In 2019 my wife Sherry and I flew our Cirrus SR22 from Florida to Nome, Alaska. In Nome, we joined the Alaska Airmen’s Association Goodwill Flight to Provedinya Bay, located in the Chukotka district of Eastern Russia. While acquiring the necessary permits, I learned that it was possible to fly entirely across Russia. I found this astounding. For decades, the requirements to fly a private plane beyond Moscow or St. Petersburg required having a Russian speaker/navigator on board. I understood that the necessary permits were difficult to obtain and that avgas was hard to come by.
With little notice or announcements, all of this has changed. A Russian speaker is no longer required. Avgas availability has tremendously improved and, oh, by the way, “hop in your small plane, come fly around Russia; we are open for business.” Thinking about all of this for just a few seconds, I knew that I had to make this trip. Then Covid put a delay on the plan. It was not until July of 2021 the trip became possible.
Planning the route is only step one: what about avgas and ATC?
The three significant obstacles to opening Russia to foreign general aviation were language, radio coverage, and avgas. Russia has always had English speakers at its international airports and high altitude airways to handle international commercial flights. The challenge was to bring the English language to its domestic airports and the lower altitudes. Considering the vast size of the country, this was an enormous undertaking. Russian and English could not be more different; therefore, introducing English to over 8,200 air traffic controllers took a while.
Ensuring low altitude VHF radio coverage across the largest country in the world was also an enormous logistical task. Russia produces 100LL avgas in three different refineries, so it is readily available. It was just a matter of having it available at suitable locations, making it possible to cross the country. The only stop that I insisted on making that did not have avgas was Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka. The solution was shipping two 200 liter drums there, which was no problem.
Several Russian agencies have participated in opening up the country to foreign General Aviation. However, one individual that has provided the heart-beat to make it all happen is Evgeny Kabanov. Currently the Chairman of the International Tourism Committee of AOPA Russia, Evgeny’s company (MAK Aviation Services) has driven the cooperation between the various agencies. In addition, he has organized avgas availability at many airports, making it possible to easily cross the country in a piston-powered aircraft. A trip across Russia can be quickly planned by just looking at MAKgas’s fuel page. The complexities of obtaining permits, having flight plans and routings approved by the CAA and ATC are a breeze using MAKgas. Their fees are surprisingly reasonable.
A flight across Russia is as large of an undertaking as Russia itself. Consider that Russia has a landmass of 17.13 million square kilometers, almost twice the size of the US. Russia is the largest country in the world. It encompasses more than one-eighth of Earth’s inhabited land area. If you flew a great circle route from the most western border of Russia to its most eastern seashore, it would be over 5,000 miles. Russia has 11 time zones, spans two continents, borders 16 sovereign nations, and reaches almost halfway around the northern hemisphere; it is enormous.
Russia is such a vast landmass that practically flying across Russia amounts to an “an around the world” flight. Since opening to general aviation, pilots wishing to complete an “around the world” flight have found the Russian route a convenient and weather-friendly option. This route is also a much less expensive option than crossing the Middle East and Asia.
Crossing the Greenland ice sheet—not the place for ignition trouble.
My departure was from my home base in Apalachicola, Florida. The route took me to Iqaluit, Canada (CYFB), conveniently located to cross the North Atlantic. As luck would have it, the weather shut me down there for four days. Then halfway across Greenland, the electronic ignition system shut down, so another five days in Reykjavik (BIRK) waiting for parts. Two weeks in, I had not gone farther than Iceland. If there is any place to break down, Reykjavik is one of the best—it is a scenic, hip town, not to mention that Iceland has between 20 to 30 local craft breweries.
From Reykjavik, my route went to Wick, Scotland (EGPC), and then onto the first Russian stop of Pskov (ULOO). Pskov, a favorite clearing spot for ferry pilots, is a scenic town with friendly but thorough customs agents. The river Velikaya runs through Pskov, one of Russia’s oldest cities dating back to 903 AD. What a great place to get your first taste of Russian beauty and hospitality!
The next stop was Konakovo (UUEL), about 100 miles north of Moscow. Primarily a civilian helicopter field, it has a 1,950 t. runway, beautiful facilities, a five-star restaurant, hotel rooms, cabins, a lake, and an expansive children’s playground. Konakovo hosts helicopter competition events, and the club located there boasts several international awards. My hosts here were fellow Earthrounders Maxim and Natalia Sotnikov, who flew their Bell 407 around the world in 2017. They have done an excellent job of developing Konakovo, and it was one of my favorite stops.
