Hurrah! I have survived!! (Aeroflot)

Member Name: Kayah

Product:	Aeroflot
Date:	21/12/00 (497 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: very cheap

Disadvantages: maaaany

There is still a great difference between the flights in foreign countries and the flight in Russia.
At foreign countries flights they must be able to produce a certain safety to e.g. be allowed to land in Europe at all.

It becomes more interesting at inland flights. You really play russian roulette with your life there.
At the inland flights there are often twin-engined Tupolews which aren't produced for 35 years any more.
The servicemen get no more spare parts, so they had to improvise.
Unfortunately, you can see the improvisation .

I have got two pen-friends (one in Moscow, the other one in St.Petersburg).
I decided to visit the two girls within two weeks. From Duesseldorf to Moscow and from St. Petersburg back to Germany I flew with Lufthansa (good airline company, this is however another topic). Unfortunately, you don't have the great choice in Russia. From Moscow to St. Petersburg I had to fly with Aeroflot.

The flight with Aeroflot was an adventure and which isn't suitable for people with a heart complaint.

At the airport Scheremetjewor Dwa in Moscow we had to walk to our plane, because they had not enough busses for all passengers. We fairly often had crossways traffic of busses, suitcase freight cars and other vehicles, too.
A Russian said, that last year only 8 people were run over by busses and there would be much more dangerous things in Russia. I was then calmed, however.

The outer skin of the aeroplane only consisted of patches. Inside it looked like a bad example as you shouldn't form an airplane from inside. The purchases of the seats had various colors.

You couldn't move yourself any more so that if you has caught a seat in lying position, you had to eat in this lying position.

I usually pack my light baggage above the seats in a small baggage storage which can be locked. But this baggage storage was full of garbage of the predecessor a
nd old newspapers. Well, I placed my baggage under the seat, which was only possible, because there was no life preserver under the seat.

Seat belts didn't work and also the necessary little warning lamps.

I wouldn't eat anything or do you want to try out how much the stomach can bear in extreme situations?

The toilets were closed from the beginning, because somebody had forgotten to fill up fresh water. The stewardess said, that would be no problem, because the flight was short.
O.K.
I thought that I have still a puking bag but I didn't found one.
No, natural not, as also the whole safety equipment. It was not a surprise!

The airplane also seemed to have been no longer quite thick; you had to fight with the pressure balance.

Entertainment on Board? No televsion, no radio, but many old newspapers.

The landing still has to be mentioned here.
Before the pilot try to land, he takes the airport into the visor. The nose of the airplane follows around 45 degrees below (oh, my stomach). At the last moment he put the plane into the horizontal line and then the plane "fall". It is a hard landing. You feel all yours bones.

I asked the stewardess where the pilot has learned to fly. She responded: "airforce ". Everything is clear!
When I finally got out of the machine, I wanted to kiss the floor like the pope! Nasdarowje!

Summary: