Bluegrass Airlines

September 2005

Flying the Trans-Siberian Express by John Lawler

Although the modern Trans-Siberian Express runs from Moscow to Vladivostok, this set of flights does the thing properly by starting at St Petersburg and following (more-or-less) the course of the railway to “the Lord of the East”. Please fly the Ilyushin IL-14. The total distance involved is over 4500nm (flying time about 27-28 hours).

All the airfields and navigation beacons used are in the default FS9, which, however omitted many of the ILS approaches – download cisils04.zip or cis_ils04.zip for them. If you want to do more Russian flightsimming I can also recommend:- rusnew.zip (added some missing airports to FS2002), and rap2004u-1.zip & ra2004u2.zip makes “rusnew” useable in FS9. All these addons are small, freeware, and can be found on www.avsim.com and/or www.flightsim.com .

CIS countries (and China) use a metric system of flight levels. A sample is quoted below for anyone who would like to use them:-

Eastbound: 900m - 1500m – 2100m – 2700m – 3300m – 3900m

(3000’ 4900’ 6900’ 8900’ 10800’ 12800’)

Westbound: 1200m – 1800m – 2400m – 3000m – 3600m – 4200m

(3900’ 5900’ 7900’ 9800’ 11800’ 13800’)

Russia is largely flat - using the FS9 default mesh you are unlikely to see any hills before Krasnoyarsk, or collide with any hills anywhere on the route at 4900’ (6900’ is definitely safe).

Before starting, please take some time to visit the beautiful city of St Petersburg (called (1) Petrograd (2) Leningrad in Soviet times), which was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great as his “Window on the West” after Russia acquired a Baltic coastline. There are many fine buildings, including the Hermitage Museum. Take a walk along the Nevsky Prospekt to admire the sights, and if you’ve only got time to visit one museum, perhaps it should be the Railway Museum, which was established in 1809, 28 years before Russia had it’s first working train!

1^st leg: St Petersburg – Moscow (342.8nm)

Dep Pulkovo (ULLI) 79’ asl

Rwy 10L 10842’x230’ concrete ILS/GC 110.50

Rwy 28R 10842’x230’ concrete ILS/GS 111.30

Rwy 10R 12486’x197’ concrete ILS/GS 111.90

Rwy 28L 12486’x197’ concrete ILS/GS 108.90

Chudovo (UD) ndb 940.0 126deg 58.8nm

Pochinok (DB) ndb 375.0 119deg 133.8nm

Tver (KU) ndb 449.0 143deg 59.9nm

Buzharovo (AR) ndb 1080.0 139deg 60.2nm

Vnukovo(Moscow) (G) ndb 595.0 140deg 28.0nm

Arr Vnukovo (UUWW) 051deg 1.8nm 685’asl

Rwy 2 9705’x197’ concrete ILS/GC 111.50

Rwy 20 9705’x197’ concrete ILS/GS 111.70

Rwy 6 9444’x197’ concrete ILS/GS 108.90

Rwy 24 9444’x197’ concrete ILS/GS 111.10

Moscow’s too big a city to explore on this trip but don’t miss out on visiting Comrade Lenin at Red Square, and take 2-3 hours out for a banya at the extremely elegant Sandunovskiye Baths.

2^nd leg: Moscow – Nizhny-Novgorod (228.2nm)

Dep Vnukovo (UUWW) 685’ asl

Rwy 2 9705’x197’ concrete ILS/GC 111.50

Rwy 20 9705’x197’ concrete ILS/GS 111.70

Rwy 6 9444’x197’ concrete ILS/GS 108.90

Rwy 24 9444’x197’ concrete ILS/GS 111.10

Maryino (RW) ndb 493.0 070deg 32.4nm

Larionovo (DB) ndb 478.0 058deg 51.7nm

Krasnaya Gorbatka (CW) ndb 485.0 087deg 72.4nm

Strigino (N) ndb 1030.0 139deg 70.4nm

Arr Strigino (UWGG) 002deg 1.3nm 255’ asl

Rwy 18R 9270’x148’ concrete ILS/GS 109.90

Rwy 36L 9270’x148’ concrete ILS/GS 109.50

Nizhny-Novgorod, on the River Volga, is Russia’s third largest city. It has always been a major trade town, but it is also heavily industrialized. In the 19^th century, it was said that “St Petersburg is Russia’s head, Moscow’s it’s heart, but Nizhny-Novgood is it’s wallet”. Under the Soviets, it was called Gorky, after one of it’s greatest sons, and was for a long time closed to foreigners. The dissident writer Andrei Sakharov was exiled here and his flat is now a museum. For a fine view of the City visit the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael.