From Konakovo, three stops were made at general aviation airports around Moscow. First was Myachkovo (UUBM) home base for the busy flight school Aero Region Training. With an impressive fleet of G1000-equipped Cessna 172s and Tecnam aircraft, they have graduated over 500 Private Pilot students in the last two years, and that’s during the pandemic. They currently have an impressive 12 instructors and approximately 60 students. I presented Carrabelle Flying Club t-shirts to two of their flight instructors. They quickly produced a bottle of Beluga vodka in exchange!
Avoiding big airline airports offered the chance to find plenty of interesting GA airports.
Next was Novinki (UUDN), probably the most excellent airport in Russia and maybe just about anywhere. The general aviation-only terminal features a restaurant, bar, pilot’s lounge with a billiards table, and hotel rooms with beautiful facilities. Novinki even has hangar homes. The piston power Cessna/Beechcraft sales and service center is selling two new aircraft every month. Notice “sales and service.” Getting service done in Russia, even on a Cirrus, was no problem. I found the facilities and maintenance technicians to be excellent throughout Russia.
Then on to Torbeevo (UUCT). Here the second largest airline in Russia, S7, has built a general aviation training center. Beautiful hangars, modern classrooms, and G1000-equipped 172s. The flight school at Torbeevo is separate from their Boeing and Airbus airline training campus located just outside of Domodedovo (UUDD). S7 happens to own the Epic Aircraft Company located in Bend, Oregon. Everyone at S7 is very proud to be involved in a US manufacturer. There are several local airplanes based here, including a new Cirrus SR22 that was parked next to an Ilyushin 11-2 Shturmovuk, fully restored to flying condition, except for the bullet hole that shot it down in 1942
To practically fly east from any of the Moscow GA airports, you generally follow the Trans-Siberian Railway. This historic railway dates back to 1916 and connects Moscow with the Russian Far East. It is the longest railway in the world, with a length of over 5,772 miles.
To follow the Trans-Siberian Railway across Russia is the flying adventure of a lifetime. Along the way, GA-friendly airports, beautiful scenic cities, five-star hotels, fantastic exotic restaurants, and friendly, helpful people are all in abundance. In addition, this is a weather-friendly route in the summer months that can be flown using VFR flight plans. Avgas is not available everywhere, but it is readily available and not an issue.
One of the stops along this route was Krasny Yar, Samara (UWWQ). Here fellow Earthrounders Sergey Alafinov and Dmitriy Sislakov greeted me and toured me through the Aero Volga faculties. Aero Volga produces amphibious seaplanes, and the current production includes the twin-engine LA-8 and the LSA Borey. Both models were flown around the world in 2018. I had the opportunity to fly a Borey with its designer Dmitriy on the Volga River. Dmitriy, an avid fly fisherman, has ensured ample space for fishing and camping gear in this beautiful flying boat. US certification is scheduled for 2021.
The hospitality from Russian GA pilots was almost overwhelming.
I tried to stay away from big airports, as one of the goals of this trip was to meet as many Russian GA pilots as possible. Most large cities along the railway have smaller airports located nearby. At almost every stop, I was greeted eagerly by Russian GA pilots. They were helpful, friendly, interested in the Cirrus, my route, and in showing me their planes. Photos, dinners, beers, and of course, vodka always followed. I cannot say enough about the generosity and hospitality that Russian pilots, mechanics, and airport workers showed me. General aviation in Russia is alive and well, welcoming pilots from anywhere in the world.
Following the railway, as I did to Vladivostok, is not the shortest route across Russia. It ends in the very southeastern part of Russia near the Chinese and North Korean borders. From Vladivostok, it’s another 2,000+ miles north with stops at Sakhalin Island, Petropavlovsk, and Anadyr, before crossing the Bering Sea to Alaska. One of the advantages of this route is that it over-flies the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Volcano National Park, one of the most spectacular flying opportunities in the world. In total, my odyssey across Russia was over 7,500 miles.
There are some differences between flying in Russia and the US. Russia has technically converted to the use of QNH from QFE. QFE provides for altitude above ground level versus sea level. I found that QFE was still in limited use, depending on the region flown in. When given QFE, I would ask for QNH, and it was provided. Altitude in meters is also sometimes used. G1000-equipped aircraft altimeters can easily be switched to meters; otherwise, having a conversion chart handy would be necessary. Transition levels for standard altimeter settings, 29.92/10.13 are generally around 7,000 ft. However, this is not the same everywhere. Usually, this is noted on the airport information page or contained in the ATIS.
