World's Most Bizarre Airline - North Korea's Air Koryo

[@KateVol]

Russian here. My grandfather Dmitry Vilde was building the engines for the TU in 50s. It was near Kuibyshev (now Samara), a small work town called Upravlenchesky. Some captured Germans from ww2 worked there in luxury (measuring by that time) conditions - high salary, meat and milk supply etc, they were engineers who helped our engineers to work. I have published some of his personal letters and pictures of that time. Incredibly interesting, Sam. Thank you for your videos and for your interest in Soviet aviation. This job actually saved my grandfather from ww2, during which he stayed in Moscow and was making engines for war planes in Moscow suburbs. Peace to all❤

[@sbbfbwnxpquenflqpi]

So sad Russia is more and more becoming like North Korea

[@MissMariQueen]

​@@sbbfbwnxpquenflqpiso sad that the west thinks they have the moral high ground. Nope, we don't, we are in no position to lecture anyone. If you think we are free, you are deluding yourself. We are puppets in the hands of the 1%. We dance to their tunes. We count nothing, we are only good as long as we are useful.

[@synthdream]

@@sbbfbwnxpquenflqpi I don't know about that, not sure if you've ever heard of a place called the soviet union. 😅

[@poss4757]

Thanks for sharing

[@BenWilson-pv3be]

freaking communists

[@Mark-oj8wj]

The condition they keep their airplanes in is seriously impressive.

[@maxbee4460]

Don’t judge a book by its cover. As an ex aircraft engineer you are putting your life on the line flying in these aircraft, what’s the maintenance,? Etc

[@OutragedPufferfish]

​@@maxbee4460 I'd rather fly with these old Ilyushins than with Boeing 😅

[@ins1616]

​@@maxbee4460Boeng builds very unreliable planes

[@TheTranceCartel]

@@maxbee4460 I'd put my life in a Russian plane before getting on a "Made in America" disaster

[@anlq1240]

The material maybe already reach the end of its life. So any flight will be a potential danger.

[@crazywaffleking]

Probably safer than a Boeing

[@zanderarvizu]

definitely not

[@paulbo9033]

For real.

[@s.r2350]

Agreed

[@DionMckissack]

Probably is right 👍. Definitely. Propaganda says we are the best at everything and invented everything in history

[@peezyworld420]

Wait till one of the engines falls out due to faulty bolts on the Max

[@cellpat7392]

The one thing that stands out is how clean their aircraft are. To see vintage aircraft still flying is a real treat. To fly seated next to the engine Is not. Thanks Sam, this was very interesting to watch.

[@TreborVainilla]

Is all what they got. What are they supposed to do?

[@Kwetiawbabii]

Honestly, I think they deserve more than one star rating. Their fleet might be dated, but everything seems to be working just fine. The service is even better than most low cost airliners these days. The Supreme Leader should really consider to open up more to international tourists. It's fine to keep everything guided. Since many (including me) would definitely pay for such 'traveling back in time' experience.

[@BrendanBeckett]

I admire your balance of acknowledging the odd realities of North Korea without making the video all about criticizing those things.

[@GamerLoff]

I agree! I respect him not being condescending or sarcastic in his monologue.

[@DoumDoum911]

Yes I fully agree!

[@brendanbartlett6994]

Yooooo nice first name. You spelt it the right way🤝

[@IDT69]

Same here, I have a genuine interest in places like NK and the Soviet Union but most videos are “Americanized” and do nothing but run them down

[@digitalartworm_3D]

What are these replies? You all think it's ok to whitewash what is going on in NK? This kind of content only legitimises the terror and famine regime that renders ordinary lives so subjected oppressed and abused.

[@ChairmanKim]

Thank you for making this documentary about my airline. I hope you enjoyed our services. I have ordered new planes from uncle Vlad to improve our reputation ❤ - Chairman Kim

[@bwillwin1505]

Hahahaha 😂😂 Chairman Kim, when can I have a ride on one of these planes?

[@ChairmanKim]

@@bwillwin1505 depends on my mood

[@ColonelMacPimpDaddy]

What is the deal with Russian engines being loud AF?

[@ODTK268]

@@ChairmanKim - The only interesting thing about flying are the stewardesses. Excellency, you did everything right on this point.

[@codaalive5076]

@@ColonelMacPimpDaddy They are assuring the passengers it is not Boeing.

[@Fmw_ndiga]

Great unbiased presentation and commentary, without being condescending

[@davidwelch5186]

I don’t want to be condescending, I also don’t want to be a passenger either. I’ll stick with delta and copa. I fly to panama . Copa rules.

[@hiramcbrown]

Summer of 1990, I flew Aeroflot from NY to Moscow. Hearing the jet's engines in your video brings it all back. Not sure if they've since fixed it or if your audio just didn't pick it up, but in addition to being incredibly loud, the engines were slightly out of tune with each other. The end result being that on top of being the loudest jet I've ever flown on, there was a fluctuating ?warble? ?harmonic? between the engines that I hope to never experience again. Ever. Good times. edit to add: all the seats on the plane reclined fully onto the seats behind them. We were told it was so that the planes could be quickly converted to cargo planes for the military. For 60+ high school students, it was better than 1st class. We reclined all of our chairs and the back half of the plane became a huge sleeping area. We were also allowed to take a small set of stairs down into the cargo hold (where we played cards until the cold got to us).

