy would start at 1400. The first job for the early guy would be to make the tea, and then see off an Air UK SD360 to AMS at 0730, which would return at about 1100. Believe it or not, back in those days, after the Balkan and the two Aviogenex flights had departed, there would be nothing else until a Spantax Coronado AGP-STN-AGP at around 1300. I think that the Viscount was operating the weekly JER-STN-JER service on behalf of BAF. There was then another long gap until an Aviaco DC8-63 came thru at around 1830. This was a flight that we shared with EDI, it would run PMI-STN-EDI-STN-PMI. There used to be a late night Sat dep to BFS with newspapers operated with a Merchantman by Air Bridge Carriers. If you were the Sat late guy, you would usually stay until the Merchantman had departed, unless the Duty Officer was in a good mood and finished the flight for you! Would I want to do all that again?........you bet!

Member for

14 years 5 months

Posts: 366

some pictures as per topic header

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/civilspotter/tupolev/Tu134CCCP-65782Aeroflot.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/civilspotter/tupolev/Tu134DDR-SCIInterflug.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/civilspotter/tupolev/Tu134HA-LBNMalev.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/civilspotter/tupolev/Tu134LZ-TUMBalkan.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/civilspotter/tupolev/Tu134OK-DFICSAII.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/civilspotter/tupolev/Tu154LZ-BTGBalkan.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/civilspotter/tupolev/Tu154BYR-TPFTarom.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/civilspotter/tupolev/Tu154CCCP-85592Aeroflot.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/civilspotter/tupolev/Tu154B-2607Xinjiang.jpg

Not long after the wall came down

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/civilspotter/tupolev/Tu154EK-85536Armenian.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/civilspotter/tupolev/Tu154UR-85482AirUkraine.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/civilspotter/tupolev/Tu1544L-85430GeorgianII.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/civilspotter/tupolev/Tu154UN-85539AeroServiceS.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/civilspotter/tupolev/Tu154ES-LTREstonian.jpg

rgds
EC

Member for

12 years 11 months

Posts: 390

Great photos EC.

I would guess a lot of the 154 pictures were after the wall came down?

What amazing liveries these new airlines used!

Here are a couple of early 1970s LOT Polish jets...

Tupolev 134 at Sofia with IL-18 behind it 1971...
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/LOToldtu134il-18sp-lgdsofia1971.jpg

Original IL-62 livery for LOT Polish Airlines Heathrow 1972
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/LOTpolisholdIL-62sp-laalhr72.jpg

Member for

13 years

Posts: 40

great thread

Member for

13 years 3 months

Posts: 110

Good evening,

Another IL-86 at Gatwick. This time CCCP-86012, seen on July 23rd, 1983.

http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/2541/19830723cccp86012.jpg

Kind regards,

Peter

Member for

20 years 6 months

Posts: 732

Here we have an Aviogenex TU134 at Manchester circa 1977..

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5242/5302946984_70dc1ba5c5_z.jpg

Early liveied LOT Tu134 again at MAN..

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5247/5302921264_920ddc100a_z.jpg

Aeroflot TU134..

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5130/5302326261_019594e33b_z.jpg

Balkan TU154..

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5129/5302352353_ab3d3393b9_z.jpg

Full shot of the LOT TU134..

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5049/5299313481_166e67cb4b_z.jpg

Member for

15 years 7 months

Posts: 1,707

Tupolev types

Tu-104 LHR 1973
http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz20/A30yoyo/Tu-104-42403-900.jpg
Tu-134 LHR 1975
http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz20/A30yoyo/Tu-134-LZ-TUE-900.jpg
Tu-144 nose-down LBG 1975
http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz20/A30yoyo/Tu-144-77144-900a.jpg
Tu-144 nose-up LBG 1975
http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz20/A30yoyo/Tu-144-77144-900b.jpg
Tu-154 Egyptair LHR 1973
http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz20/A30yoyo/Tu-154-SU-AXD-900.jpg
Tu-154 Malev LHR 1975
http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz20/A30yoyo/Tu-154-MALEV-900.jpg
Tu-154 Pulkovo LHR December 2002 from the last remaining balcony of 'Queens Building/T2 Roof Enclosure
http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz20/A30yoyo/Tu-154--PULKOVO-900.jpg

Member for

16 years 8 months

Posts: 185

This was the last Tu134 i saw. It was at the RAF Valley airshow in the mid 1990s. I guess the days of this graceful aircraft are coming to an end. Shame. As the first aircraft I ever flew on I have a soft sopt for them.

Steve

Attachments

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,886

Some great shots all round. I may very well be in the minority here, but I think that the Tu144 knocked spots of the Concorde for looks, especially in 'nose up' pose. Nicest eastern bloc livery? why, Interflug of course;)

Member for

13 years

Posts: 40

Can someone tell me its significance on latest Antonov civil jet planes

http://i55.tinypic.com/qs4kro.jpg

Member for

12 years 11 months

Posts: 390

Some great shots all round. I may very well be in the minority here, but I think that the Tu144 knocked spots of the Concorde for looks, especially in 'nose up' pose. Nicest eastern bloc livery? why, Interflug of course;)

Hey, IL62M...

Here is an Interflug aircraft I saw in a helicopter museum near Western Super Mare...

It has KA-26 on the side so I guess that means Kaman?

It is a nice livery too, white, red and cream grey.

http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab64/raggidoll/interflug.jpg