I flew the IL-96 from Los Angeles to Moscow in 1995. It was smooth and comfortable with a few bizarre features. 1) The seat in front of you can be folded forward so you can put your feet up - if nobody is sitting there! 2) The ceiling is very high, so the fan is mounted in an 'eyeball' shaped fan on the back of the seat in front of you. 3) The floor towards the back of the plane slopes "uphill" to match the profile of the aircraft. Also, the Aeroflot pilots took off faster than any airline I've ever flown - this plane is a hotrod! I should also mention that the Aeroflot experience was actually superb. Not Cathay Pacific, but the flight cre3w was attentive, kind, and friendly. They even changed uniforms mid-way through the flight. They also passed out commemorative certificates for passing over the North Pole!
2 isn't too weird, the DC-10 also put the gasper vent/punkah louver in the seat back. Today, you'll find vents in the side walls or above your shoulder of many business/first suites.
@@santiagojosepachecodiaz7329i flew in a 96 around 2007 from Moscow to Seoul, it was pretty similar in noise to a contemporary B767 but less vibrations due to the size of the plane itself. Interestingly the newer airbus that aeroflot used next year was less comfortable even though it was brand new.
@@4evertrue830, but how many airliners are NOT made in the West? Right now & brand-new there's the Comac C919 airliner aaaaand... what else? The C929 is on hold as a project; the Russians can't satisfy their end of the project & so the Chinese are probably going to go it alone. The MC-21 Irkut has a teeny-tiny production number, he'd have to travel to Russia to fly on one of those, & that's not exactly a great idea right now. And don't say Embraer. Brazil are a Western(-ish) economy & they are NOT "global South", whatever that means (I hate that term, it's demeaning imo). Alot of the components & assemblies going into Embraer's product line are American-made. Embraer owns a very large manufacturing footprint in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
@@4evertrue830, you're saying he criticizes aircraft that aren't made in the West but as far as airliner-sized passenger aircraft go, there are almost no aircraft of that type made in the East.
I used to fly its older and even bigger variant - the 86. It was a magnificent aircraft that had its own entrance with a wardrobe on the lower deck, a spacy luggage compartment, crew elevators , sadly one problem was the very loud APU. But then again it was a joy to fly one back in the 2000s. Shame on me I didn’t have a chance to fly a 96.
en Mexico In Mexico we watched the Aeroflot IL-62 from 1975 to 1998 they flew the Ilyushin62 WITHOUT any incident. Cubana operated the flights CU--472 Mex-Havana - Saal- Luanda- Harare Simbawe today is a prohibited route even with GPS that Cubana did not have in the 80s.
@@vladimirnikolskiy yes, it had 3-4-3. I also had an opportunity to fly by the "Rossiya" or even "Pulkovo" 86 at least once back in 2006 from St. Petersburg to Khabarovsk (and maybe the flight from KHV to SPB in 2005 too) and I remember well the steps directly from the plane, many seats in economy class and how I accidentally pinched my palm in the screen door of the toilet 😅
In Moscow early 90s saw a field of these planes. Russians called these "shared death" since so many accidents Heard they re-engined and upgraded avionics upgraded safety
I flew an IL-96 from LAX to Moscow (Sheremetyevo II) in 1995. The crew changed uniforms several times during the 11-hour flight and on the way back they handed out certificates that proclaimed that I had flown over the North Pole on an Aeroflot jet! It was great!
What an experience. That's is so cool you were able to experience flying on an IL-96, that was definitely worth the trip back down to Panama City! These Soviet quads are such beasts. Thanks for taking us along on this rare flight and for the great flight review.
What an incredible plane and rare opportunity that you shared with us. I have seen a few other videos of the 96, and as others have said, it is an extremely quiet and smooth airliner. You are very professional and articulate. Thank you!
Nice video! This made me think of 1987 when the Cuban national team pulled into Indianapolis when I was working at the airport. They pulled up in a Cubana IL-62. It was a treat to see that thing coming in.
This plane really has some odd but interesting design choices. Having 6 lavatories in the back is actually kinda genius not gonna lie. Makes queues for toilets far less likely. Having a bigger galley and decent crew seats is definitely also a good comfort for staff and could make a lot of sense for a more centralised meal prep.
Alex, my respects 🎩 My whole family is connected with aviation, although I am an exception. My uncle was an aviation technician at our Pulkovo Airport (LED). He also serviced the Il-96. I have flown it to the sea, to the city of Sochi, more than once. I watched your video and remembered my childhood, thank you very much! With hot, snowy and frosty greetings from Leningrad, USSR 🤝
Wonderful video! Thank you for sharing. I flew CU-T1717(ex SU IL-96) not long before it was retired on the MAD-HAV route. This brought back wonderful memories. Thank you!
Hey Alex - this was a nice video. What really sticks out is how clean and polished that airplane is on the outside. The IL-96 is a very cool aircraft. Unfortunately I have never been on one and with everything the way it is in the world I really doubt that I will be on one. But - then I should not complain since I had the joy to fly on Soviet era aircraft 32 years ago, which Aeroflot operated between Vienna and Moscow and that was once the TU 1345 and once the TU 154. Those were VERY noisy. Onward to Tokyo via Moscow was an IL-62 with those screaming rear mounted for engines. Loud - but amazing. Anyways - thanks for the video and greetings from South Florida!
I remember seeing an Il-96-300 a few years back. Its PS-90s had a distinctive high bypass engine sound all soviet designed jetliners were known for. It could land on a relatively short 2500 meter runway.
Yep, I was going to comment that it seemed like soy beef. I've heard from a Cuban doctor about their habit (necessity) of soy meat and how that didn't quite suffice as daily protein ingestion... F*ck'ng embargo!!!
They are relatively 'modern' Aviadvigatel PS-90 engines, developed in the 80s, but actually really only refined by updates in the early 90s. You should have heard the Kusnetzovs on the predecessor, the IL-86. They were LOUD!
@@hariranormal5584 They are relatively quiet by soviet/russian standards, but the audio recording made them a tad quieter than they actually are. Their volume is comparable to the PW2000s on a Boeing 757.
