Flying the Soviet Trijet - Alrosa Tupolev 154 to Siberia

Join me on Flying the Soviet Russian Trijet - flying the Alrosa Tupolev-154 to Siberia.
This video reviews the whole flying experience on one of the last active Tupolev-154 in Russia, flying into deep Siberia inside the cockpit of Tu-154. It also include many great in-flight service footage.

[@TDCflyer]

Cockpit: mostly bare metal. Cabin: Practical and heavy duty. That plane was designed to be a workhorse, and ho boy, work it did!

[@krugerblue]

Is it just me, or is this plane beautiful ? The three engines in the back give it a more aft center of gravity as well as a powerful image, hence the wings are way back also. This creates a beautiful line of a long clean fuselage in front of the wing. Also, please keep in mind that this plane along with others designed in the same era, were intentionally over engineered, they were designed to be able to cope extreme temperatures, unpaved runways, as well as having a high level of self sustainability to operate from remote regions with no proper ground support, and also they were derived of military version of the aircraft. Of course, they are heavy, non-economical (by today's standards) - like sky trucks. I once had the opportunity of flying (as a child) in an Il18 - my god was that an experience.

[@19Koty96]

this plane is just pure aesthethics

[@datathunderstorm]

You are absolutely right, Krugerblue. I flew back and forth to the Soviet Union (as a student of Architecture in Minsk) for several years, going home for the summer holidays. Every flight was on an Aeroflot Tupolev TU-154B at least. These are craft were truly amazing in their prime. I shall never forget the first time I saw those 6 wheeled (per side) rear bogies, and saw them tumble head over heels as they tucked themselves neatly into their nacelles upon takeoff. The sound of those Kuznetzov NK-8-2 low bypass Turbofans as they propelled the unique aircraft skywards remains something that can only be heard watching reruns of the 1960's TV series Thunderbirds!. Any resemblance to the Boeing 727 is best described as purely coincidental. They are totally different aircraft, with the Tushka easily winning the "tougher of the two" contest. The TU-154 also takes the aesthetic beauty prize! I am convinced the Tupolev 154 was capable of much faster speeds than advertised, as I was once on a night flight from Lagos to Tripoli, which left one hour late, but somehow managed to make up that hour during the flight (I think it was supposed to be a 4.5 hour journey at least). Somehow, that TU-154 shaved a whole hour off the flight and arrived on time. A shallow yet high speed descent over the desert may have had something to do with it, as did the last minute turn onto the final approach and touchdown within 45 seconds of that turn (I could see Tripoli airport as we approached diagonally). That single incident probably cemented my utmost respect for the Tushka 154. I enjoyed many flight in one as a passenger, and not once was I ever concerned for my safety.

[@nts821]

It looks better than 727

[@ABCantonese]

I love the front of the plane, how it swoops air around, so smooth, such graceful lines gentle curves even though it's something all airlines have.

[@RohanPL]

Plane is shit, look at crash from 2010. I dont know why it is still used.

[@Emanuelrimoldi]

I also flew on it once... actually is a bit faster then a normal Airbus or Boeing ... but I admit I was a bit scary... After 1 year I found out that same aircraft I took was dismissed and is now part of a museum in Surgut, Siberia. ))

[@petermolnar8667]

Used to be the fastest after the Concordes were grounded... There's even a warning light in the cockpit, which flashes at 1000 km/h :))

[@iliazubov1]

Tu-154 is my childhood! Thank you very much!

[@ansap117]

There were also crews of 5 people in the cockpit

[@merphy9164]

@@ansap117 4-5 people

[@vincentandersson5195]

Sam, thank you very much for sharing your experience on Alrosa's TU-154. I really hope to fly on one before they retire from commercial service... Really looking forward to part 2!

[@TheDaddrummer]

A lot of people give Sam a hard time for his first class flying. Look at his video where he's on an old beat up DC 9. This guy just loves to fly.

[@JustinLHopkins]

Sam Lauricella I’ve never understood why people are so preoccupied with his funds and how he flies.

[@theacechip]

@@JustinLHopkins They are just jealous that he's doing the things every aviation buff only dreams of.

[@Mark1405Leeds]

Fantastic piece of Soviet engineering!

[@luchatrokaalvaradoguajardo5185]

I love soo much and TY-154b2 -1975-1984 3power plant Kuzhnetzov 10, 500kg empty & ty 154M =3 Pavel Solovyev 11,0000kg empty x 3

[@vet6822]

One of the most beautiful airliners ever built. !

[@bboucharde]

Sam Chui, THANK YOU for the best aviation channel on KZbin! Great to see a TU-154 still in service.