[@AllisonDNADOC]

I flew Aeroflot from Moscow to Siberia in winter. When we were landing, the pilot said there was ice on the runway. He made everyone stand in the back of the airplane on landing to weigh down the tail. It still floundered back and forth like a fish struggling on a line. Absolutely terrifying in every way. Lots of people were throwing up. But that man landed that damn airplane, and everyone survived! It was rough though.

[@Jeffrey.Seelman]

Thank you for sharing most excellent story.

[@iterativegrowth]

Sounds like an incredible experience - thanks much for sharing!

[@Mongol69_]

I am also an aviation enthusiast from Russia. True, at the time when you flew to Russia, I had just been born) but we in Russia ourselves miss the sound of the engines of old planes. They almost never fly in Russia anymore. Therefore, it is almost impossible to touch the history of aviation. Recently there was a farewell passenger flight of the Tu 154 aircraft. This is one of the most beautiful aircraft in the world....

[@StonemanRocks]

This one airport in wyoming was on top of a big mesa and every landing was an instant white out from the snow on the runway! Always hoped it stopped before skidding off the mesa but there was no of knowing cuz you couldnt see!

[@MissMimimimi]

I’ve watched loads of videos on North Korea but this one is by far the best. You actually showed the interesting activities you did instead of just going on about how strange the place is. Yes NK is weird, we know - but there is still a lot to experience. Clearly you made the most of your time which is refreshing 👍

[@blakemiller06]

The Indigo Traveller has a good series on NK if you have not checked it out yet.

[@umairasif15]

Considering they have every sanction known to man on them, its impressive

[@justkittensbeingkittens5892]

Yes, but you don’t want to encourage tourism. Or shouldn’t anyway.

[@paulforder591]

Impressive how the North Koreans keep their Soviet-era planes well-maintained and airworthy. The flight attendants were gorgeous, and you treated their country with respect. Insightful documentary--thanks for posting, Sam. 😊✈️🛫

[@dohcnehb]

They're forced

[@ppang5839]

@@dohcnehbthank you for saying that 😭 I also respect their hard work because regardless it’s impressive to be a pilot, but so sad to think about the circumstances.

[@candicewatson5508]

Way to glamorize people essentially living in slavery to make one man look good.

[@igorsolovyanchik8955]

If you don't you and your family will get sent to prison or worse

[@zachinthehat1707]

@@dohcnehbeveryone is forced to work to work unless you choose to be a parasite in a nation that facilitates your selfish nature. Capitalism allows you to choose your own path in work, while communism chooses your occupation for you

[@letsseeif]

Thanks for your excellent video. Australian Pilot. I think the entire crew should be awarded a five star rating. It's not their fault that they were born in North Korea. Old aircraft are kept in top condition. The landings and takeoffs are particularly impressive.

[@ViraL_FootprinT.ex.e]

That looked like a much better meal than on all of my last 20 flights.

[@TikiHi77]

You got meals?

[@ViraL_FootprinT.ex.e]

@@TikiHi77 Well... Snacks basically.

[@factandtruth1022]

Dog meat

[@martinjrgensen8234]

By design. It is propaganda

[@samstewart9249]

I've heard that the N Koreans do like a little rat meat with their rice!

[@Ekki78]

I lived in the GDR, near Berlin Schönefeld. The IL-62 was really incredibly loud on take-off and landing. It's amazing that you were able to fly it

[@jamesbartlett5640]

Louder then a VC-10?

[@thomashenebry8269]

It was even louder when it crashed.

[@BobHill-s2c]

C'mmon Tu 134s were louder...

[@daniyalbbd5281]

No you didn't

[@scale_model_apprentice]

Guten tag Schönefeld

[@tedtombling2770]

Well done, Sam. A great presentation. I flew on a huge Antonov An-22 from Prestwick Airport Glasgow, UK way back in 1996 to Goma, Zaire (now DRofC) which has a really long runway. We stopped in Athens, Khartoum and Nairobi for refuelling. It was full of Plant vehicles for building roads in the refugee camps post Rowanda"s genocide situation in in 1994. I had to sit on a wooden plank spanned across one of the windows. It was a madness flight but a great experience. I spent 8 months out there as a civilian with a UNHCR contractor. I'm pretty old 😊. I flew in some of those old helicopters and aircraft of the British Forces in my 26 years of service (1966-1993). I thought you presented the N.Korean people with great respect.

[@randomcommenterurl]

“Are the tour guides scary?” *cuts to them singing karaoke* 😂 I’d go on the tour just for the tour guides!

[@Corey-zg3bc]

wow - it’s amazing how well-preserved these beautiful airplanes are - they look as if they’re maintained on a daily basis - it would be worth a visit just to fly them

[@CoffeeAndPaul]

I wouldn't. Aviation-grade steel is high quality but have defined lifespans. When you're evaluating a civilian aircraft's age don't think about the flight hours, at least not when you're evaluating the airframe itself, the wingbox, wing struts, cabin & the like. It's compression cycles that matter. These planes at altitude expand & on landing contract. Under UV radiation & working under vibration, metal has a limited number of compression cycles before microcracks start to develop. Once the wingbox starts developing cracks the plane's done. How many compression cycles have these aircraft been through over the Decades? Alot. I wouldn't trust their domestic service planes.

