Tupolev TU-154M - The last days of the Tushka with Rossiya

The last days of Tupolev TU-154 operations in Saint Petersburg were a bit sad. Most of the birds were parked already aside terminal 2 building. From international routs the airliner was gone already since a long time, and even Rossiya's B737-500 already were replaced with Airbus A320 series aircraft. Only once in a while the remaining Tupolevs were used within Russia, mostly as a back up between St. Petersburg and Moscow. The TU-154 left the fleet of Rossiya just like the Ilyushin IL-86, very unnoticed, step by step until there were no more flights and all were parked... and even before Aeroflot, Rossiya retired all of it's Tupolev TU-154 airliners. But it's worth remembering the feeling, the sound, the vibrations, the smells, the food and drinks, the boarding on the second door, the roaring reversers and so on. This was a great time flying in Russia, and such an aeronautical thrill compared to the lame and booring Airbus and Boeings! At least in our memories the Tupolevs, Ilyushins and Antonovs, Yakovlevs and others will fly on...