Hello, dear readers,
Helsinki it is right now, but hopefully not that long!:
Thanx to once again:
http://www.gcmap.com/
Sunday, 01.09.2013
HEL (Helsinki-Vantaan Lentoasema)
KBP (Міжнародний аеропорт Бориспіль Boryspil International Airport)
Service PS 152 operated by Ukraine International Airlines
Scheduled: 15.55 // 18.00
Here we see the actual visited countries:
VISITED COUNTRIES auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen
And the Tripreporter 2013 data so far:
TRIPREPORTER 2013 auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen
Well some 200 visited airports:
Visited airports auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen
And the new entries:
Visited Airports II auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen
Well, just a bit more details now.
Blue 1 flights coming in at terminal 1, UIA departures are from terminal 2.
OLCI is on offer 23 hours prior to departure, nice, isn´t it?.
But not ex HEL!.
The plane is on the apron, waiting for me, hopefully and I´am not checked-in till now.
Lot´s of asian pax in the terminal, not to talk about the upcoming passport check and security
This ticket is also confirmed by Tripsta, the fare 130.00 Euro´s.
Powerwalking and no one else to see at check-in. Where the nice young woman confirmed what I´ve expected. No more window seats available, just an aisle in the rear cabin, ok.
Go to gate 37A is my first view on the screen, not far from boarding, no time for any lounging here by the way
A good number of people around the gate. Just to confirm what the nice woman told me, a full flight it is.
The first bus is gone, the second is loading it´s human cargo right now. There is another nice young woman, should I go more often to Finland?, working the gate, we talked a bit and she confirmed, there is a third bus waiting with not all checked-in pax here right now, so it seems.
She called, she called and she called again, but there are still some pax missing.
Strange, no OLCI, no codeshare on offer, how is it possible to got lost from the manual check-in till here?.
You know, she had the very same impression.
But she also confirmed that this is not the first time with things like this on these special service.
Finally two or three pax more showed up, an elder couple who doesn´t speak a single english word so it looks like.
He is tattooed and well prepared Ukrainian style, vodka it smells like, for a flight in this direction.
And it seems we have the very same thoughts right now.
She called the apron, baggage offloading and the bus runs
for this one.
"UR-NTD" is an Antonov An148-100, easy to check, the very first time for me on this type.
There is no individual name to see.
The first flight is noticed at 13.01.2011 and more than a year later, at 24.04.2012 it is delivered to Ukraine International Airlines.
This is also no. 4 only on the production list from the huge number of 17 by now at all.
16 are still more or less around and one is written off.
There is also a story to tell:
http://avherald.com/h?article=45b238f2&opt=0
And just to let you know how close this call was to catch the Antonov with UIA.
By now with no obvious reason, all the UIA Antonov´s are parked and out of service.
Boarding, ok and lucky me, there is a young woman with a baby in an aisle seat in the close to last row with the middle seat and window open. Well, it is possible?. It is, 14E for me in the end and that´s really a window!.
By the way, seating is 2/3
4.20 pm, 25 minutes late and 2.00 hours to go by "Ukraine International" from the 3060 meters runway "Two-Two-Right". 16 cloudy degrees and leaving the
"Helsinki-Vantaan Lentoasema" right now.
No comment at all from the first row.
Antonov style cruising
Cabin crew is two female FA´s, one elder and ok blonde and one middle aged, black hair, ok, too. There are also two technicians on board, you never know, isn´t it?.
No route or flightlevel info.
The safetycard and the magazine
Cabin and seat details, mixed blue grey leather, clean so far but low legroom
Service is a sandwich together with water and juice for free.
Everything else, for example the tough stuff for the guys to keep their level is on sale!.
Looks like modern, isn´t it?
Service and the well loaded cabin. Very close to 100%, VFR travellers on the way
Should I do it?
Approaching with some heavy thunderstorm clouds around.
No, that´s not exactly what I´am looking for
Above the river "Dnjepr"
Don´t get me wrong, it´s just to compare my impression with the modern style western planes where everything feels like smooth. For example when they fly a curve there is to start the curve, sometimes you don´t even noticed it, the curve itself and calm to level off the plane again.
Here it feels much more like a roller coaster ride, go straight, for the curve from one second to the other and level off from one second to the other again.
Well, it seems that´s Ukrainian style!
Finals above the flat lands
Touchdown at the 4000 meters "Three-Six-Right". 40 minutes late in the end, 24 degrees, dry but don´t forget the thunderstorms around.
And welcome to "Міжнародний аеропорт Бориспіль" or also "Boryspil International Airport"
With the place to park beside these companion
Looks like really good, isn´t it?
Bye now, for sure a special experience
Once again, maybe?
The final views
Immigration is a swift affair, just to catch one more stamp in my passport and out for the public.
I´ve decided to stay at the Raziotel Kiev, located in between the airport and the city, close to "Boryspilska", how I like these name, it sounds so russian to me, but wait this is the Ukraine, metro station.
Nice contact with the hotel offered me a free airport pickup.
Well, confirmed without any further time to discuss.
Special it was, we agreed that I call the hotel as soon as I´am out in the public. What is also this time much faster than they expected, no luggage to catch, prepared for immigrations, ok not everytime, but this time again.
Private cars are not allowed to stop curbside, I´ve called, the hotel lady shows me the car type, a white Renault Kangoo, the plate and I should wave as soon as I see the car driving by.
Well, it works, a young guy picked me up and not that long thereafter I´am at the hotel, welcomed by a nice young woman and also the requested top level room is ready
Everything clean and well maintained.
There is no time to lose, isn´t it?.
Onwards for the metro and the neverending escalators. Kiew is one of these cities with deep down metro stations.
"Arsenalna" is one of the lowest around the world at all
Up again at "Teatralna".
Is it really that close to christmas or simply the standard here?
Well, it looks like really nice, everything illuminated
And the "Khreshchatyk Boulevard" is closed for public traffic, for sure a good idea
This is the "Maidan"
With a view around
Yes, that looks like nice
Up for the "Golden Gate" and "Zoloti Vorota" station
Well refurbished
Deep down again
And also in Kiew, it´s necessary to catch just a couple of hours to sleep till some more flights. Dreaming of Antonov planes and things like this....
Here are the conclusions:
1.)Cimber STR-CPH: A calm late morning as it should be.
2.)Blue 1 CPH-HEL: Smooth riding on this special plane type.
3.)UIA HEL-KBP: For sure an extraordinary experience.
до тих пір,
take care.
The TRIPREPORTER
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