Both VFR or IFR flight plans are allowed, but you must be on a flight plan. Either way, plan on routings via airways with regular position reports required. Russian databases are part of the Jeppesen International coverage. They can be purchased from Jeppesen and include four downloads. Their database does not include all Russian airports, and the coverage is generally limited to airports with instrument approaches. The Russian pilots I met all use the app Air Navigation. This app has all of the Russian airports with their associated information pages. I ran one iPad with ForeFlight and the other displaying the Air Navigation VFR display.
Active volcanoes over the Kamchatka Peninsula made for spectacular views.
Weather briefings are technically available in some places but only in Russian. You are basically on your own for the weather in Russia. I found Windy Pro, Storm Radar Premium, and ForeFlight to be the most practical for determining the weather.
Both the CAA and ATC must approve flight plans for foreign-registered aircraft. MAK Aviation Services makes all of this look easy. Their service includes having the flight plans and the routing approved, validated, and filed. The approved flight plan is then transmitted via email the night before departure. IFR and VFR flight plans require validation.
Russian entry requirements for private aircraft allow for 30 days in the country. Extensions are permitted for weather and maintenance issues. I spent 25 days and flew over 7,500 miles just crossing Russia. The country, the people, the airports, the cities, the sites, the hotels, the restaurants, and the flying experience were all beyond my expectations. While visiting some of the smaller Siberian towns, I was stopped several times by people wanting a picture with me. They had never seen an American before. One waiter asked me if I could show him some American money. “One day,” he said, “one day I will go to America.” It was the trip of a lifetime.
Flying across Russia does not require any additional fuel tanks or special avionics. Communications across some areas of Russia are somewhat limited below 10,000 ft. Although not required, I found a satphone to be a convenient device and prefer the Iridium GO. This device, operated through an app and paired to a headset, makes it possible to make and receive calls over the headset. Survival equipment similar to that typically carried for flights to the remote areas of Alaska and Canada is also recommended.
Crossing from Anadyr, Chukotka to Nome, Alaska, the airway follows a route that allows for the shortest overwater time of the Bering Sea, 63 miles. This route passes over the Diomede Islands (Big Diomede in Russia, Little Diomede in the US). The distance between them: 2.6 miles. 2.6 miles separate these two great countries.
Following is a list of my airport stops in Russia:
Russia and the United States are separated by just 2.6 miles.
UULO: Pskov
UUEL: Konakovo
UUBM: Myachkovo
UUDN: Novinki
UUTC: Torbeevo
UWTK: Karaishevo, Kazan
UWWQ: Krasny Yar, Samara
UNCC: Gorodskoy, Novosibirsk
UNKK: Krasnoyarsk Severny
UIII: Ulan Ude
UHBB: Blagoveshchensk
UHHS: Kalinka, Kharbarovsk
UHWW: Vladivostok
UHSS: Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
UHPP: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka
UHMA: Anadyr
Any long-range international trip requires much planning and preparation. This is undoubtedly true in planning a flight across Russia and around the world. However, in the words of French author and Nobel winner Andre Gide, “The drawback to a journey that has been too well-planned is that it does not leave enough room for adventure.”
Russian Flying Resources:
- The European “28 Day Holiday License” - September 11, 2023
- Flying for Ukraine Air Rescue—small planes, big mission - August 29, 2022
- Flying a Cirrus VFR across Russia - November 1, 2021
Incredible, thank you so much for posting such a detailed trip report. It sounds like the trip of a lifetime!
Hey John, Great to hear about your fantastic adventure and great writing! Glad to hear you are still enjoying flying!! Thanks for sharing a really interesting story!!
Thanks for the note Cal. Apparently there is no vaccination for the flying bug so still out there….
Hah hah!! Nope; no vaccine. In the language of the day, the flying bug is “endemic.”
Hello. The great couple from Argentina gave me this link. I am prepping my 59 bonanza for a rtw. I live in Pensacola and would love to come over and talk to you in person.
Interesting. I flew across 5 states here in the USA on a bright sunny Sunday, totally VFR, and our airports resembled a morgue. CTAF frequency silent, hangar doors closed, no airplanes on the tie downs, none in the pattern, or even flying for that matter. Had I not made my fuel stop at an airport with an FBO, I doubt I would have seen anyone. Much less interact with an actual human. Perhaps we could learn a thing or 2 from the Russians….
Fantastic John. What did you have for fuel tanks, and what were your stops accross the Atlantic? Also, did your wife Sherry go on the Russian trip, or were you alone?