3^nd leg: Nizhny-Novgorod – Perm (423.7nm)

Dep Strigino (UWGG) 255’ asl

Rwy 18R 9270’x148’ concrete ILS/GS 109.90

Rwy 36L 9270’x148’ concrete ILS/GS 109.50

Nizhny Novgorod (UV) ndb 676.0 001deg 2.8nm

Sharanga (RZ) ndb 643.0 046deg 104.6nm

Mendeleyevo (MN) ndb 940.0 061deg 277.6nm (some DR required)

Perm (BK) ndb 705.0 105deg 35.5nm

Arr Bolshoye Savino (USPP) 033deg 3.0nm 403’ asl

Rwy 3 8413’x164’ asphalt ILS/BC 109.90

Rwy 21 8413’x164’ asphalt ILS/GS 109.90

Perm (Soviet name Molotov, after the politician and/or the cocktail) is another industrial city, and is best thought of as the inspiration for the city that Chekhov’s “Three Sisters” wanted to leave. Pasternak wrote “Doctor Zhivago” here, and there is a good art gallery and the Sergei Diagilev Musuem (for ballet fans). It is said to be possible to get a good pizza.

4^th leg: Perm – Yekaterinburg (175.6nm)

Arr Bolshoye Savino (USPP) 403’ asl

Rwy 3 8413’x164’ asphalt ILS/BC 109.90

Rwy 21 8413’x164’ asphalt ILS/GS 109.90

Kukushtan (KT) ndb 672.0 122deg 22.2nm

Bisert (BI) ndb 435.0 106deg 95.9nm

Yekaterinburg (EL) ndb 786.0 083deg 54.6nm

To Koltsovo (USSS) 079deg 2.9nm 764’ asl

Rwy 8L 8010’x148’ asphalt ILS/BC 110.50

Rwy 26R 8010’x148’ asphalt ILS/GS 110.50

Rwy 8R 9877’x174’ concrete ILS/GS 109.90

Rwy 26L 9877’x174’ concrete ILS/GS 109.50

Congratulations – we are now in Asia, having crossed the Ural Mountains (or to be precise, flown through a very large gap in them). Yekaterinburg was founded in 1702 as a mining settlement, and became a major industrial city which expanded greatly during WWII. It is better known as the place where the Russian Royal family were slaughtered in July 1918 (between 1924 and 1991 the city was named Sverdlovsk, after one of the killers). There are a number of good museums – Case 13 in the Miltaary History Museum contains fragment’s of Gary Power’s U2 spy plane.

5^th leg: Yekaterinburg – Omsk (455.7nm)

Dep Koltsovo (USSS) 764’ asl

Rwy 8L 8010’x148’ asphalt ILS/BC 110.50

Rwy 26R 8010’x148’ asphalt ILS/GS 110.50

Rwy 8R 9877’x174’ concrete ILS/GS 109.90

Rwy 26L 9877’x174’ concrete ILS/GS 109.50

Yekaterinburg (KU) ndb 370.0 077deg 2.9nm

Tyumen (QF) ndb 315.0 064deg 149.0nm

Ishim (OL) ndb 615.0 102deg 148.3nm

Omsk (TK) ndb 332.0 104deg 152.0nm

Arr Tsentralny (UNOO) 247deg 3.4nm 311’ asl

Rwy 7 8240’x148’ asphalt ILS/GS 108.30

Rwy 25 8240’x148’ asphalt ILS/GS 110.10

Somewhere between Yekaterinburg and here we crossed into Siberia. Omsk was founded as a Cossack outpost and progressed to being a dumping ground for exiles. There are some nice parks and Dostoeyevsky wrote “Buried Alive in Siberia” here. Enough said.