[@dariusweisz7440]

@@CoffeeAndPaul true but a lot of commercial airplanes are older than 30-40 years still in service and they are getting used much more than for example this il 62

[@ryansheppard21]

I flew jets for an American airline and the only time they were cleaned was for repainting. Looks like a neat and different experience in an interesting place.

[@MrBashem]

@@ryansheppard21 Dont' lie. Unless you are talking some backwaters airline with 1 plane.

[@toddsmith8608]

I'd love to know who is qualified to fix that MiG-21 after that horrific tail strike on landing. But hey... let's all cheer for female pilots! That's what's really important, right?

[@richardmongello579]

I just flew United out of Florida , it was late. The plane was dirty. The crew was surly. Air Koryo could teach United a few things.

[@stanbrown32]

Of course, United doesn't use slave labor.

[@rmramirezc]

Las aerolíneas del continente Americano desde Alaska hasta la Patagonia son una verdadera letrina, no hay una sola que se salve, y las aerolíneas Europeas no se quedan muy atrás, el mejor servicio lo ofrecen las de Asia.

[@meowkie8549]

United 🤮

[@ViraL_FootprinT.ex.e]

Yeah... Out of the major US airlines, United is probably my least favorite. Always a horrible experience. They haven't quite reached down to the level of Spirit yet, but they're getting there. I've had more favorable experiences on Jet Blue lately, than I have United, and Jet Blue itself has kind of fallen off over the past twenty years.

[@schalitz1]

United sucks, they stranded me in Harrisburg Pennsylvania(flight was from Seattle to Newark), because of "weather" in NYC. Meanwhile JFK and LaGuardia were running just fine.

[@KilldozerNY]

The fact they are still keeping them in the air is amazing considering all the stuff with NK Maintenance has got to be expensive.

[@PumpdaBrakes-ub8kp]

you would fly in that? trusth North Korean repairmen? not me.

[@JME1186]

I mean it’s not that hard to afford, what with the fact they don’t pay workers or offer any sort of (meaningful) government assistance or give a living shit about their citizens’ quality of life… you’d be surprised how much you can spend in one area when you “belt tighten” elsewhere 😬

[@mpayne8206]

These guides seemed a lot nicer than the tour guides I've seen in other videos.

[@anasevi9456]

Thank you for the video and all the footage of beautiful old birds doing what they do best in the sky. Glad to see so many happy faces enjoying an event, hope life keeps getting better for them.

[@SamChui]

My pleasure!

[@guitardzan5641]

You are nuts...

[@john-nx4xn]

I wonder how many "happy faces" would love to get the hell out of there 😞

[@john-nx4xn]

​@@guitardzan5641you and I know why they keep 2 people with you at all times. #1 to keep u from seeing the real N. Korea #2 so the 1 person can keep the other from escaping

[@guitardzan5641]

@@john-nx4xn Yep

[@chris_3636]

No shortage of skill involved in keeping vintage jets in the air. Great footage of the planes.

[@HockeyVictory66]

Skill. When you have so few planes and millions of people, It’s not hard to have team lifetime dedicated technicians who just live and breathe a few planes. If North Korea spent their money on planes instead of muck missiles, they could have a modern fleet.

[@giacomoneri1782]

​​@@HockeyVictory66 But if they didn't spend their money on nukes, they wouldn't have a country to land those shiny new planes.

[@chopperdeath]

No way I would go there. One false step and you are fucked.

[@MrYougotcaught]

Boeing needs to take notes on how the North Korean Plane Mechanics maintain their old vintage fleet

[@E_Legal_Alien]

Airlines perform their own maintenance genius 😂

[@Brother.Gabriel]

Probably cause they only have like 5 planes to maintain instead of 5,000

[@LETmeB2000]

Its the people who manufacture the aircraft not the mechanics. Genius.

[@boinqity4621]

@@Brother.Gabrielwell they also have a lot less money than boeing lol

[@ja785a4]

​@@boinqity4621Boeing doesn't "maintain" planes, airlines do

[@artykohl1118]

I love those flight attendants. No apology about being sweet, kind, nurturing, and making you feel loved. And that's your world while there.

[@theStrayKat1980]

Because they will be punished if they don't. Their own families are most likely split apart and could statistically be in prison - so they're nice and smiley to you OR ELSE. And that makes you feel good? Well that's nice...

[@beefylilun178]

@@theStrayKat1980 It's okay man...those who have not been under the iron fist of communism will never know how horrible it is....I have seen many comments like this one and they are all full of appreciation of how "kind" these people are. Everything you said is correct: they have to ACT kind or else. But hey I saw quite a few people here actually trying to make it seem like the country isn't as bad as it seems, which is a serious blow to people who risked everything to flee such a regime. Such naivety.