Thanks
Lee DeRosa
Hey Lee,
I had a 63 gallon Turtlepack mounted on the back seat for the purpose of overflying Greenland, which was locked down due to Covid when I crossed. You can do this trip without any extra tanks or a HF radio. Would need to make just a few more stops than I did. Alex Gronberger and Martine Kist were just a few weeks in back of me in their SR22 with no additional tanks.
My North Atlantic Routing was: CYFB-BIRK-EGPC.
I went solo on this trip but wished that I had taken Sherry as it is a great couples trip. In fact we are planning the trip again this time together.
What a wonderful and interesting story! Thank you!
WOW impressive I just started my flying at age 66 and hope I can solo soon LOL!
I love to see the younger guys getting into flying! I was 65 when I got my CFI. Canadian Fred Lasby holds the record of the oldest to solo around the world at 82 in his Comanche. You’ve go a long ways to go.
Very encouraging, thanks!
I had my first solo at 18 (Blanik gliders) and since 2000’s did not fly solo at all. Hoping to gather the energy and get the PPL & IFR certification within the next 2 or 3 years… at the age of, now, 55) :)
Thank you for a fun and comprehensive article on flying in Russia.
Brilliant article. I am planning a trip around NE Australia. Russia might be my next. Thanks. Duncan
Very inspiring, John! Great to see that that Russia is developing the necessary systems to support VFR travel, and its growing GA sector. Very much appreciate all the practical and personal detail!
Fantastic write-up John. Loved flying with you in Knoxville. This is definitely on my list of adventures. Thanks for the groundbreaking work.
Hey Mark,
Hope that you are enjoying your new Cirrus. I hope that the article will inspire you to launch on your own adventure.
John
Is it possible to hire a GA aircraft in Russia to do such a trip rather than necessarily flying from
one’s home Country there.
Send a WhatsApp message to Andrew Melnikov at +7 923 775-45-15. He can probably figure this out. Great guy, speaks English, has a nice fleet of 172’s, flight school, air tours, etc.
Hi John,
I‘ve been dreaming of this kind of trip over Russia since tens of years. This year I found out about MAC. When I contacted them I got a very helpful, instant and comprehesive reply. So I‘m in the planning now. Could you please get me an approximate range for the cost of your tour? Many thanks, Sven.
My cost for all fees and fuel for 16 stops and 7,500 miles was about 20K. That does not include hotels, meals and transport. Makgas will give you a breakdown of all fees and fuel in advance so that you can plan accordingly to budget, time and where you want to stop.
Many thanks John, helps me really a lot!
And it‘s very reasonable too as you had mentioned.
I hope to take my T182T next summer on this trip.
Wow! What an awesome trip. It would be great to include this in a global flight trips website with all sorts of supporting links and resources. I am doing some of that for domestic US routes. A fun one can be found at RockRiverTrail.com where I sponsored an aviation route addition to one of the US National Water Trails. After that I did the Mississippi from 70 miles out in the Gulf up to its headwaters and shot pictures along the way. Loads of great stops on that route too. I notice another pilot heading for Australia (I did New Zealand several years back). How wonderful to have pilot ambassadors all around the world. If you get a chance, pick up a copy of “Flying with a Dragon on our tail” about the 1987 Paris-Pekin-Paris Air Race by Lund-Bell and Bell; graduates from my High School who also set the bar high for adventure.
Very interesting Edmonds, Will take a look at all of this. Many thanks
Great report. Can you list the taxes and fees along the way? If you want a chase plane on your second trip I would love to follow in my TRg182.
Andrew: I am similarly piqued a the prospect and also have a lovely 1980 TR182. Let me know what you learn.
Fees are based on total mileage flown in Russia and the number of stops made. Some airports are expensive others are not, just depends on where you want to stop. I made 16 stops and flew around 7,500 miles. The total cost for all fees AND FUEL was about 20K. Makgas will give you a cost breakdown in advance of the flight which includes all fees and fuel. This is paid in advance so all you pay for while in the country is hotel, meals and transport. It’s a very convenient set up.
Well, I guess I need to get out a pen and add something to what was my shrinking bucket list!
Great stuff John! Thanks for the story, information and inspiration. I’m expecting delivery of a new motor-glider in Germany next year and had been contemplating a Wick-Iceland-Greenland crossing but ultimately decided shipping it to California would be the less adventurous but more realistic option. I had thought crossing Russia to the Bering Strait would be too much red tape, language and logistics hassle but you’ve made me think again. Much appreciated!