@@dschoene57 not only loud, but were giving a lot of vibration too, especially during landing and reverse, many overhead bin lids opened and we had some baggage falling out them in 1986 -- my first flight on IL-86 was unforgettable. Also many of the passengers had to carry a lot of their baggage with them and put it on the baggage racks on the lower deck themselves!
I flew on that to visit relatives in Havana, Cuba from Madrid, Spain back when I was a kid in 2010, it was an unusual experience I've had flying that airline and that type of plane.
I recall flying on IL-96 flom LA to Moscow and back in 1994. It was very stardy plane lacking any rattling and/or squeaking noises in flight typical for Boeing and Airbus.
🤔 Interesting... When I flew on a 787 I thought the wing made more clunking noise than necessary (during approach, takeoff, landing). Now I kinda want to fly on a IL96-400 to compare😂.
There were talks of resuming the production of IL-96s to reduce Russia's dependence on Western long-haul aircraft after the war started. They even did some test flights of the modernised 400 version but they've been quiet about it lately.
@@elFulberto Il-96 is in low-rate production, about 1 airframe a year. There are still hopes (or fantasies, call it what you will) of producing the Il-96-400M two-engine variant when PD-35s are flight-capable, but given that they're promised to be ready in two years, at least half a decade seems more realistic :D
The roof lines in the L1011 were the same with no overhead bins in the middle. As for no comparison, in 24 that would be an understatement. However, having flown on 707's and the VC 10 from Vickers, this would not top those. At least in my books. Well captured. I'm glad you grabbed the opportunity to do this and show us. Cheers.
8:22 you can see the oldest B737-200 in commercial service today, YV3471. It's amazing seeing these two planes parked side-by-side. It doesn't get better than that!
Alex: Thanks for this jewel of an experience. Last time I saw a wide body so empty was being first to board on an AC 777. A peak at the cockpit would have been bonus, nice try. Kudos for all of the effort another winner.
Interesting, I flew on a package holiday Ilyushin Il 18, turbo prop to Bulgaria. Sat on apron for 1 1/2 hours till the ground crew managed to coax all 4 engined to run together. In flight , the noise and vibration was enough to unscrew a tap top in the basin in the toilet area as it fell into the basin. We made it with a perfect soft landing. The return trip took a few scotches to get back on that aircraft, but we made it safely back to Gatwick. Cheers
I flew in 1988 twice between Africa and Europe with Interflug and Aeroflot (Il-62 M) : a little noisy but with very comfortable internal space . Starting with the distance between seat lines and the toilet so big like a modern train and not for dwarfs like that of Boeing and Airbus.
I didn't know Cubana returned their Il-96's to service and I can't wait to fly on them now that they are back in service! Though it was a shame that I visited Panama from July 1 to 17 and never saw or knew about this! Also how did you book that charter flight?
You know the meal is an uphill climb when you start saying things like "the butter was tasty". Also when the economy class snack looks better than the one served in business class lol. Quite an interesting aircraft, and a rare catch indeed, especially from the inside. Appreciate the upload!
Excellent video thanks very much, a big thanks specially for not using music! Solid airplane tough as nails. I like the little quirks. In a world flooded with boring 737s and A320s this was a real treat to watch!
In actual fact, those old-fashioned reclining seats in the business class section are more comfortable than the fancy seats in the US and EU short- and medium-haul aeroplanes.
I have soft spot of Ilyushin given my first flight was on Il-18 and my first jet flight was on Il-62. Never fliwnn on, or even Saw Il-96 though. Nice video.
I remember them vividly, and always had a week spot in my heart for them. When do we see you in Scandinavia on the last Caravelle? You made over 10.000 people very happy in only 4 hours, Well done Alex, Greetings to all, Bas YVR
I flew into Havana on a Ilyushin II-62M in 1994. Air Cubana, Montreal/Jose Marti. 99cent plastic shower curtains separated the cabins. No food except beer or rum. And, the aircraft was clearly painted using a brush 😂 BUT it was before 9/11 and as a flight student I was invited to fly some cockpit time sitting behind the flight engineer.
I was working at a mine in Cuba within the last year, and the cabin food gave me flash back. Same bottled water, same buns, same fruit, same questionable chicken. Every meal for 6 weeks.
Great avgeek moment watching this, thanks. These planes really are elegant, they bear quite some resemblance with the A340, including the winglets. The vast interior with the high ceiling reminds me much of the L-1011s I flew on.
Absolutely brilliant.. such a rare bird! What a pleasure it was to watch this. One of your best so far Alex! Thanks for bringing the IL-96 flying experience to the rest of us who will probably never fly this 👍🏽
Oh Alex, thank you for sharing this special flight with us. It was as thrilling for me to watch as it was for your to experience. Must admit that though am a prop persin myself, Russian planes do also fascinate me. Great video.
IL96 Cabin width is 5.7m 787 Cabin width is 5.49m 777 Cabin width is 5.6m For 9 across, it gives the IL96 about 2cm more per seat width than the densified 787 that was originally designed for 8 across and more comfortable than the 777 with their originally designed 9 across seating (so obviously the IL96 much better than 777s configured by airline accountants with 10 across to make flying as miserable as they can).
@@user-iu3ym7ri9hඞ Sorry. googling again today does yield 5.87 but I wear, when I googled fortt before I had found 5.6 ! Can't provide explanation for finding 5.6. But 5.87 makes more sense.
I do like the IL-96s & the AN-148s both are cool aircraft. Also, empty airliners are way more enjoyable without all that extra noise and screaming kids. Thanks for posting.
I flew on IL86 from moscow to Havana in 1986, then from Havana to Santiago De Cuba on turboprop IL18 (!), coming back from there on TU154 and back to moscow on IL86. There was a huge turbulence over Atlantic on the outbound leg, night flight, but we survived. Unbelievable experience, worth writing a book.