[@klinmuzik]

That one star airline food I saw in this video is better than all the airlines I flew

[@roshansamrobert]

Hahah so true

[@ANILSHARMA-jq6jh]

Absolutely correct 😅

[@nelsonluke6007]

Facts

[@prrevil]

It's one star airline cause it's North Korea

[@llywrch7116]

Yes, one star? Out of 5 stars, I'd give it 3 or 4 stars. Too bad North Korea is too incompetent to exploit the uniqueness of this enterprise.

[@ralphhull6946]

Thank you Sam for this great video of these beautiful aircraft. I have been an aircraft engineer all my life..( I,m now 79 ) and during my career have been fortunate enough to work on both the Il-62 and the Il-18. Like you say the Il-62 is indeed a mighty machine. Thanks again...and best wishes.

[@SamChui]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@anjankumardas3426]

I have flown on IL- 62 on Dhaka - Tashkent - Moscow route. Most likely IL-62 used to fly non stop in Moscow - Havana route. Thank you Sam for the great video.

[@Shamrock100]

@@anjankumardas3426 The Il-62 had to make technical stops between Moscow and Havana (and other transatlantic destinations). For many years, Shannon, Ireland was the principal en-route stop for fuel and crew changes.

[@faithreturns333]

so imagine how much money they paid in JET FUEL for an airshow inside a country that has more starving people than aircraft mechanics and scientists. This is a form of cruelty because your average north Korean citizen doesn't fly in any of these!!

[@Jin88866]

@@faithreturns333 Let's just enjoy the beauty of these old and rare machines without always having to overthink about everything. I think everyone knows about their economic troubles.

[@dibyajyotichakraborty7790]

And the engine sounds makes my day. All the birds looks so good.

[@suckdijulimasustra524]

Yes! I love that sounds too , thank Sam for the flight that not so many people has the chance to do it.

[@leoray1234]

Flying birds or walking birds?

[@ErnestTeeBass]

The trees in America are empty. They eat birds on Tuesdays.

[@giacomoneri1782]

​​@@ErnestTeeBass They also drink coffee made of snow.

[@zapso7742]

Amazing video Greetings from Chile 🇨🇱

[@TheMotz55]

From flying like a prince in an Emirates first class suite to sitting in the back row of an Air Koryo IL-62, you have experienced everything. In my next life I want to be Sam Chui.

[@doncarlin9081]

He actually flew like a prince, I remember his video about flying on a decommissioned 747 that belonged to Saudi royalty.

[@DaveSCameron]

🤔

[@BelovedChatter]

There are some interesting other types airlines in South America that are quite different than those two he can try.

[@PeopleLoveShorts]

Next life you be the flight crew serving Sam Chui😂

[@AustrianExpat]

maybe get a life now. its not over yet ;-)

[@markfestor7869]

Hi Sam, just winter to say thank you for the topics and bringing us around all these differents topics with an unparalelled passion.This vidéo on Norah Korea reflects my gratitude

[@Chuck-iv4qp]

The best North Korean tourism ad I’ve ever seen.

[@dexterminador]

Agreed 👍 💯 ♥️

[@RobespierreThePoof]

Seriously. All these people online just helping Kim funnel foreign currency into his nuclear program.

[@IlayShriki]

You probably never heard the song

[@samarkumar2200]

Finallyy someone talking sensible about them they are good people's God bless all❤

[@chelovskiy]

I was flying in my young age almost all the soviet planes. An 24, Yak 40, Tu154, Il 86, Il 62 and Tu134. Very nice memory and a typical smell of the airplanes.

[@Mongol69_]

Какой у вас был любимый самолёт?)

[@chelovskiy]

@@Mongol69_ ну в основном я летал на Ан 24 и Ту 154 )))) Но Ил 86 для меня тогда был космос, один раз только удалось на нем полетать

[@themns4u]

Sam, thanks for this video, you have no idea how much I enjoyed it and how technical and informative it was especially as a Mexican who lived 5 years in Russia and who practiced aviation decades ago. Thank you and blessings!

[@МихаилТаганов-ч1й]

Все эти советские самолёты должны быть Вам очень хорошо знакомы!

[@WizardSoon]

The speak of an aviation enthusiast, you really had a great time there. Cheers for the video!

[@thuysgirl]

as a fellow avgeek and someone whos interested in shedding light about nk , i love this video - well put together🤝

[@rusty9959]

I much prefer this style of editing from you Sam, rather than the over edited pieces.

[@marcusdamberger]

It's a different style because of when this video was shot. It was when he was mostly doing his video's on his own, so it has that more raw uncut look. I'm grateful he still has all this footage to go back to. Today Sam has a lot of help to shoot and edit, so it has that more polished professional look now. But I do appreciate the early stuff when he wasn't so known to the aviation industry and now get's invited by airlines and other aviation related industry.

[@automatedrussianbot]

to bad his info is very out of date, back in 2012 maybe you would get your phone taken, this was no longer true few years later, as you can see on other travel videos

[@douglasharre7156]

@@automatedrussianbot He was referring to his early trip back then.....not to his later trips.

[@jfbaquero]

What a treat! Keeping all those beautiful soviet vintage aircraft airworthy and in great condition is amazing and just worth the ticket. A very unique experience.

