Russian Mega-Jet Lands In Stockton Plane To Move Chinook Choppers

KCRA Sacramento ^ | 04/30/2010

[Selene]

STOCKTON, Calif. -- A giant Russian cargo plane landed Friday morning in Stockton. The AN-124 jet, one of the largest aircraft in the world and one of only two currently in operation, arrived shortly after 6:30 a.m. at Stockton Metropolitan Airport. The jet, which was making its first visit to Stockton, will take two CH-47 Chinook helicopters to Alaska.

...Harvey said an Alaska unit was training in California and part of its pre-mobilization requirement calls for moving aircraft.

"In this particular case, in this training event, the Russians have volunteered to assist us," Harvey said.

[matthew fuller]

I assume that flying the chinooks to AK is out of the question?

[redpoll]

We’ll need some practice getting those things to land after Obama wrecks the economy and Russia is sending us food.

Gee, that’s a cynical thought.

[RexBeach]

Are the Russians now providing us with logistics? Or is the planee owned by a private US outfit?

[FormerACLUmember]

Love those mega jets from Roooossia. Too bad the USA can't make these babies.

[JRios1968]

It's the C-5ski

[GeronL]

Well, they will be our only means to go into space after this year.

[Star Traveler]

Harvey said the U.S. military has contracts with many countries to move equipment such as helicopters.

[Malesherbes]

Just great. We need Russian help to get our helicopters from California to Alaska. We are becoming a Third World “power.” If the Russians send us a bill for this, I suppose we’ll ask the Chinese for another hand-out.

[Yo-Yo]

We made these babies, and a lot more of them:

[SJSAMPLE]

Sometimes, flying across the county in a Chinook is out of the question.

I don’t think a Chinook could even try the flight without blowing out its maintenance windows on the trip there.

[railroader]

There are many more than two of those aircraft in service today. More like 40-50. There is only one AN-225, however.

[tanuki]

One of these flies occasionally into and out of Moffett airbase. Us locals call it ‘Big Tony’.

[colorado tanker]

I watched the CWO's interview and he had his facts straight, but this station has added other facts and garbled things. This aircraft is under contract for US military loads and it's contracted out a lot around the world. I don't know where they got the idea there are only two of them; that's just bogus.

Here's one taking a military payload at Moffat Field:

[GovernmentShrinker]

If it landed in any plane of ours, then ours must be a lot bigger than theirs.

Do they have interns from special ed high schools writing headlines now?

[GovernmentShrinker]

Don’t you think “Big Ivan” or “Big Vlad” would be more fitting?

[ZULU]

Perhaps Obama plans to have the Russians assist his civilian defense corps in surpressing Tea Party Rebellions.

[GovernmentShrinker]

Dang, that thing’s got a LOT of wheels!

Not that I don’t grasp why it needs them, but just never saw it before.

[Scythian]

You call that a plane? Now this is a plane ..,

[al baby]

Here is a great video from Australia a big Russian plane taking off listen to the guys filming it from the tower well worth the click

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um1cSJ650uM