Got to love Cubana....paper visas in cash....passenger flights with almost no passengers....plenty of hold capacity to pick up USD from USD denominated banks in Panama....picadillo with no meat, ultra processed reconstituted cheese and meat slices and planes that spend 14 months in service. Wonder what all the IL96 trained pilots do when all the planes are laid up ?
I thought their cheese was just less (or not) pasteurized. I actually love their cheese at the resorts. Maybe it’s just me lol. Tastes like butter that’s been out for a few days.
It was refreshing to hear someone say "IL" and "TU" repeatedly rather than "I-L" and "T-U". Excellent video - really enjoyed following your trip - if I could afford it, I would happily travel from Australia to Panama just to fly on an IL-96.
@19:20 **clapping** Not sure if that's confidence inspiring or not, but you're on the ground now lol. I'm equal parts jealous and happy for you! This was an amazing video of something I will very likely never experience in my life. Thank you for recording this so well, and sharing it with us.
Being born in Russia and moving to Canada 18 years ago this type of plane was the one we used to fly to Amsterdam from my birth town. Very interesting aircraft, and the one we were on didn’t even have window covers to close haha
The IL-96 is emblematic of the failure of communism and socialism. The cost per airframe to build one of these white elephants must be enormous. And the cost of flying a wide-body four-engine airplane on short-haul routes TOTALLY unsuitable for it is laughable. AND with 15 paying passengers. LOL. In addition, the cost of maintaining this relic of aviation stupidity must also be enormous. Failure top to bottom, left to right. But socialist don't care about that.
How lucky! I am really looking forward to fly on the IL-96 in the future, it seems that the IL-96 is cool from the inside as much as it is from the outside with it’s quad-engine design with large winglets
Great video thx. Actually I think the position of the air con vents is great and the 'centralized' toilets are good. These ideas should be followed by the A330 especially
Awesome flight report there Alex, i really loved that boarding through the passenger bridge & the views of those engines.,quite a unique built aircraft✈👍
That is not quite true. Also of cause with only 30 produced that dont say much. For example E2 family have a simular track record but considerally more hours in the sky.
In my experience, Cubans keeps a large part of the plane open for standby passengers. That way, they can accept bids/ tips from people who want to fly at the last minute even when the flight is supposedly ‘full’. I’ve done this several times, I just went to the airport and flew standby after passing the gate agent some cold hard cash.
@@Caocao8888 lmao, I’ve never had a confirmed seat on Cubana, at least 4 times I’ve walked up to the ticket counter when the flight was supposedly ‘full’ and I miraculously got a seat each time. Cubans are very good at gaming the system.
@@damonmelendez856 I used to live in PR. We would hear Cubans say PR’s were lazy. Moving to Miami Beach, my dad would point to some bank and say, “A few years ago, so-and-so was working at a hotel. Now he owns that bank.” Hidden assets? Who knows… But the Cubans I’ve known really ARE super go-getters. Too bad many still on the island live in such wretched conditions, but you know that a fair number Cubans there do have a lot of money. Those hotel deals with the French, import-export deals, etc.
The Planning of the IL-96 was done in the 1980ies and its Prototype was manufactured in 1988, but the Production started only in 1992 - after the Dissolution of the Soviet Union. This specific Aircraft (CU-T1250) was built in 2005 (!). The IL-96 is a child of the same time as the 777 - and if you compare it with the 777 it shows how much behind the "Western" Technology the Aircraft Industry in RUSSIA actually is - at least without Western Technology. Since 1988 there were only 30 IL-96 built - Cubana de Aviacion is today the only Civil Aviation Airline operating it. All others are operating for the Government of Russia.
During USSR era 35%-of the planes in our planet sky were made in the USSR. The USSR was the only country in the world that had 4 brands of domestic plane production. AN, TU, IL, YAK. By the way the TU-144 made its first flight 3 months before Concord's first flight.
@@macrusmail Don't know at which point of time you mean, but in the 1950s and 1960s the UK and US also had a couple of passenger plane manufacturers: DeHavilland, Hawker-Siddeley, Vickers, later many merged into BAC and BAe; then Boeing, Douglas, Lockheed, Convair and if also very small are added then there are/were Beechcraft, Cessna, Learjet...
@@NicolaW72 I'd rather compare it with the Airbus A340 (and A330) as they are very similar in size and capacity, AFAIK Airbus kinda placed more of their bet on the four-engined A340 because they didn't expect to the lift of ETOPS rules (which limited long-haul flights across oceans for planes with only two engines, also mocked as "Engines Turn Or Passengers Swim"), however they co-developed the twin-engined A330 and thanks to that ETOPS rule change, the A330 became the bestseller. Ilyushin obviously only built their "A340" so it's not a big suprise that the only export customer was Cuba. Interestingly, the German Democratic Republic (with state-owned "Interflug" international airline) ordered three Airbus A310s in 1988 to replace their IL-62 for the route to cuba (these had to stop for refuelling in Gander and people repeatedly fled "into the west" during this) and those were delivered in August to October 1989, when the peaceful revolution already was running, on 9th of November they opened the Borders and one year later, on 3rd of October 1990 they were re-united with West Germany and the government/air force took these planes and used them for government flights for three decades until they were recently retired.
I am an aircraft engineer from Turkiye, and worked in Moscow between 2012-2015 for more than 3 years in Sheremetyevo airport. I flew from Moscow to Istanbul with one of these when Aeroflot was still utilizing them. One of the most important thing I noticed was the performance of the airplane. It just climbed non-stop, very steep and without any sign of deccleration. For such a massive machine, I was surprised really. Another thing I really liked was cabin (de)pressurization ratio. Absolutely no effect on my ear drums, because I usually have very strong feeling or sometimes a slight pain while cabin pressure is dropping. On another ordinary working day, we saw one of the parked Ilyushin in Sheremetyevo caught fire. We were not told the reason. Then all fleet was grounded. Of course, it is not difficult to understand that they are not very reliable, and not supported by manufacturer after sale. Maintenance is a pain in the *ss. Staying in a heavy check for a year! No way to compete with western airplanes' reliability rate and level of in-service support. In any case, such a shame to lose these airplanes. They would be still utilized in different missions such as cargo.