6^th leg: Omsk – Novosibirsk (323.4nm)

Dep Tsentralny (UNOO) 311’ asl

Rwy 7 8240’x148’ asphalt ILS/GS 108.30

Rwy 25 8240’x148’ asphalt ILS/GS 110.10

Omsk (TK) ndb 332.0 067deg 3.4nm

Barrabinsk (QF) ndb 965.0 070deg 169.9nm

Novosibirsk (NSK) vor/dme 113.30 088deg 205.3nm

Arr Tolmachevo (UNNT) 060deg 0.5nm 364’ asl

Rwy 7 11661’x197’ asphalt ILS/GS 110.10

Rwy 25 11661’x197’ asphalt ILS/GS 108.50

Founded in 1893 as a railway station, Novonikolaevsk (renamed Novosibirsk in 1925) prospered from being between the coal fields of eastern Siberia and the mineral mines of the Urals. There is a fine Opera House and Ballet Theatre, and some beautiful churches. It’s also said to be the best place in Siberia for eating out – try Planet Sushi, Fei Lun, the Balkan Grill or the Mexico Kafe.

7^th leg: Novosibirsk – Krasnoyarsk (362.4nm)

Dep Tolmachevo (UNNT) 364’ asl

Rwy 7 11661’x197’ asphalt ILS/GS 110.10

Rwy 25 11661’x197’ asphalt ILS/GS 108.50

Zaeltsovsky (PG) ndb 860.0 054deg 9.6nm

Tomsk (TX) ndb 380.0 036deg 107.5nm

Achinsk (CZ) ndb 420.0 083deg 181.4nm (some DR required)

Krasnoyarsk (AJ) ndb 113.20 088deg 60.0nm

Arr Krasnoyarsk (UNKL) 103deg 3.9nm 942’ asl

Rwy 11L 6214’x105’ asphalt ILS/BC 110.30

Rwy 29R 6214’x105’ asphalt ILS/GS 110.30

Rwy 11R 12193’x197’ asphalt ILS/GS 110.50

Rwy 29L 12193’x197’ asphalt ILS/GS 111.70

Another Cossack settlement, which became a gold “boomtown” in the 19^th century, and a major industrial centre in WWII. The painter Vasily Surikov lived here, and his home is now the Surikov Museum-Estate. The Kranoyarsk Regional Museum is easy to find – it’s probably the only building in Siberia which looks like an ancient Egyptian Temple.

8^th leg: Krasnoyarsk – Irkutsk (481.7nm)

So far, it’s been flat all the way, but you should see some hills on this leg although the highest obstacle is only about 3000’ asl.

Dep Krasnoyarsk (UNKL) 942’ asl

Rwy 11L 6214’x105’ asphalt ILS/BC 110.30

Rwy 29R 6214’x105’ asphalt ILS/GS 110.30

Rwy 11R 12193’x197’ asphalt ILS/GS 110.50

Rwy 29L 12193’x197’ asphalt ILS/GS 111.70

Uyar (RR) ndb 300.0 105deg 63.5nm

Nizhneudinsk (NVD) vor 112.70 106deg 172.0nm

Irkutsk (IRK) vor/dme 112.30 130deg 245.9nm

Arr Irkutsk (UIII) 132deg 0.3nm 1673’ asl

Rwy 12 8969’x148’ concrete ILS/BC 111.30

Rwy 26 8969’x148’ concrete ILS/GS 110.30

Another former Cossack settlement, which acquired aristocratic exiles (the Decembrists) in 1844, and hit gold in 1880, Irkutsk became known as “The Paris of Siberia”. Although a modern technology-based city, Irkutsk has many cultural reminders of it’s past and it’s Chinese and Mongolian neighbours.

To the east is Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake (1637m) which 1/5^th of the worlds fresh water (more than all of the North American “Great Lakes”).

9^th leg: Irkutsk – Ulan-Ude (246.3nm)

This is quite a scenic run, so pick a good day for it! The original railway line ran along the South bank of the Angara River to Port Baikal on Lake Baikal, where trains was loaded onto a ferry boat for Mysovaya, where they were unloaded and continued via the Selenga valley to Ulan-Ude, but winter ice and summer storms made the lake crossing impractical. During the Russo-Japanese War they even built a line aross the lake on the ice (the first train is probably still on the bottom of Lake Baikal). A new line, the Circumbaikal, known as “the Tsar’s Silver Necklace” was eventually made around the south end of the lake – feat of engineering involving over 200 bridges and several dozen tunnels. In the 1950’s the Angara was dammed near the lake - the line to Port Baikal was destroyed and a new line was built direct from Irkutsk to connect with the Circumbaikal line at the southwest end of Lake Baikal.