[@SamChui]

Couldn't agree more!

[@thomashenebry8269]

Who says they're in great condition? They fall out of the sky on a regular basis.

[@thesenate4563]

I do agree and all that the old planes are cool, but these planes could be falling apart and come from a time when air travel was more dangerous than it is now.

[@Psyopcyclops]

@@thomashenebry8269I say they’re in great condition. I am the chief engineer of Air Koryo.

[@thomashenebry8269]

@@Psyopcyclops When would you say anything else?

[@marypoor9574]

Your genuine curiosity for a place / operation, and true respect for people shines through in your videos Sam Chui. Thank you for sharing these experiences with us!

[@2driverpls652]

The whole video was like a Time Machine.

[@PeterMatthews-i5j]

Those old Soviet planes look amazing. The TU154 always reminded me of Thunderbird 1.

[@lllll819]

You guys are so brave to take those old airplanes , even their leader only takes train 😂

[@saltysailor141]

More like stupid. I’ve seen their safety record.

[@emt9370]

@@saltysailor141 What do you expect from a country that spends 90% of it's GNP on weapons?

[@7415_Gamer]

How many times have you heard that those planes have crashed? Those propellers will kill any bird that comes around and will not burn in the engine. It may be old but doesn't need much maintenance to keep it running.

[@Goch46]

You mean Boeing 737 Max

[@Alimhabidi]

@@emt9370 you gotta be ignorant to the next level to say that. It’s not like they have a choice, when Uncle Sam has sanctioned the f out of them and all their western stooges like Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed don’t sell their planes to them. So yeah, good luck peddling propaganda dimwit

[@Worldball12345]

Fascinating video, Sam! Air Koryo truly is a glimpse into a different world of aviation. Your deep dive into the airline's unique features, from its vintage Soviet-era aircraft to its peculiar in-flight services, was both informative and intriguing. It's amazing how Air Koryo reflects North Korea's broader isolation and distinct culture. Your thorough research and engaging presentation made for an eye-opening experience. Keep up the great work in bringing such rare aviation stories to light!

[@Ashtronout92]

Keeping those soviet era planes in these conditions takes extra effort I guess.. Hats off to the crew !

[@Steve-xf4uv]

Another superb video report Sam. You are so lucky to be able to experience these visits and see and actually fly on some of these iconic aircraft. MiG21 ? IL-62 ? That pristene IL-18 my personal favorite. I'll never get to see them so Thank You so much for sharing !

[@sttvoyager1727]

FASCINATING VIDEO. An absolute instant classic @SamChui

[@mantis10_surf85]

KJU is the best leader in the world. We love KJU and North Korea 🇰🇵. Some many people want to move to NK. The country is amazing 🙂‍↔️

[@jimtuite3451]

​@mantis10_surf85 see if any north Koreans would like to swap citizenship with you?

[@sttvoyager1727]

@@jimtuite3451 who said anything about supporting that murderous regime

[@mantis10_surf85]

@@jimtuite3451 , I haven’t met one NK citizens that would swap citizenship with me. Believe me, I’ve tried. They don’t want to leave utopia. I understand! KJU RULES! 🇰🇵

[@jimtuite3451]

@@mantis10_surf85 As Internet trolls go, you're not even a good one

[@cun7us]

Those Ilyushin Il-62 engines are ridiculously loud. Easily the loudest jet engines I've ever heard on a commercial airliner. I can only imagine what it's like onboard at the back of the plane.

[@mentalizatelo]

Efficient or reliable. In Soviet Russia, you couldn't have both. They chose reliability. Well, Soviet reliability that is.

[@shauny2285]

Those early 707, DC8, Convair 880 four engine airliners were pretty loud too. I remember them flying over my house when I was a kid.

[@TheGospelQuartetParadise]

The old Boeing 727 had a loud footprint as well.

[@blameyourself4489]

Fuel into noise. Beautiful!

[@christianbottger493]

They are deafening loud, I hat a seat right next to the engines on a flight from Berlin to Leningrad in the 1980s ....

[@EddieColeman-ph4jn]

Sam, Thank You - I didn’t realize how much air planes interest me until I watch this video. Very well put together.

[@JohnCillis]

An IL-62 visited Travis AFB in Fairfield CA during an airshow, at the beginning of the START treaty. It was the only time I was officially on "Russian soil". The crew which allowed us to tour the aircraft, which was bright and airy inside, was in good humor and let me see the flight deck, with the teal color around the old steam gauges. I became a US recreational pilot in '06, since my career involved weekly air travel both US domestic and abroad, though my role was as a business systems instructor. So videos like yours which share aviation are so interesting, especially since I have never flown in a Russian aircraft, my travels in Europe and Japan outside the US never gave me the chance or time off to go there.

[@tjchatgptgoat]

This was done with so much class and respect much love from New Orleans. ❤

[@amartchenko]

Great video, Sam! I grew up in Soviet Union, flew as a passenger on all of those planes. Tu-134 has the highest pitch of them all, nickname свисток (whistle). My hat off to North Koreans, absoletely incredible resilience and resourcefullness. Imagine any of the Western countries cut off supplies from outside.