John,
Truly amazing update of your continued adventures. You have inspired so many. I’m now working on my CFI in a Cirrus SR 20 largely because of you and your continued exploits! Keep it up, my fellow Delta B777 retiree. Don Ralph
Thanks for the note General. I remember entering CFI school after retiring from the airline. I was shocked at how much I did not know…
Hope that enjoy your next aviation career. This would be number three?
Great story on the Russia flight John. I’d better not try that in my 172.
Our new control tower opens 11-17-2021 @ 0700. Come visit us.
Your neighbor to the west right up the beach.
Vic Roberts
Chairman Airport Authority, KJKA Gulf Shores, AL
You would not be the first 172 to make this trip: Check out Travis Ludlow trip at: aroundtheworldsolo.uk.
Thank you for sharing! What an awesome trip!! With your vast aviation background, I can see why this trip was not intimidating and It’s great that you are teaching and encouraging others to enjoy flying. Very encouraging that Russia is opening up to foreign pilots and allowing capitalism to take root.
Heuuuu? WOWWWWW!!! And I thought I was adventurous having completed 5 Atlantic crossings in my own Cirrus! I am absolutely blown away by your trip, and the mega general aviation cultural changes in Russia! That’s it, you sold me! I am doing this trip next year! Thank you so much for your amazing report, and all the details! Apalachicola is super quaint and, a cross country trip to Pensacola or Tampa, just great, but I am with you, the Cirrus is an awesome machine to go explore the world! Congratulations and thank you again for an amazing and super original report!
Wonderful John, beautiful writing with simple and clear description of the parcour you followed.
I wonder about the weather in this summer over Russia, how was it? Also where did you do your oil changes…
I’m doing this winter my biannual pilgrimage to the Chilean Patagonia, but your trip and lovely story definitely hooked me to switch for atw via Russia in 2023.
Thanks a million buddy!
July is rather hot in Russia, June and Aug/Sept might be the best months. Cessna Service Centers that I know of are located at UUBM and UNKK but there are probably others. There is also a small maintenance shop at UNCC that I used to change my oil. In general, maintenance services are available at most GA airports. Evegeny Kabanov at makgas.com can set this up for you in advance. You might want to take some spare oil filters but oil is readily available.
If only the courtesies extended to you had been offered to the late actress/private pilot
Susan Oliver who flew a single engine plane across the Atlantic in 1967 with the
intention of landing in Moscow. Sadly, her plane was denied entrance to U.S.S.R.
after she set down in Denmark.
Interesting for two of us were arrested in Provedenya Bay twenty and a bit years ago on the way from Vancouver to Yuzhno Sakhalinsk via over the top sort of on a ferry flight in a corporate turbo prop. The commandant’s mother in law had been visiting Providenya and overstayed her welcome by about a fortnight because of bad weather so he wasn’t a happy man and took umbrage with us for whatever reason so we were stuck because the navigator who was to accompany us and who had the charts and the roubles wasn’t there either because of that same bad weather. I was based in Russia but my grasp of the language wasn’t all that good so through a border guard I suggested that we might resolve the MIL problem by making a donation of some crisp USD to their favourite charity and taking MIL on her way. I suddenly became the most popular aviator of the day and enquired where he wanted MIL taken. The reply was “anywhere, I don’t care.” We loaded MIL on board the corporate gin palace and there she sat in some splendour reminiscent of a mouldy bear in her furs or possibly a wolf on stilts. Off we went to Anadyr and rid ourselves of MIL and when the question of the navigator arose my reply of –that bloke has a girl at every airport in Siberia– plus another few crisp USD notes for their favourite charity saw us on our way. Working on the principle that only decent people would be transferred to the backblocks of Siberia we went “bush” all the way down to Magadan and thence home without further let or hindrance. I made small donations of more crisp USD to the people in the outback places and so arrived home to my wife with a set of reindeer antlers, it’s cured hide, a good few kilos of salted smoked salmon plus some jars of caviar. The aviation man in Moscow ‘phoned me, congratulated me for doing what I did without a navigator, breaking all the rules, and finished with –don’t do it again–
During 2019 my wife and I, both septuagenarian pilots, flew our PA24 from New Zealand round the world in fifty flights. On our way north, initially to Alaska, we traversed the Russian Far East from Japan to Anadyr then over to Nome. Like yourself, that glimpse of Russia exceeded expectations and prompted a decision to reroute by flying from Europe across Russia to Vladivostok before heading back down-under. Evgeny and MAK made everything happen without a hiccup. Should the opportunity arise we would again not hesitate to fly Russia. http://www.bazflyer.com
I will not be flying across Russia, but thanks to your article, I’ve done my armchair Flight planning for Russia. Makes one enjoyable afternoon.