This is a photo trip report of the highly successful Ukraine Grand Aviation Tour which took place in late July 2018.
Tour Highlights
- Ramp tour at Antonov facility.
- Fly An-24 of MotorSich Airlines. (also An-140 for those departed to Minsk)
- 3 flights on Yak-40 special charter for our group.
- See ANT-7 - only one in the world.
- See TU-114 - one of three left in the world.
- Ramp tour of Motorsich aircrafts at Zaporizhia.
- Ramp tour of Shiroke Airfield - 60 Let L-29, 13 Antonov An-2, 9 Mil Mi-2
- Ramp tour of strategic bombers - Tu-160 White Swan (only one in the world in a museum) Tu-95MS, Tu-22M3
I arrived at Kiev the day prior to the tour and stayed at The Ukraine Hotel in the city, with an amazing view of the Maidan square.
![a city with a monument and many buildings](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-1_3.jpg)
![a city with a statue and many cars and buildings](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-1_4.jpg)
![a building with many windows](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMG_3090.jpg)
![a room with a bed and a table and chairs](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMG_3091.jpg)
I visited the monument of motherland briefly in late afternoon.
Kiev at night (View from my room)
Day 1
Our group met in the lobby of Ukraine Hotel at 8am. The first stop was a coffee/tea stop at the yellow plane, which is a Yak-40 on stand.
Afterwards the group visited the Antonov facilities and were given a tour of their hangar and the production line. Due to some personal circumstances, I had not been to the Antonov plant. The pictures below were provided by another tour member who visited the plant.
The An-225 is on duty flights in South America but the group were shown the 2nd An-225 currently unfinished in the hangar.
![an airplane in a hangar](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/PULN5279-450x800.jpg)
We had lunch in the Antonov canteen, and then headed off for a quick tour of The Kiev Museum Aviation Training Institute and Hangar.
We saw the world's only Tupolev ANT-7 preserved in the hangar.
The hangar is literally a classroom, with many aircraft parts on display. There is: An-2, Yak-42, An-24, Let-410, Tu-154 and Mil-8 aircraft, all in pristine condition. A demo of flaps and gear up/down were shown to the group.
Afterwards we headed off to the Ukraine State Aviation Museum at the Kiev Zhulyany airport. I recommend spending at least 3 hours in this fantastic museum. There was so much on display to see, with many planes opened up to allow a visit to the interior too!
We had a quick dinner at a nearby restaurant and then were flown to Zaporizhia at 8pm by Motor Sich Airlines An-24.
![a group of people standing in a line](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-1_39.jpg)
![In the world's smallest Business Class lounge at domestic airport of Kiev Zhulyany](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-1_40.jpg)
![an airplane on the tarmac](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-1_41.jpg)
![an airplane on the tarmac](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-1_42.jpg)
![a group of people sitting in an airplane](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-1_43.jpg)
![When the person in front of you chose to recline into you!](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMG_3180-800x600.jpg)
![the wing of an airplane](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-1_44.jpg)
![the nose of a plane](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-1_45.jpg)
![a group of people standing next to an airplane](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-1_46.jpg)
Our hotel, Intourist Hotel, is 20 minutes away from the airport in the city of Zaporizhia. I was lucky enough to have been allocated a "retro" suite.
![a room with a couch and a table](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-1_47.jpg)
![a room with a couch and a table](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-1_48.jpg)
![a bed with a wooden headboard and two lamps](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-1_49.jpg)
![a bathroom with a tub toilet and toilet](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-1_50.jpg)
Day 2
We departed hotel to Zaporizhia airport to fly on our chartered An-2 to Shiroke airfield.![a blue and white airplane on a concrete surface](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-2_4.jpg)
![a group of people in a plane](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-2_3.jpg)
![a man sitting in a chair with other people in the background](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-2_2.jpg)
![a blue wing of an airplane](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-2_11.jpg)
After a 20 minute flight over The Dnipro River, we arrived at Shiroke airfield. We were allowed to visit 60 Let L-29, many Antonov An-2 and Mi-2 stored there. For more information about Shiroke Airfield, please visit here.
![a group of airplanes parked in a field](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-2_5.jpg)
![a man taking a picture of a group of airplanes](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-2_6.jpg)
![a group of airplanes parked on a tarmac](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-2_7.jpg)
![a group of airplanes parked on a concrete surface](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/HXEH3279.jpg)
![an old airplanes on a field](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/AYNZ8202.jpg)
![an old plane in a field](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-2_8.jpg)
![a blue and white airplane on a concrete runway](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-2_10.jpg)
![a group of concrete containers outside a brick building](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-2_9.jpg)
We flew back to Zaporizhia and had a tour of the Motor Sich airlines facility. We spotted An-2, An-12, An-24, An-74, Yak-40 and some IL-76 in the background. We were also allowed to visit inside of a VIP version of a Yak-40.
There were heavy thunderstorm and rain over the city in the evening; I took a few photos from my hotel room balcony. Zaporizhia is a typical Soviet industrial city and many buildings still display their Soviet heritage.
![a group of people sitting at a long table](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMG_3240.jpg)
Day 3
Today was a big day; our group flew on a specially chartered Yak-40 from Zaporizhia to Poltava then to Kryvyi Rih and back to Zaporizhia.
![a map of a river](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine2.gif)
![a blue and white airplane on a tarmac](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-3_38.jpg)
![a group of people sitting in an airplane](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-2_16.jpg)
![a person in the cockpit of a plane](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-2_17.jpg)
Upon landing at Poltava airport, we were given a great welcome by the local authorities. Local media were out filming our arrival as we were the first users of the newly renovated airport.
![a building with a sign on it](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-3_41.jpg)
![two women wearing traditional clothing](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-2_14.jpg)
![a blue and white airplane on a runway](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-3_42.jpg)
Аэропорт Полтава принял первый рейс с пассажирами после реконструкции
We then transferred to Museum of Long-Range and Strategic Aviation with a ramp tour of Tu-160 White Swan, Tu-95MS, Tu-22M3, Tu-22K, Tu-16, Tu-134UBL etc. We were even allowed to go inside of many of the aircraft on display!
The next stop was Kryvyi Rih, on our chartered Yak-40. Flight time from Poltava to Kryvyi Rih took 40 minutes. Kryvyi Rih, an industrial city with 600,000+ inhabitants, has a much older Soviet style terminal.
![an wing of an airplane over a city](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-2_15.jpg)
![Surf Ballroom with a flag in front of it](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-2_18.jpg)
![a building with a sign on the side](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Ukraine-Aviation-Tour-Day-2_19.jpg)
We visited Kryvyi Rih Aviation Museum which houses a Tu-114 and many other soviet built aircraft. They still have CCCP-xxxxx registration on the tail.
Everyone climbed the stairs to visit the interior of the giant Tu-114. We discovered there is a lower deck (galley) inside the massive Tu-114!
![a group of people standing in front of a plane](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/YGEO6826.jpg)
![a group of people in a room with a table and chairs](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMG_3294.jpg)
![a man in a blue shirt and red necklace with a woman in the background](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMG_3299-600x800.jpg)
Day 4
Our group flew back to Kiev by An-24 in the early morning. That was the end of a great tour! A few of us flew the Motor Sich Airlines An-140 to Minsk, in a bid to experience this unique turbo-prop. (the only one left in commercial service) See the separate report here.![a plane on the tarmac](https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMG_9013.jpg)
I hope you enjoyed the tour through these images. We are planning on a new tour in May 2019. I will provide the tour update on this blog. See you in Ukraine!