Our route follows the full Circumbaikal line. The fixes are quoted for convenience – just fly down the Angara River to Lake Baikal, then turn right and follow the coastline around the southern edge of the lake to the mouth of the Selenga River , then fly upstream to UIUU.

Dep Irkutsk (UIII) 1673’ asl

Rwy 12 8969’x148’ concrete ILS/BC 111.30

Rwy 26 8969’x148’ concrete ILS/GS 110.30

Fix01 N51*52.73’, E104*44.53’ 154deg 26.5nm (Port Baikal)

Fix02 N51*43.95’, E103*40.46’ 260deg 50.6nm (the south-west end of the lake)

Fix03 N51*38.60’, E103*42.51’ 169deg 5.5nm

Fix04 N51*30.54’, E104*09.90’ 118deg 18.3nm

Fix05 N51*27.27’, E104*28.64’ 107deg 12.7nm

Fix06 N51*26.99’, E105*50.43’ 094deg 13.6nm (somewhere near Mysovaya)

Fix07 N51*42.81’, E106*57.40’ 072deg 44.5nm

Fix08 N52*02.02’, E106*23.86’ 044deg 25.2nm (approaching the delta of the Selenga River)

Fix09 N52*00.47’, E106*47.17’ 100deg 14.4nm

Fix10 N52*05.70’, E107*06.68’ 070deg 13.1nm

Fix11 N52*06.20’ E107*25.06’ 091deg 11.3nm

Ulan-Ude (ZD) ndb 349.0 172deg 17.4nm

Arr Mukhino (UIUU) 261deg 3.1nm 1689’ asl

Rwy 8 9849’x148’ concrete ILS/BC 110.30

Rwy 26 9849’x148’ concrete ILS/GS 110.30

* Alternative for ferryboat enthusiasts:- Follow the River from UIII to the lake (145deg 29.8nm) and then fly 107deg 40.7nm to join the route at Fix 06.

Yet another 17^th-century Cossack fort, it was chartered in 1775 as Verkhne-Udinsk, a trading town on the tea-caravan route. The indigenous people are Buryats (Mongols), and have largely clung to their culture, language, and religion (Tibetan Buddhism). The city it’s present name (Buryat for “Red Uda” (the Uda is a local river)) in 1934. Ulan-Ude is also the terminus for the Trans-Mongolian Raiway, which runs to Beijing (maybe another time, Bill). 30km west of the city is the monastery of Ivolginsk Datsan, centre of Russian Buddhism.

10^th leg: Ulan-Ude – Chita (219.3nm)

Dep Mukhino (UIUU) 1689’ asl

Rwy 8 9849’x148’ concrete ILS/BC 110.30

Rwy 26 9849’x148’ concrete ILS/GS 110.30

Khorinsk (GR) ndb 320.0 081deg 89.1nm

Chita (ZM) ndb 518.0 099deg 125.6nm

Arr Kadala (UIAA) 107deg 4.4nm 2270’ asl

Rwy 11 9170’x197’ concrete ILS/BC 110.30

Rwy 29 9170’x197’ concrete ILS/GS 110.30

More Cossacks, more Decembrist exiles, light engineering. Also the terminus of the East Chinese Railway which also goes to Beijing (hmmm…).

11^th leg: Chita – Blagoveschensk (689.8nm)

The original trans-Siberian railway ran directly east from Chita through Manchuria, but we avoid Chinese territory by following the present-day Amur railway across the taiga (Siberian forest). This is the longest leg – make sure the comrade stewardess has filled the samovar properly.