[@veronikadadajova2553]

@amartchenko what resourcefullnes are you talking about? Did you watch any other documentaries? Thousands if not milions of people died in 90's famine...

[@petergilkes7082]

You trust documentaries about DPRK? They only exist so that idiots can post what they think are hilarious comments, backed up by emojis and LOLs.

[@adarloberant1201]

2:55 , is the inner engine running??

[@التجانياحمدالتجانيمديرابراهيما]

No

[@getmoneyybsxxrm5410]

holly shit 😭😭

[@alexeybezobrazov4508]

thank you!!!! those sounds of TU-154 and IL-62 are really music to ears!!! I was flying on them since my childhood and really miss those beautiful aircrafts!

[@PAGoTribe1963]

I'm confused. They confiscate your phone, but they let you take unlimited video with your camera?

[@DanielJohnson-ec8rk]

I smell BS

[@veastark6045]

Not that surprising. Without modifications a camera is only there to record, harder to hide and it's pretty easy to view the footage afterwards and confiscate or delete it. A phone is a small mini-computer capable of hundreds of different things. North Korea is certainly interested in tourists and allowing them to film as long as they can control what is filmed helps there.

[@mickcraven980]

​@@veastark6045begs the question about how much and what other footage they had, doesn't it?

[@fabigrossi2976]

Not unusual at all. They control every foto, every video you took with a camera. As somebody already mentioned, a smartphone is a mini computer, you can do a lot of things with them that can't be controlled that easily. Or at all.

[@Fridelain]

Tourists have been known to carry multiple microSD cards for their cameras and hide the ones with spicy footage. mSD cards are the size of a fingernail and mostly inert plastic/ceramic/silicon, so there isn't much the censors can do about it.

[@ACB-vj8wf]

This is a surprise! I never thought (nor did it ever occur to me) that North Korea had an airline😮. That airshow you showed in the vid was also quite surprising. Thanks for sharing!

[@toomanyhobbies2011]

That "airline" is purely for show. Only for tourists and government officials. Did you notice all the aircraft just sitting on the taxiways?

[@UltimateTruthChannel]

Not only that, they have a bigger Airforce than South Korea or Japan. But their fighter jets are mostly Cold War era models. Still they overwhelm their enemies with sheer number.

[@abhijeetkundu7123]

I have a friend who went to North Korea on a Soviet Antonov 26. According to him, the economy seats had more space than business seats. It had bigger windows than Dreamliner which gave a good view.

[@robgandy4550]

That is straight up cool. Seeing those old aircraft in pristine condition. Thank you for sharing that story. Way cool.

[@frankmacleod2565]

6:13 so, you gotta give the massive props massive props, for propping you up in the air so properly.

[@africawai3555]

I dunno man......seems like you are risking yr life on the OG airplane. You earn my respect already !!!

[@craddocraddoc]

Since their purpose is to represent and impress foreigners (as much as you can with 50 year old tech), I guess that these planes are kept in best possible condition because nothing would be more embarrasing for NKs leader than an airplane full of western tourists crumbling apart mid flight.

[@annorabelle]

I love how factual this video is and doesn’t play into the tropes of how bizarre the country can be. I’ve seen literally dozens of those. Thank you for posting this! DPRK is one of my special interests so it was right up my alley.

[@brucetrappleton6984]

It turns out this is one of the most interesting videos I've seen on youtube!!

[@xl000]

BETTER than Me at the zoo ?

[@brucetrappleton6984]

@@xl000 you don't even make it to the zoo.

[@meowkie8549]

Way better than brain rotting shorts

[@1Gaumer]

“A pair of female pilots were piloting the mig 21” -cut to tail strike. LoL

[@jamesm3471]

Hey there girlie! Ya know they got lady pilots nowadays too! They ain’t any good, but they got ‘em!

[@AC-jk8wq]

Wheel the planes out once each year… They seam to last forever… Until the lack of recency and training leads to smacking the ground… Having old airplanes takes more money to operate and maintain than having new airplanes… It’s too bad NK can’t join the modern world…. South Korea seams to have everything! What happened? 😃 Very much like Cuba…

[@jackchop1576]

"Ha! must've been a woman pilot!" -Peter Griffin on 9/11, Family Guy

[@_BubblGum_]

men when one man pilot messes up: oh no! hope hes okay! what a brave pilot! men when one woman pilot messes up: LOL! females can’t do anything!!! Heh, we’re far superior!

[@dypaky54]

@@AC-jk8wq yes

[@dottoremabuse5729]

Thank You from Denmark :- ) One of the most interesting (and different) youtube video's I've seen in many years!

[@JKMCraveTV]

*Super Video Sam - Loved every minute of it!!!*

[@elkabong6429]

Thank you Sam! I appreciated, especially, your enthusiasm and your non-condescending narration. Great job! 👍

[@AlcidesSegovia]

15:31 - That tail strike hurt.