In 2005 I visited Russia with my school. We visited Ilushin plane factory and they even took us to one of IL-96 that was 95% finished and that was built for Cubana. It may be the same one you rode on. I remember they mentioning fast conversion.. This is awesome!
Thank you for making this wonderful video of the rare Il-96 ! I particularly enjoyed the fact it has no middle bulkhead . As you observed, it makes the inside of the plane looking bigger, roomier ❤
Noticed the thick walls. What were sound levels like in aircraft? If designed for VIP, wonder if they went whole hog on soundproofing. Engines don't see to have very high bypass. Were they more like loud 1970s engines or more like 340 engines? Depending how how everything is attached, it can be much faster to reconfigure aircraft if everythig is in the seat vserus having to move seat and their connections as well as reconfigure ceiling and move each air vent/mask. Also, you would need everything in seats for middle section anyways since no overhead bin. I have to assume aircraft without overhead bins is designed for an environent where checked baggage is encouraged as opposed to making it a nuisance fee.
Hey Alex, Awesome job on the trip presentation! Your narration was super clear and not over the top. The voice recording was spot on. Keep it up, and I can’t wait to see more of your cool travel stories!
I've seen you take some crazy flights but this one has to top it all. I don't know what you were thinking flying on that aircraft type but kudos to you for your courage and braveness. Thanks for taking us on the ride. Would I ever do it? Not a chance!
@@ron3557 боииг и аирбас занесли в определенные кабинеты кучу бабла чтобы их не строили . Случайно 2 года назад летел на IL - 96 , был в восторге как пассажир. Много места . После него лично для меня стоит Боинг 777. Летал , и летаю много .
When Alex’s mentions you 😫
Alex's? Just Alex.
@@wintersbattleofbands1144 Retired teacher?
Fr
Plane spotting Regina please
@@FTStratLPCompetent person.
I flew the IL-96 from Los Angeles to Moscow in 1995. It was smooth and comfortable with a few bizarre features. 1) The seat in front of you can be folded forward so you can put your feet up - if nobody is sitting there! 2) The ceiling is very high, so the fan is mounted in an 'eyeball' shaped fan on the back of the seat in front of you. 3) The floor towards the back of the plane slopes "uphill" to match the profile of the aircraft. Also, the Aeroflot pilots took off faster than any airline I've ever flown - this plane is a hotrod! I should also mention that the Aeroflot experience was actually superb. Not Cathay Pacific, but the flight cre3w was attentive, kind, and friendly. They even changed uniforms mid-way through the flight. They also passed out commemorative certificates for passing over the North Pole!
That’s cool. Thanks for sharing. Still have the certificate?
2 isn't too weird, the DC-10 also put the gasper vent/punkah louver in the seat back. Today, you'll find vents in the side walls or above your shoulder of many business/first suites.
How was the engine sound?
@@abes.4040 i have the same question, because some say that russian planes are so laud inside.
@@santiagojosepachecodiaz7329i flew in a 96 around 2007 from Moscow to Seoul, it was pretty similar in noise to a contemporary B767 but less vibrations due to the size of the plane itself. Interestingly the newer airbus that aeroflot used next year was less comfortable even though it was brand new.
This channel went from “I flew on a Boeing 737” to “I flew on a A340” to “I flew a on a frickin IL96” real quick, did not expect that coming
Same!
No he alredy did that@MARIANOJOSEMORAUMANA
A true Aviation Geek will try every aircraft that there is! IL-96 does not look like a bad plane!
Lame
Next : flew HS748 😬
Can we talk about how clean the exterior of the aircraft was? I mean look at the chrome finish around the engines, it was PO👏LISHED👏
True but, don't expect him to pin you for pointing that out. He criticises any aircraft not made in the west.
No doubt cubans love and care their cars and planes.
@@4evertrue830, but how many airliners are NOT made in the West?
Right now & brand-new there's the Comac C919 airliner aaaaand... what else?
The C929 is on hold as a project; the Russians can't satisfy their end of the project & so the Chinese are probably going to go it alone. The MC-21 Irkut has a teeny-tiny production number, he'd have to travel to Russia to fly on one of those, & that's not exactly a great idea right now.
And don't say Embraer. Brazil are a Western(-ish) economy & they are NOT "global South", whatever that means (I hate that term, it's demeaning imo). Alot of the components & assemblies going into Embraer's product line are American-made. Embraer owns a very large manufacturing footprint in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
@@CoffeeAndPaul Meaning?
@@4evertrue830, you're saying he criticizes aircraft that aren't made in the West but as far as airliner-sized passenger aircraft go, there are almost no aircraft of that type made in the East.
I used to fly its older and even bigger variant - the 86. It was a magnificent aircraft that had its own entrance with a wardrobe on the lower deck, a spacy luggage compartment, crew elevators , sadly one problem was the very loud APU. But then again it was a joy to fly one back in the 2000s. Shame on me I didn’t have a chance to fly a 96.
I also flew the Il-86 in the late 80s. Am I right, in my memories, there were not three, but four rows of seats in the middle of the cabin?
Had a long flight on Il-86 in October of 1990 from Lima to Moscow. Will always remember it.
en Mexico In Mexico we watched the Aeroflot IL-62 from 1975 to 1998 they flew the Ilyushin62 WITHOUT any incident. Cubana operated the flights CU--472 Mex-Havana - Saal- Luanda- Harare Simbawe today is a prohibited route even with GPS that Cubana did not have in the 80s.
😮@@AK-kz6wc
@@vladimirnikolskiy yes, it had 3-4-3. I also had an opportunity to fly by the "Rossiya" or even "Pulkovo" 86 at least once back in 2006 from St. Petersburg to Khabarovsk (and maybe the flight from KHV to SPB in 2005 too) and I remember well the steps directly from the plane, many seats in economy class and how I accidentally pinched my palm in the screen door of the toilet 😅
Incredible footage. Thanks for sharing this
In Moscow early 90s saw a field of these planes. Russians called these "shared death" since so many accidents
Heard they re-engined and upgraded avionics upgraded safety
I flew an IL-96 from LAX to Moscow (Sheremetyevo II) in 1995. The crew changed uniforms several times during the 11-hour flight and on the way back they handed out certificates that proclaimed that I had flown over the North Pole on an Aeroflot jet! It was great!