[@sidneyalmeidajunior7968]

Thanks to show us this experience! Amazing!

[@-crosby]

i remember flying with this thing to Novosibirsk, was really smooth and the plane looked beautiful

[@RolandBizjets]

Very interesting! Thank you for the review! My dad used to fly TU134, TU154s and YAKs

[@curtisjmwc]

Spectacular film thank you so much!!

[@pimpompoom93726]

Wonderful pics of the airline, many thanks! My late father and late brother were airline pilots for TWA and Delta, respectively-so I know a fair amount about aviation in the west. But I am still learning about aviation in Russia and China. The Tupolev 154 is an older aircraft, but it is still very respected. It seems they are keeping the avionics up to date from what I saw in the cockpit. The condition of the runways in Siberia and the lack of airport mobile-tunnel entrances is really surprising. Those are pretty standard in the USA and even most of western europe now. But, all in all it was pretty neat! Again, thanks for the video!

[@Melnikov_V_Russia]

Excellent review of the flight on the legendary aircraft!

[@unknowntraveller8633]

I am very very envious of you and that flight.

[@bako4400]

When i lived in Düsseldorf in 2006, I saw them on regular base on Düsseldorf Airport. It was my favorite aircraft there. Miss those engine sound!

[@virus7379]

Это самый красивый самолёт по моему мнению и для своего времени очень современный и технически продвинутый. В детстве на нём несколько раз летал, с тех пор осталось много приятных детских воспоминаний и об этом самолете и о советском тогда ещё «аэрофлоте». Лет 8 назад мне удалось снова полетать на видавшем виды Ту-154М, и я вспомнил тот детский восторг, там даже запах в салоне какой-то особенный, свойственный только нашим самолетам )) Жаль что сама трёхдвигательная схема устарела и 154й не стал дальше модернизироваться.

[@FratYesilcay]

An excellent video. The TU-154 is one of my favorite aircraft. Also, I envy you flying in the cockpit. Greetings from Istanbul...

[@SundanceHelicopterTours]

thanks for sharing this extraoedinary journey of yours!

[@dipaola702]

Great video, specially the cockpit landing!!!!!

[@richardaustinaustin1890]

The age of the flight crew, years of experience there. What an honour to go in cockpit

[@lrg8734]

What a treat. Thanks for sharing!

[@cryptohunt2552]

I flew on the T-154 twice, from Moscow to Brazzaville, Congo and back. The flight from Heathrow to Moscow was on an Airbus (Aeroflot) and back on a Ilyushin 96.

[@FlowerCrownOfPoppy]

Tnanks for the video! Funny to hear english announcement of first generation GPWS in this old soviet bird. Rare experience even for russian citizen for now.

[@Avion57]

Sam great video, it's a beautiful design plane. I flown long time ago on, Malev and Cubana. Thanks again. jb

[@aeroair4724]

Hello there, Mr. Chui! I wanted to tell you something: yesterday night I was going through some aviation magazines at my local Coles (a bookstore), when I saw your name mentioned in one of the pages in big letters, along with many photos of aircraft you caught on camera during your visit at Phuket International Airport. I was very surprised!

[@you1ubeify]

Great video. One has to think that they actively have to build those aircraft for these kinds of runway conditions etc. Also, the extreme temperature differences on flights to Siberia during different times of the year. Quite remarkable.

[@angelamalini6852]

Wow absolute amazing to see some real deal aviation !

[@JohnyTechReview]

Wow Sam. That runway!! Cool video. Feel like it is in another era

[@talalzakry]

Beautiful plane , also different but very strange controllers and cabin , so many gauges and 4 crew members but yet , amazing piece of art . 🎨🎨💐👌

[@Hunting_Party]

Oh do I love the green colored cockpit! Just looks special.

[@theitaliantraveller]

This is a very nice video! I like too much this plane! Many thanks

[@samv9416]

Absolute beauty, love 😍😍 the Tu 154

[@karlvonbahnhof007]

absolut great video. Thsnks

[@umersheikh9870]

Excellent Sam Chui, great vid , and thanks , I don't think I will ever get the opportunity to fly the tu154

[@freebeacher]

Like the green paint at engineer's station! I think I flew one on Balkan Bulgarian from Sofia to Budapest in 1988.

[@76notam]

good video and fantastic experience on board this Tu-154 😉

[@Zorgstein]

Красивая и легендарная птица!

[@batousimo]

О, авсимовцы отметились тут ))) Женя, привет! :)

[@pvajit1109]

I shall always remember Tu154. This aircraft provided me my very first flight. Tu 154 was a great experience.