[@Xtariz]

women☕🤣

[@qingyuanzhang3644]

@@Xtariz Imaging the female pilots slaming the canopy after exiting the aircraft

[@stevenneill6605]

There probably dead by now

[@Xtariz]

@@qingyuanzhang3644 OH stop it you... 😅🤣🤣

[@MNBluestater]

Write-off

[@wagnerbejaranocarvalho9971]

only Sam can bring to us instructive vídeos like this

[@faithreturns333]

yeah especially at 17:23 where you see all the trash all over the ground at the 'air show' they are a godless generation

[@automatedrussianbot]

@@faithreturns333 worthless opinion from "faithreturns"

[@gangoffour6690]

Hello Sam. Just found your channel today. I love watching travel vloggers. You sure know your airplanes. Peace from the U.S.

[@afreightdogslife]

Sam, your video brought back lots of memories from my youth when I used to fly an AN-26. Wow, lots of memories. Awesome old birds, good job reporting on this airline.

[@cajarana76]

Few years ago, on my way from London to Seoul, I've been lucky enough to see one of this relics taxing at Beijing airport while I was there awaiting for the next flight.

[@DavidZ_HGH]

sadly the capital airport now put blurred glass in some area in terminal 3 that block the view

[@WhatALoadOfTosca]

One star? You get more than Ryan air. The fact they didn’t like you taking pictures is reasonable. Why do people assume that people like being photographed at work just to please some KZbinr?

[@TheMeloettaful]

Exactly, but the thing that concerns me the most is that it's North Korea. Unless it's through their government lens they are usually super strict about videos or photography portraying them in any kind of negative light. And being detained in North Korea is the very last thing you want to happen 😬!

[@tinjarir]

@@TheMeloettafulPassengers on US and European airlines can’t take fotos inside at all. Censorship?

[@TheMeloettaful]

@@tinjarir you can take pictures & videos on the US airlines if you want 👍. I can only assume it would be OK for European airlines, but I'm American so I'm not totally certain 🤷‍♀️.

[@Press2GetTheCookie]

In the EU you can take photos of airplane but you can’t take photos of crew or any other person inside the airplane without their consent. This is under the EU GDPR regulations. It’s an actual law.

[@WhatALoadOfTosca]

@@Press2GetTheCookie Have you a reference to that? I believe it is because it is private property and not GDPR, as GDPR doesn't normally apply to photographs. But I'd love to see as this is fascinating and I have a personal interest in the subject.

[@JoeCocker1337]

The flight attendants are sooo cute, beautiful. glad you took photos :)

[@Pdmc-vu5gj]

They are prisoners of an evil regime. Glad you think they are cute.

[@richardrejmer8721]

13:15. . WOW! That landing would have shaken the pilot's dental fillings out!

[@azlanameer4912]

D😂😂😂😂😂😂🎉

[@NomusaNdovela-r6f]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂❤

[@masterlightjames950]

That's a military plane.

[@toomanyhobbies2011]

They probably pulled a couple of her teeth out, without pain killer, for making such a poor show for those tourists.

[@10mseesawan]

It felt me like its tail is lost.

[@teazerfemi]

I love you so much Sam Chui, thanks for this great exposure

[@zennere]

It's all looking very vintage!! It's so interesting. And they're all very clean! What an incredible experience.

[@dylanmartin3164]

Great video sir! I learned more about N. KOREA than any other video before. You earned my subscription.

[@Nooticus]

Its pretty incredible how a repackaged video with content from years ago has got 2 million views in just a few days! Props to you Sam, it is interesting though I have seen it all already haha

[@johnmendonsa5503]

The flight attendants are gorgeous

[@Boss_Tanaka]

What about the MiG pilots? 😍😍

[@martinjrgensen8234]

By design ofc.

[@wildbill7267]

All prisoners of the State. 😢.

[@thenewanalogarchive22]

@@wildbill7267they’re probably quite happy, anyone that tourists get to meet in North Korea is a privileged individual that has been selected for that role. They don’t live like the peasants in the countryside.

[@UmaidShah]

Dude

[@rode73]

I wish I could fly with the IL 18 again, have so many childhood memories flying with it, love the sound of the turbo props.

[@alexturnbackthearmy1907]

Or Il-114. This thing is just something else.

[@dmitripogosian5084]

@@alexturnbackthearmy1907 That was rare, and was used only on international routes. IL-18 was a staple on domestic flights in the 60 and early 70-s. Trips to grandma in Baku, Azerbaijan from Tallinn Estonia, was my childhood.

[@rode73]

As a kid I flew on it, mostly on the route Erfurt - Budapest operated by Interflug and Malév, later on they were replaced by TU 134s until they terminated the route and the airlines as well. But I never forget the IL 18s satisfying humming.

[@bazlur-Vancouver]

I flew on Aeroflot as a passenger many times from 1974 to 1990. There was always a fear of breaking down. The last flight from Moscow to Montreal was in the summer of 1990. The plane's free fall near Canada is over 50m from the sky. There was crying, huge panics, and chaos all over the plane.

[@barrykevin7658]

@@bazlur-Vancouver You get what you pay for comrade .

[@uhrologe2596]

15:31 Wow...almost went wrong. Her tail part hit the ground. I hope the pilot didn't get a death penalty.

[@error_json]

oh yeah i saw that it looked bumpyy, during the interview, on of the pilots wasn't smiling as much, im pretty sure she knew she might've messed up

[@davidcheung8595]

No, the pilot is OK. But you are in trouble for bad-mouthing and degrading the country.