What a rare and unique opportunity!! Very envious, thank you for sharing
What an experience. That's is so cool you were able to experience flying on an IL-96, that was definitely worth the trip back down to Panama City! These Soviet quads are such beasts. Thanks for taking us along on this rare flight and for the great flight review.
Самый лучший лайнер. 434 пассажира
Это круче чем А340
What an incredible plane and rare opportunity that you shared with us. I have seen a few other videos of the 96, and as others have said, it is an extremely quiet and smooth airliner. You are very professional and articulate. Thank you!
I really wasn't expecting this, but I'm so glad. You finally got to fly on a Russian liner! and a widebody too. Great video, Alex.
Nice video! This made me think of 1987 when the Cuban national team pulled into Indianapolis when I was working at the airport. They pulled up in a Cubana IL-62. It was a treat to see that thing coming in.
Going to bet that every captain and first officer taking up seats in Business class ended up logging that time as "flight hours."
on a "technicality" they wouldn't be lying 🤣🤣🤣
@@mysteryrgo "Technically correct" is the best kind of correct. 😂
@@RunawayTrain2502 😂😂
I'm not a pilot but do I get 1/2 flight hours flying in economy?
Yep, that's how it is done in the real world of communism......
This plane really has some odd but interesting design choices. Having 6 lavatories in the back is actually kinda genius not gonna lie. Makes queues for toilets far less likely. Having a bigger galley and decent crew seats is definitely also a good comfort for staff and could make a lot of sense for a more centralised meal prep.
6 lavatories in the back to cope with the icreased demand because of the food quality ! 🤣😄😃
Alex, my respects 🎩
My whole family is connected with aviation, although I am an exception. My uncle was an aviation technician at our Pulkovo Airport (LED). He also serviced the Il-96. I have flown it to the sea, to the city of Sochi, more than once. I watched your video and remembered my childhood, thank you very much!
With hot, snowy and frosty greetings from Leningrad, USSR 🤝
Wonderful video! Thank you for sharing. I flew CU-T1717(ex SU IL-96) not long before it was retired on the MAD-HAV route. This brought back wonderful memories. Thank you!
Sydsquad!!!!
Hey Alex - this was a nice video. What really sticks out is how clean and polished that airplane is on the outside. The IL-96 is a very cool aircraft. Unfortunately I have never been on one and with everything the way it is in the world I really doubt that I will be on one. But - then I should not complain since I had the joy to fly on Soviet era aircraft 32 years ago, which Aeroflot operated between Vienna and Moscow and that was once the TU 1345 and once the TU 154. Those were VERY noisy. Onward to Tokyo via Moscow was an IL-62 with those screaming rear mounted for engines. Loud - but amazing. Anyways - thanks for the video and greetings from South Florida!
I've always been fascinated by the IL-96. Great video!
I remember seeing an Il-96-300 a few years back. Its PS-90s had a distinctive high bypass engine sound all soviet designed jetliners were known for. It could land on a relatively short 2500 meter runway.
13:10 I believe that's called picadillo de soya. It's essentially soy meat, which makes sense as meat is pretty scarce in Cuba nowadays.
Yep, I was going to comment that it seemed like soy beef. I've heard from a Cuban doctor about their habit (necessity) of soy meat and how that didn't quite suffice as daily protein ingestion... F*ck'ng embargo!!!
No corpse in my meal makes it a good meal.
He looks like he's been eaten once already.😀
@@zerooneonetwothree1872
Stay weak! Easier to push over if comes to that. 🍖
@@marrs1013 Novak Đoković, Lewis Hamilton...
Those engines are super quiet. Didn't expect that!😮
They are relatively 'modern' Aviadvigatel PS-90 engines, developed in the 80s, but actually really only refined by updates in the early 90s. You should have heard the Kusnetzovs on the predecessor, the IL-86. They were LOUD!
Even I was confused if they are actually so quiet or the video just had it like that
@@hariranormal5584 They are relatively quiet by soviet/russian standards, but the audio recording made them a tad quieter than they actually are. Their volume is comparable to the PW2000s on a Boeing 757.
@@dschoene57 Especially behind the wing! (Economy class on Aeroflot IL-86 on JFK-LED in 1992)
@@dschoene57 not only loud, but were giving a lot of vibration too, especially during landing and reverse, many overhead bin lids opened and we had some baggage falling out them in 1986 -- my first flight on IL-86 was unforgettable. Also many of the passengers had to carry a lot of their baggage with them and put it on the baggage racks on the lower deck themselves!
Absolutely fascinating!!! Always been intrigued by the IL-96, thanks so much for sharing this with us!
Great report!!!
I flew on that to visit relatives in Havana, Cuba from Madrid, Spain back when I was a kid in 2010, it was an unusual experience I've had flying that airline and that type of plane.
A mi parecer los aviones constyudios de RUSIA son muy buenos para vuelos de px en cualquier parte del mundo 🌍 entero ❤😊
Que viva ESPAÑA!❤❤😊😊
I recall flying on IL-96 flom LA to Moscow and back in 1994. It was very stardy plane lacking any rattling and/or squeaking noises in flight typical for Boeing and Airbus.
Never had a plane of any type make unnecessary noise. Lol
@@kingsharkoon I am talking about moments when a plane is severly shaken by turbulence.
Спасибо😊
🤔 Interesting...
When I flew on a 787 I thought the wing made more clunking noise than necessary (during approach, takeoff, landing).
Now I kinda want to fly on a IL96-400 to compare😂.
@@sasjadevriesИЛ96-400 грузовой самолет
4:11 The Uniworld 727 Casually taxiing by.
Didn't notice that at first but I did notice the 8:22 Venezolana 737-200 YV3471 at the gate next to the IL-96! 😍
With a cargo MD-10 coming very soon, traffic at PTY is getting very interesting compared to the usual sea of Copa 737s
Definitely your best Video so far, Alex. Well done! One of the biggest "Holy Grail" for every Avgeek!