[@sunit1232003]

Now that's a real pilot!!. No auto pilot no gizmos just plain old manual flying. Interiors though were of soviet era!!

[@Planespotter767]

Actually there is an autopilot

[@dmitrievkirill]

but not used autoland)

[@garyzhang5099]

That is M models, it equipped the kln90b gps system produced by Honeywell. If this is b2 model or even earlier models, then you are right, since those models only equipped with нву navigation system. With that system, you need to constant input the latitude info and do load of calculations about declination and drift angle etc. you do have other choice such like using the рсбн system to do the correction, but the signal only available in Russia

[@Blind_Hawk]

You know that Tu-154M featured an autopilot and pilots used it regularly what you should because you'd unnecessarily exhaust the pilot to steer such a big machine. Western pilots also fly manually when they approach the runway if you had an idea of aviation you'd know that the captain is going to monetize the co-pilot while he's bringing the plane down.

[@terks43]

It may shock you to learn but in the west Autoland is very rarely used. The plane I fly can't autoland and we have to disconnect the autopilot by 80 ft. The being said I will normally disconnect it at 3000 ft on an instrument approach or as high as 20,000 ft on a visual day and hand fly it from there. Your preconceived notions of how we fly modern jets is completely false.

[@rogerhargreaves2272]

Sam I well remember flying in tupolev internally in late 1990s, very fast noisy and fun! I recall there were no runners on the drinks trolley, and the airoport at Lacicho was bad but functional! Left bags at Beijing military airport! But for every problem there is. a solution! Another great video pal! Rog.

[@chrisfinta4941]

I’m so glad for have chances to fly with TU-154 in 1999 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 was amazing experience

[@TH75767]

Really cool video. Classic.

[@Andrey_Drone]

Два раза летал на таком в конце 80-х. Пожалуй, из пассажирских самолетов того времени самый красивый.

[@NakulDalakoti]

Ever since I flew Tu-154 on RFS I have to say I have begun to like this airplane.

[@harrytd50]

Wow, what an interesting flight. I am pleased to have seen it through your eyes rather than experience it myself.

[@storeparts]

Nice video and crew ❤❤👍👍

[@Angrath]

That cockpit is amazing!

[@staceyhayes2586]

I watch all your videos about your amazing trips aboard first class planes. My favorite is Air France first class. When I saw this video, I couldn't believe you flew on this old aircraft, I was actually scared for you, it was so old. I'm glad you got there safely and I await your next videos, keep up the good flying!!! Stacey Hayes Wantagh, NY

[@privtepic4884]

I flew on a Tu154 aircraft with Kampuchea Airlines from PP to Spore. I was talking to the Flight Director he told me the 154 engines were tough and will run properly on the first leg of the journey but he can not guarantee what will happened on the returned flight! That was in 1993!

[@masterclips3355]

Love ur vids Sam keep up the good work

[@rioman_youtube7292]

Love your Videos Sam😘

[@krangighwan]

5:50 11/10 centerline :) And for very old tupolev this plane was quite well equipped

[@bananenrepublikdeutschland9043]

my favourite airplane

[@68404]

Beautiful aircraft and tough as teak to handle the extreme conditions and less than perfect runways.

[@gary304]

Sam I loved this, I'm ex cabin crew member 24yrs with air uk leisure then monarch Airlines then 20yrs with British Airways I've worked on A300 737-400 757-200 767-300 777-200/300 747classic 747-400 and@380. I now work for virgin trains as on board crew member. I miss flying but love watching your videos x

[@NomadicDmitry]

Awesome place! Lovely flight :)

[@applepine613]

Today.. Wednesday, 28th october 2020. I came again to watch this video, because last night i watch on my Instagram timeline, the alrosa's tu-154m (RA-85757) which is the last tu-154m in civil aviation will make it's last flight today, from MJZ (Mirnyy) to OVB (Novosibirsk). So sad to hear this but i think the tu-154 is the best trijet aircraft ever made👍

[@svinoed]

Great flight! Cool oldtimer plane!

[@arviz333]

why do bother to change toilet? this toilet was made from stainless steel and will survive even nuclear blast :D

[@pimpompoom93726]

Yes, but the seat was pretty rough shape. That should be changed.