Dep Kadala (UIAA) 2270’ asl

Rwy 11 9170’x197’ concrete ILS/BC 110.30

Rwy 29 9170’x197’ concrete ILS/GS 110.30

Chita (ZM) ndb 518.0 287deg 4.4nm

Mogocha (KU) ndb 450.0 075deg 258.8nm (some DR required)

Tachtamygda (ZM) ndb 315.0 091deg 136.8nm

Magdagachi (GU) ndb 344.0 127deg 88.0nm

Fix01 N52*27.42’, E127*01.55’ 156deg 75.0nm (GU ndb signal lost)

Blagoveschensk (BLG) vor/dme 113.60 184deg 151.6nm (This track will keep you east of the River Amur)

Arr Ignatyevo (UHBB) 355deg 2.0nm 639’ asl

Rwy 18 9318’x148’ concrete ILS/BC 108.70

Rwy 36 9318’x148’ concrete ILS/GS 108.70

NB: Keep all circuits to the east of UHBB.

Blagoveschensk isn’t actually on the Trans-Siberian main line, which passes a few miles to the north, but the IL-14 is (a) a gas-guzzler (b) lacking in fuel capacity, so we’ll land here for fuel. It’s a border town, and the administrative capital of Amur Oblast – apart from that I know knowt about it.

12^th leg: Blagoveschensk – Khabarovsk (332.9nm)

Dep Ignatyevo (UHBB) 639’ asl

Rwy 18 9318’x148’ concrete ILS/BC 108.70

Rwy 36 9318’x148’ concrete ILS/GS 108.70

Blagovschensk (BLG) vor/dme 113.60 174deg 2.0nm

Kukan (FE) ndb 942.0 116deg 245.6nm

Fix01 N48*39.98’, E134*10.55’ 150deg 43.9nm (river crossing)

Volochayevka (MR) ndb 305.0 122deg 17.0nm

Khabarovsk (G) ndb 258.0 104deg 24.9nm

Arr Novy (UHHH) 229deg 1.5nm 246’ asl

Rwy 5R 13614’x197’ concrete ILS/GS 110.90

Rwy 23L 13614’x197’ concrete ILS/GS 108.70

Another modern city (founded 1858 as a garrison, fur-trading oupost and river crossing). Fighting broke out here between the Russians and the Chinese as recently as 1969, but things have calmed down to the stage where there is considerable cross-border trade. It has something of the air of a coastal resort, and there are also lots of Japanese tourists. Don’t miss the Museum of History of the Far Eastern Railway, or the other museums.

13^th leg: Khabarovsk – Vladivostok (350.2nm)

Dep Novy (UHHH) 246’ asl

Rwy 5R 13614’x197’ concrete ILS/GS 110.90

Rwy 23L 13614’x197’ concrete ILS/GS 108.70

Krasitsky (PS) ndb 457.0 204deg 54.9nm

Roschino (TD) ndb 325.0 191deg 105.1nm

Chernyschevka (BL) ndb 605.0 227deg 125.6nm

Vladivostok (Knevichi) (KW) ndb 400.0 228deg 55.7nm

Arr Knevichi (UHWW) 250deg 8.8nm 43’ asl

Rwy 7L 11548’x197’ concrete ILS/BC 109.70

Rwy 25R 11548’x197’ concrete ILS/GS 109.70

Vladivostok (Lord of the East) was founded in 1860, and became a naval base in 1872. The city is built on an assortment of hills, peninsulas, and Islands, and the harbour, which resembles that of Istanbul, is called Golden Horn Bay (Bukhta Zolotoy Rog). In the early 20^th century it was a flourishing merchant port with a polyglot population, much resembling Hong Kong. After the fall of Port Arthur, Vladivostok’s naval importance increased. After the revolution, most of the foreign inhabitants were deported or shot. Security was progressively tightened until between 1958-1992 the city was closed to all foreigners (and most Russians). It is now rapidly regaining it’s old flavour. If you were too busy during the approach to have a good look at Golden Horn Bay, take the funicular railway to the top of ulitsa Sukhanova. Don’t miss the Vladivostok Fortress Museum, where they fire a noonday gun (sorry I forgot to tell you they do the same thing at St Petersburg and Moscow). There are also harbour tours, and museums, and…

Thankyou for flying with Bluegrass Airlines. We hope you have enjoyed this flight. If so, reverse all the bearings, and you should be able to fly back to St Petersburg. Alternatively, why not take the train – it only takes eight days! <g> Da svidanya!

John Lawler (bgad017) 18Aug05

Acknowledgement:- Travelogue info taken from Lonely Planet’s “Trans-Siberian Railway” (ISBN 1 86450 335 1)