Yo!!!! I've been a fan of the IL-96-300. Sad that more weren't made. I'm so glad you got a chance to fly on one of these.
There were talks of resuming the production of IL-96s to reduce Russia's dependence on Western long-haul aircraft after the war started. They even did some test flights of the modernised 400 version but they've been quiet about it lately.
@@elFulberto Il-96 is in low-rate production, about 1 airframe a year. There are still hopes (or fantasies, call it what you will) of producing the Il-96-400M two-engine variant when PD-35s are flight-capable, but given that they're promised to be ready in two years, at least half a decade seems more realistic :D
A beautiful aircraft !!!
Simply WOW! This is rare opportunity indeed. Once in early 90s I flew ZRH - SVO (TU 154 ) - then SVO - KHI - CMB on IL62; great memories.
Да, теперь уже на Ту-154 даже в России не полетать (только у военных)((, а вот на гражданском Ил-62 ещё можно, но это в Пхеньян лететь надо))
The roof lines in the L1011 were the same with no overhead bins in the middle. As for no comparison, in 24 that would be an understatement. However, having flown on 707's and the VC 10 from Vickers, this would not top those. At least in my books. Well captured. I'm glad you grabbed the opportunity to do this and show us. Cheers.
Yep! You topped him...
8:22 you can see the oldest B737-200 in commercial service today, YV3471. It's amazing seeing these two planes parked side-by-side. It doesn't get better than that!
Alex: Thanks for this jewel of an experience. Last time I saw a wide body so empty was being first to board on an AC 777. A peak at the cockpit would have been bonus, nice try. Kudos for all of the effort another winner.
Incredible experience. I got the opportunity to see them (Cubana's Il-96's) operate in Madrid around 10 years ago. What a sight ! Nice plane
Interesting, I flew on a package holiday Ilyushin Il 18, turbo prop to Bulgaria. Sat on apron for 1 1/2 hours till the ground crew managed to coax all 4 engined to run together. In flight , the noise and vibration was enough to unscrew a tap top in the basin in the toilet area as it fell into the basin. We made it with a perfect soft landing. The return trip took a few scotches to get back on that aircraft, but we made it safely back to Gatwick.
Cheers
I flew in 1988 twice between Africa and Europe with Interflug and Aeroflot (Il-62 M) : a little noisy but with very comfortable internal space . Starting with the distance between seat lines and the toilet so big like a modern train and not for dwarfs like that of Boeing and Airbus.
I didn't know Cubana returned their Il-96's to service and I can't wait to fly on them now that they are back in service! Though it was a shame that I visited Panama from July 1 to 17 and never saw or knew about this! Also how did you book that charter flight?
They only have 1x IL96 in service, which is the CU-T1250. The rest are stored at HVN as you can see at the end of the video.
You know the meal is an uphill climb when you start saying things like "the butter was tasty". Also when the economy class snack looks better than the one served in business class lol.
Quite an interesting aircraft, and a rare catch indeed, especially from the inside. Appreciate the upload!
What a fantastic snapshot of the IL96 - such a unique perspective to see especially in a world of Airbus and Boeing widebody airliners.
What a treat!
9:38 That sound of these PS90As is super soothing 🔥💪
Super quiet too..👍 😍
Our Man in Havana
Those engines look beautiful
Thanks!
FANTASTIC experience. I am jealous. I was in Havana several years ago and saw three IL-96 just parked.
Thank you for making this video.
Excellent video thanks very much, a big thanks specially for not using music! Solid airplane tough as nails. I like the little quirks. In a world flooded with boring 737s and A320s this was a real treat to watch!
How many are in the air as we speak compared to Boeing or Airbus planes?
2:57 It's interesting how the written boarding pass has option for smoking/non-smoking
You even saw the oldest 737 in service at Tocumen!
Another quite a unique feature is the elevator to the lower deck. (and yet L1011 had the elevator too and no overheads in the cabin)
In actual fact, those old-fashioned reclining seats in the business class section are more comfortable than the fancy seats in the US and EU short- and medium-haul aeroplanes.
I have soft spot of Ilyushin given my first flight was on Il-18 and my first jet flight was on Il-62. Never fliwnn on, or even Saw Il-96 though. Nice video.
Nice report, as always. I'm glad you had an opportunity to experience flying on an Il-96.
Never clicked so fast
Same lol
ikr
Same
Same! I always pass by Havana Airport and see these Russian planes and always wondered how it was like flying in one!
SUPER!!! This is top story! I have never flew on Il-96, but several times on Il-86. This is nice plane indeed!
I flew on Cubana's Antonov An-158 from Havana to Santiago de Cuba when I was a little kid.
I from Cuba 🇨🇺 Hola Amigo
Man, If only. Rarest ive flown on is BAe 146 from Perth to Broome
You are very lucky to have survived !!
My rarest flight was on a Fokker 100 😭
"cu" KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
that's cool as hell!!!!
0:56 the first time i have genuinely seen this man say a bad word
I remember them vividly, and always had a week spot in my heart for them. When do we see you in Scandinavia on the last Caravelle? You made over 10.000 people very happy in only 4 hours, Well done Alex,
Greetings to all,
Bas YVR
I flew into Havana on a Ilyushin II-62M in 1994. Air Cubana, Montreal/Jose Marti. 99cent plastic shower curtains separated the cabins. No food except beer or rum. And, the aircraft was clearly painted using a brush 😂 BUT it was before 9/11 and as a flight student I was invited to fly some cockpit time sitting behind the flight engineer.
I was working at a mine in Cuba within the last year, and the cabin food gave me flash back. Same bottled water, same buns, same fruit, same questionable chicken. Every meal for 6 weeks.
AI?
Great avgeek moment watching this, thanks. These planes really are elegant, they bear quite some resemblance with the A340, including the winglets.
The vast interior with the high ceiling reminds me much of the L-1011s I flew on.