[@luchatrokaalvaradoguajardo5185]

as they can be as clumsy as if this ugly oriental was as good a passenger as this one, the WC + is a plane LEGEND forget that tipejo that flew 200 kilometers faster than in the current 320s 737s 757s s-100 and all turbofans

[@csakbencee]

@@pimpompoom93726 That toilet already proven

[@noobplayer_23]

Not just stainless steel But it’s Stalinium

[@Blue-pw8uo]

@@noobplayer_23 yeeeess

[@matsewunderlich]

Good Trip in beautiful aircraft 👍

[@wecanfly777]

Even in economy, you manage to make it in the front row - thats my boy Sam! Andy

[@petermuller5800]

uhm... he was sitting in Business Class

[@RodrigoJorge]

Hi Sam! In this days I saw movie Airport 77 👍great movie about the collection of art in airplane 747. The first scenes inside the plane is wonderful! Old movie and great production, I saw in Netflix.

[@DaveyCrockett001]

Very Well Done - Bravo!

[@FSXNOOB]

Amazing plane and experience :)

[@ATIMELINEOFAVIATION]

The dinner box is so pretty!

[@karaoke832]

In 96 I was business class in a Tu-154 from Moscow to Petropavlovsk Kamchatski. Only a Medical doctor and I. Fantastic food and a trolley of full bottle booze. He decided on a bottle of gin. We finished this before arrival. Wow the the hostess was a stunner and she made sure we left ok. I great flight. I exited at -20degC without a jacket and the Gin helped me. Good night!

[@Gusrikh1]

Very insightful..

[@jesustorres-uc3hp]

thnx for the video ,

[@jobatimus]

I like your videos.You Show all aeroplanes old and young................

[@pilotnl]

Fantastic video! I am impressed by how your camera is so steady when everything is thrown around after landing.

[@billwalbek1911]

Wow ! So cool!

[@markeskenazi3847]

love your vids

[@OreganoCaramel]

lol look at those cockpit instruments shaking when landing

[@jurgstreuli3093]

The Tu-154 is a wonderful aircraft. I flew with it often.

[@deyaero]

The Concorde, Tupolev TU 154, Boeing 727, in my opinion, the most beautiful aircraft in the history of civil aviation. In times of the Russian Soviet Union, they developed a passenger aircraft seeking to reduce CO2 emissions; the TU 155 with a special fuel tank for hydrogen.

[@patlelion]

Spaciba! It s like going back to Brejnev soviet time! Beautiful plane, real badass pilot who loves his job! Thumbs up lucky Russians !

[@Spectre2718]

You had a good opportunity to get inside one of ours soviets aircraft ). Enjoy this one😍

[@johnmccarthy6903]

Beautiful plane old but beautiful

[@monz35]

Can't wait for more Sam!

[@elliotchen7706]

That is a beautiful cockpit

[@chagrin2]

An awful copy of the Boeing 727

[@sheikhalbasil5955]

EPIC, THANKS

[@rossmum]

The trim switch, AP disconnect, and AP level flight engage button are all identical to what you'd find on Soviet military aircraft. If it ain't broke... my MiG-21 and MiG-23 control sticks have the exact same parts, down to the vertical stud fastening the trim switch together and the red colour/lum paint dot on the AP disconnect. Beautiful aircraft. I'd love to fly in a 154 one day, but doubt it'll happen :(

[@golfman6122]

What a beautiful plane would love to be on one your a lucky man sam

[@japan883]

Amazing toil....airplane!!

[@TheBecon]

Cool Video

[@wimnieuwdorp5337]

Really nice

[@ayushmaan.s]

Great one

[@MultiKluv]

Made with love!

[@fastfiddler1625]

So, I just realized this thing has auto thrust/throttles. Landing without a hand on them though is about the most insane thing I've seen lately. Still, I love this plane.

[@maniok1977]

You were invited to the cockpit? 😮 Cool!

[@pavelavietor1]

hello nice video looking for the next on 2019.saludos

[@juliogonzo2718]

You are lucky you got to travel on and share a piece of history and nostalgia, for many people, I'm sure! I wish I had a reason to fly there! Tu154 meals look way better then $9 A320 bland sandwich I had a while ago. Even the food is cooler! Toilet seat may be from an outhouse in the forrest though.

[@mohseny1711]

Amazing

[@stefanjouef5079]

Beautiful plane❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@briansteffmagnussen9078]

Like the Lada, Primitive and simple, but effective for the task.

[@krugerblue]

That dinner looks more like a military MRE, but in a good way :). I enjoyed this vid very much. The toilet looked more a like train toilet, was that an actual wooden toilet seat ? stainless steel sink and closet, that is something you will not see again.

[@ricardomierz8467]

krugerblue Of course its wooden.. Did you ever sit bear ass on a metal seat?

[@Mustafiz1972]

EPIC!

[@zdobywcagol3422]

5:50 LOL 10/10 center line

[@tsnovak20]

Wow, it’s like time travel