As reported on January 15, 2021, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, for the first time in the history of Russia, six AN-124-100 Ruslan military transport aircraft took to the sky at the same time. In the Bryansk region, the first joint training flights of the crews of the Seshchinsky [566th military transport] and Tver [196th Guards Military transport] aviation regiments were conducted this year with the participation of six strategic military transport aircraft AN-124-100 "Ruslan"at the same time.
Six heavy military transport aircraft AN-124-100 "Ruslan" from the 566th Military Transport Red Banner Aviation Regiment of the 12th Military Transport Aviation Mginsky Red Banner Division of the Military Transport Aviation Command of the Russian Aerospace Forces before takeoff from the Seshcha airfield (Bryansk region), 15.01.2021 (c) Vadim Savitsky and Konstantin Emchenko / Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The flights were conducted at an altitude of more than 4 thousand meters, the total length of the route was more than 600 km, the average speed of the aircraft was 500 km/h.
The purpose of the training flights was to improve the skills of young crews of AN-124-100 Ruslan military transport aircraft in the simultaneous transfer of personnel of military units with regular weapons and military equipment over long distances.
During the flights, the crews of the AN-124-100 Ruslan military transport aircraft practiced take-off, landing, and en-route flights. The flights took place in difficult weather conditions in the form of precipitation, low clouds and strong wind gusts.
The flights were conducted under the leadership of the Commander of the Military Transport Aviation of the Aerospace Forces, Lieutenant General Vladimir Benediktov, with the involvement of the senior staff of the VTA command and the 12th Military Transport Aviation Division.
Flights of six heavy military transport aircraft AN-124-100 "Ruslan" from the 566th Military Transport Red Banner Aviation Regiment of the 12th Military Transport Aviation Mginsky Red Banner Division of the Military Transport Aviation Command of the Russian Aerospace Forces, 15.01.2021 (c) Vadim Savitsky and Konstantin Emchenko / Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
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