This plane looks so cool! I loved your video
Absolutely brilliant.. such a rare bird! What a pleasure it was to watch this. One of your best so far Alex! Thanks for bringing the IL-96 flying experience to the rest of us who will probably never fly this 👍🏽
Fantastic video Alex! Its amazing to see the Cubana Il-96 in action given how rare and hard it is to find it!
Oh Alex, thank you for sharing this special flight with us. It was as thrilling for me to watch as it was for your to experience. Must admit that though am a prop persin myself, Russian planes do also fascinate me. Great video.
IL96 Cabin width is 5.7m
787 Cabin width is 5.49m
777 Cabin width is 5.6m
For 9 across, it gives the IL96 about 2cm more per seat width than the densified 787 that was originally designed for 8 across and more comfortable than the 777 with their originally designed 9 across seating (so obviously the IL96 much better than 777s configured by airline accountants with 10 across to make flying as miserable as they can).
I remember that it felt very wide.
Incorrect 777 has a cabin width of 5.87m but yeah il96 is wide
@@user-iu3ym7ri9hඞ Sorry. googling again today does yield 5.87 but I wear, when I googled fortt before I had found 5.6 ! Can't provide explanation for finding 5.6. But 5.87 makes more sense.
@@jfmezei maybe its an article comparing 777 to a350 which has a cabin width of 5.6m and google is stupid sometimes
L1011 is 5.77.. it kind of looks to me that a lot of the cabin is inspired or copied of the L1011
I do like the IL-96s & the AN-148s both are cool aircraft. Also, empty airliners are way more enjoyable without all that extra noise and screaming kids. Thanks for posting.
Thank you, Alex! I am glad you were able to pull off something so exciting! Greetings from St. Petersburg, Russia!
I flew on IL86 from moscow to Havana in 1986, then from Havana to Santiago De Cuba on turboprop IL18 (!), coming back from there on TU154 and back to moscow on IL86. There was a huge turbulence over Atlantic on the outbound leg, night flight, but we survived. Unbelievable experience, worth writing a book.
Got to love Cubana....paper visas in cash....passenger flights with almost no passengers....plenty of hold capacity to pick up USD from USD denominated banks in Panama....picadillo with no meat, ultra processed reconstituted cheese and meat slices and planes that spend 14 months in service. Wonder what all the IL96 trained pilots do when all the planes are laid up ?
I thought their cheese was just less (or not) pasteurized. I actually love their cheese at the resorts. Maybe it’s just me lol. Tastes like butter that’s been out for a few days.
The Cheese and Meat looked pretty good (you cannot taste it while only looking at it via RUclips) - but all other Points: Exactly!👍
Drinking mojitos ,comrade!
It was refreshing to hear someone say "IL" and "TU" repeatedly rather than "I-L" and "T-U". Excellent video - really enjoyed following your trip - if I could afford it, I would happily travel from Australia to Panama just to fly on an IL-96.
I am from Cuba and I fly in them every month due to business,great flights overall always,welcome to Cuba if you ever end up making the trip.
@19:20 **clapping** Not sure if that's confidence inspiring or not, but you're on the ground now lol.
I'm equal parts jealous and happy for you! This was an amazing video of something I will very likely never experience in my life. Thank you for recording this so well, and sharing it with us.
Very cool I love Russia also. Traveled to St Petersburg in 2016 on Boeing 737 and 777. I resided in Canada 1994 to 1996. Today I am in Nevada USA.
Being born in Russia and moving to Canada 18 years ago this type of plane was the one we used to fly to Amsterdam from my birth town. Very interesting aircraft, and the one we were on didn’t even have window covers to close haha
The IL-96 is emblematic of the failure of communism and socialism. The cost per airframe to build one of these white elephants must be enormous. And the cost of flying a wide-body four-engine airplane on short-haul routes TOTALLY unsuitable for it is laughable. AND with 15 paying passengers. LOL. In addition, the cost of maintaining this relic of aviation stupidity must also be enormous. Failure top to bottom, left to right. But socialist don't care about that.
greetings from Belarus :)
How lucky! I am really looking forward to fly on the IL-96 in the future, it seems that the IL-96 is cool from the inside as much as it is from the outside with it’s quad-engine design with large winglets
Il96 is a nice Airplane, flew with one from Seoul to Moscow many years ago while still in service at Aeroflot.
That's awesome Alex, great report!
Great video thx. Actually I think the position of the air con vents is great and the 'centralized' toilets are good. These ideas should be followed by the A330 especially
6:37 oh man look at those engines
This is why this is my favourite aviation RUclips channel❤
Great video Alex, one of a kind video and one hell of an opportunity.
Very nicely done mate 👌
Thanks for sharing
❤Il-96❤
Awesome flight report there Alex, i really loved that boarding through the passenger bridge & the views of those engines.,quite a unique built aircraft✈👍
The only airplane that never had any incident or catastrophe.
💯
That is not quite true. Also of cause with only 30 produced that dont say much.
For example E2 family have a simular track record but considerally more hours in the sky.
B787 and the A350? I wouldn't even include incidents as the Russians would likely just lie about them anyway.
787:
C919:
ARJ27:
Beluga:
A350-1000:
A380(excluding QF32):
777-9:
MAX-10:
747-8i:
There were only 33 airplanes ever built and very few still flying!
This is awesome! Congrats on being able to ride one!
In my experience, Cubans keeps a large part of the plane open for standby passengers. That way, they can accept bids/ tips from people who want to fly at the last minute even when the flight is supposedly ‘full’. I’ve done this several times, I just went to the airport and flew standby after passing the gate agent some cold hard cash.
Ja, ja, ja Good advice to remember…
@@Caocao8888 lmao, I’ve never had a confirmed seat on Cubana, at least 4 times I’ve walked up to the ticket counter when the flight was supposedly ‘full’ and I miraculously got a seat each time. Cubans are very good at gaming the system.