[@alexturnbackthearmy1907]

@@error_json Well in any part of the world your boss will give you a mouthful for almost smashing the plane.

[@StallionFX1]

​@davidcheung8595 you sound as if you were there and know this for a fact. What are your sources or are you just saying that, just to say that?

[@davidcheung8595]

@@StallionFX1 Take it easy, man. You never know.

[@MichaelToledoMusic]

Awesome rare insight. Appreciative. So much good footage. Just a constructive suggestion: maybe blur the employee’s faces, because we wouldn’t want them to get in trouble/hurt, as we know how strict and extreme consequences can be in North Korea if even the simplest of broken rules can be linked to an individual just by them being present in something their “government” doesn’t like. Have a great day! Thanks again for the good footage and insight

[@billcallahan9303]

An eye opener! Thank you & well done throughout!

[@WatchDanReviews]

By the way thanks for doing this, Sam! What a great video 😮

[@robertjones8598]

They have us beat in the flight attendant category.

[@oogba71]

By a mile

[@mrwong8584]

us, who?

[@Pdmc-vu5gj]

Not really

[@anthonyvallillo422]

Outstanding video - a rare glimpse into a part of the world that even I, as a lifelong military and airline pilot, never entered (although I did make it into Sough Korea a time or two over the years). One question though - and my apologies in advance if this is inappropriate - how do you finance these epic journeys? Is KZbin that lucrative?!

[@dukhi_aatma372]

KZbin revenue. It has made many millionaires. Plus, he gets a lot of sponsorships from Airline companies. He does a lot of Ad videos for airline companies. Plus, he runs an airline consultancy company. Plus, he is a professional Banker.

[@nzmarty]

depends on whether you have monetisation on (he will have for sure) and views. This video has 3 million views, it's about $500/month/1 million. Sam has 3 million + subscribers so there is a benefit for having those numbers. Watching adverts or subscribing to KZbin helps monetise.

[@askomgreal]

We got Sam chui in air koryo before GTA VI 💀

[@orangecayman520]

We got it before GTA V even. He went for the first time in 2012

[@askomgreal]

@@orangecayman520 hell naw 💀

[@citizenx2369]

@@askomgreal 🤣

[@marccastell6724]

Phenomenal report Sam! Please keep the great content coming!

[@tiocfaidh28]

I went to the DPRK a few years ago and flew with Air Koryo. A wonderful experience!

[@ralphus555]

What a really great video. Absolutely fascinating stuff.

[@bethbarclay855]

The fact the people are cleaning the outside of the plane by hand. What a cool vid

[@cappaman73]

Thoroughly enjoyed this Sam. Not only a great video about aircraft but also a fascinating glimpse into North Korea. Great job 👏

[@iljamabuse3659]

Hi Sam ....correction the underground cars are from West-Berlin before the wall has fallen. I drive with these underground cars (German = U-Bahn) to school. normally they painted in yellow but the North Koreans painted them green and red. Buy the way i fly with Tu-134, IL-18 and IL-62M (INTERFLUG) aswell in the 80´s from Berlin Schönefeld (EDDB (till 2020) /ETBS( till 1995)/SXF). IL-18 was a bucket. Greetings and thank you for your nice Videos.

[@Rubycon99]

They did actually have some East Berlin trains at one point, but they were taken out of metro service because of frequent electrical fires. They're still apparently used as commuter trains, so hopefully they've gotten less... flammable.

[@munyabrownn]

Wow... Just looking inside that cabin mad me claustrophobic...

[@conceretejungle1150]

Ohh sit down please😮it looks like any other plane😮

[@munyabrownn]

@@conceretejungle1150 if you say so

[@GeorgeLazenbyReturns]

I'll get around to visiting there one day. It's on my list of unusual destinations. However, I will say one thing. If they ask you not to take photos, I think it's the right thing to do and show some respect, by not taking them. It doesn't cost you anything to be respectful of their request. Who cares if everyone else is doing it. Just don't do it if they ask you not to.

[@BarryL2697]

Good advice ... you don't want to risk "disappearing"!

[@zenscott6477]

This was great- thanks!! You got to see the cockpit and even sit in the captain's seat!!

[@sabprogroup8623]

This actually says how good these planes are, they survived this long.

[@owlstead]

Try and read the Wikipedia article "Due to safety and maintenance concerns, Air Koryo was added to the list of air carriers banned in the European Union in March 2006." Currently they can operate 2 airplanes in the EU. Shiny doesn't mean good. And of course these old yet engines are hungry and loud beasts, as the video shows. They were good planes, it's anybody's guess if they still are.

[@sabprogroup8623]

@@owlstead these being banned in Europe has nothing to do with safety.

[@minc4108]

As a SouthKorean Citizne, This is such a very valuable video. Thanks for posting this finally.

[@duckblock]

Their flight attendants are very beautiful. The airplanes all look so cool, and it's nice of them to allow you to take pictures of the cockpit.

[@plymouthmechanic3423]

I never knew North Korea had such an incredible fleet of planes. They all look so pristine. Thank you for sharing this well documented video