@@damonmelendez856 I used to live in PR. We would hear Cubans say PR’s were lazy. Moving to Miami Beach, my dad would point to some bank and say, “A few years ago, so-and-so was working at a hotel. Now he owns that bank.” Hidden assets? Who knows… But the Cubans I’ve known really ARE super go-getters. Too bad many still on the island live in such wretched conditions, but you know that a fair number Cubans there do have a lot of money. Those hotel deals with the French, import-export deals, etc.
Excellent video mate.A rare treat there.Not many opportunities to fly on an IL96, that's for sure!👍
It’s awesome to see that these old Soviet airliners still flying and that safety video 😅😅😅
The il 96 started production in the post soviet period
The Planning of the IL-96 was done in the 1980ies and its Prototype was manufactured in 1988, but the Production started only in 1992 - after the Dissolution of the Soviet Union. This specific Aircraft (CU-T1250) was built in 2005 (!). The IL-96 is a child of the same time as the 777 - and if you compare it with the 777 it shows how much behind the "Western" Technology the Aircraft Industry in RUSSIA actually is - at least without Western Technology.
Since 1988 there were only 30 IL-96 built - Cubana de Aviacion is today the only Civil Aviation Airline operating it. All others are operating for the Government of Russia.
During USSR era 35%-of the planes in our planet sky were made in the USSR. The USSR was the only country in the world that had 4 brands of domestic plane production. AN, TU, IL, YAK. By the way the TU-144 made its first flight 3 months before Concord's first flight.
@@macrusmail Don't know at which point of time you mean, but in the 1950s and 1960s the UK and US also had a couple of passenger plane manufacturers: DeHavilland, Hawker-Siddeley, Vickers, later many merged into BAC and BAe; then Boeing, Douglas, Lockheed, Convair and if also very small are added then there are/were Beechcraft, Cessna, Learjet...
@@NicolaW72 I'd rather compare it with the Airbus A340 (and A330) as they are very similar in size and capacity, AFAIK Airbus kinda placed more of their bet on the four-engined A340 because they didn't expect to the lift of ETOPS rules (which limited long-haul flights across oceans for planes with only two engines, also mocked as "Engines Turn Or Passengers Swim"), however they co-developed the twin-engined A330 and thanks to that ETOPS rule change, the A330 became the bestseller.
Ilyushin obviously only built their "A340" so it's not a big suprise that the only export customer was Cuba.
Interestingly, the German Democratic Republic (with state-owned "Interflug" international airline) ordered three Airbus A310s in 1988 to replace their IL-62 for the route to cuba (these had to stop for refuelling in Gander and people repeatedly fled "into the west" during this) and those were delivered in August to October 1989, when the peaceful revolution already was running, on 9th of November they opened the Borders and one year later, on 3rd of October 1990 they were re-united with West Germany and the government/air force took these planes and used them for government flights for three decades until they were recently retired.
Fascinating review - thank you!
I am an aircraft engineer from Turkiye, and worked in Moscow between 2012-2015 for more than 3 years in Sheremetyevo airport. I flew from Moscow to Istanbul with one of these when Aeroflot was still utilizing them. One of the most important thing I noticed was the performance of the airplane. It just climbed non-stop, very steep and without any sign of deccleration. For such a massive machine, I was surprised really. Another thing I really liked was cabin (de)pressurization ratio. Absolutely no effect on my ear drums, because I usually have very strong feeling or sometimes a slight pain while cabin pressure is dropping. On another ordinary working day, we saw one of the parked Ilyushin in Sheremetyevo caught fire. We were not told the reason. Then all fleet was grounded. Of course, it is not difficult to understand that they are not very reliable, and not supported by manufacturer after sale. Maintenance is a pain in the *ss. Staying in a heavy check for a year! No way to compete with western airplanes' reliability rate and level of in-service support. In any case, such a shame to lose these airplanes. They would be still utilized in different missions such as cargo.
Wow so cool you got to share this one. Been a rare sight for any aviation RUclipsr to make a video on this one.
In 2005 I visited Russia with my school. We visited Ilushin plane factory and they even took us to one of IL-96 that was 95% finished and that was built for Cubana. It may be the same one you rode on. I remember they mentioning fast conversion.. This is awesome!
This is one beautiful airplane.
That animation was freaking awesome! And, about the plane, what a beautiful big bird this one is! Fabulous!
That cabin with no overhead bins in the centre rows reminds me of the 1970's L1011 interior.
Thank you for making this wonderful video of the rare Il-96 !
I particularly enjoyed the fact it has no middle bulkhead . As you observed, it makes the inside of the plane looking bigger, roomier ❤
Noticed the thick walls. What were sound levels like in aircraft? If designed for VIP, wonder if they went whole hog on soundproofing.
Engines don't see to have very high bypass. Were they more like loud 1970s engines or more like 340 engines?
Depending how how everything is attached, it can be much faster to reconfigure aircraft if everythig is in the seat vserus having to move seat and their connections as well as reconfigure ceiling and move each air vent/mask. Also, you would need everything in seats for middle section anyways since no overhead bin.
I have to assume aircraft without overhead bins is designed for an environent where checked baggage is encouraged as opposed to making it a nuisance fee.
Hey Alex, Awesome job on the trip presentation! Your narration was super clear and not over the top. The voice recording was spot on. Keep it up, and I can’t wait to see more of your cool travel stories!
4:13 wow, a 727 and il-96 at the same airport
Great review of such an interesting design :-) Thank you!
Now THIS is good content!
I've seen you take some crazy flights but this one has to top it all. I don't know what you were thinking flying on that aircraft type but kudos to you for your courage and braveness. Thanks for taking us on the ride. Would I ever do it? Not a chance!
Посмотрите статистику , по статистике это самый безопасный самолёт.
@@ЛюдмилаКючукова-ш2ъ Да, но их много не построили
@@ron3557 боииг и аирбас занесли в определенные кабинеты кучу бабла чтобы их не строили . Случайно 2 года назад летел на IL - 96 , был в восторге как пассажир. Много места . После него лично для меня стоит Боинг 777. Летал , и летаю много .
I mean so far the il-96 has had zero accidents. Though only 30 were ever made.
Despite only 30 ever made until today, Il-96 was considered safe.