Zaporizhia, Ukraine stored aircraft 27.03.2017

[SirGunHo]

After weeks and weeks of negotiation to gain access on the ramp of Zaporizhia airport, to photograph the stored IL-76's, we finally arrived there. Due to the current situation in the Ukraine the authorities are very likely to say no to every request, and that's also happened with us. But from previous experiences in the Ukraine, I know a lot of things are possible at the very last moment. So, we managed to access the platform at Motor Sich where we were aloud to photograph their (stored) aircraft. However, we were not aloud to photograph in the direction of the stored IL-76's or the stored line of army helicopters (Mil.8's & Mil.24's) at their platform. Very frustration when you walk along them just 5 metres away from them. Photographing their active helicopters was no problem at all, as long as we made sure there were no Radar installations on the photo's, this was also checked by the authorities. We could understand that because the war is about 100Km away from Zaporizhia what is a small distance in the Ukraine.
So... what was our solution to gain those IL-76's, well, simple, we hired an Mil-2 helicopter from Motor Sich and flew along them, this gave us the opportunity to photograph all of them, ok, except one, what has probably registration 86923 this airframe was unfortunately hidden in a corner behind the trees.

I made for those who are interested, a map in Google MyMaps where every stored aircraft is located at Zaporizhya Airport I hope it's helpful for those who have been there or planning to go there.

Orange dot means, 100% sure no question about the identity.
Purple dot means unknown or not sure about the identity.

Simple as that.

Final note, the IL-76 registrations are noted as how they are written on the aircraft, sometimes the later Ukranian UR- prefix was not visible but the CCCP- prefix clearly visible.

Date visited: 27.03.2017

The link to the map:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GRotB ... sp=sharing

Cheers,

Erwin

[Stratofreighter]

simple, we hired an Mil-2 helicopter from Motor Sich and flew along them

Cheeky!

[AndyMarden]

Erwin,
Nice report!
Isn't CCCP-76540 another candidate for the unconfirmed Il-76?
Mi-24 bort 15 can't be 117705. This was supplied to Equatorial Guinea in 2001.
Andy

[SirGunHo]

Erwin,
Nice report!
Isn't CCCP-76540 another candidate for the unconfirmed Il-76?
Mi-24 bort 15 can't be 117705. This was supplied to Equatorial Guinea in 2001.
Andy

I seriously doubt that the 76540 was still there, l/n date of this aircraft goes back to 2006. In 2010 there has been an whole group spotters visited Zaporzhya and from that group there are no reports that this airframe was still at the airport.
About the Mil-24, is it really exported? If you look into the Soviet transport database you see there are no further reports beside stated, left Ukraine in 2012 to Eq. Guinea. However, if you look to the Equatorial Guinea AF overview, they have 4 Mil-24V delivered between 2004-2007 and 1 Mil-24P delivered in 2001. What I noticed already so far is that some "lost" Mil airframes showed up in this storage row at Motor Sich.
Hopefully soon I have some more information about the stored helicopters. As soon as I know more, I let you all know.

Cheers,

Erwin

[RW56]

On Sept 5 we did the helo and Motor Sich ramp tour.
Thanks Erwin, for making the map and posting the link, it was a great help.

I have reasons to believe the obscured IL76 is not 86923 but UR-UCG
There's a pic on the net of both aircraft taken at Zaporizhia in 2008
86923 has an Aeroflot cheatline and the type is noted in Cyrillic as IL-76MD
UR-UCG was all white in 2008
My pictures show an all white IL76 with the type noted as IL-76
I've seen the "just IL-76" noting only on some UR-U.. aircraft (e.g. UR-UCB)
UR-UCG is the only Zaporizhia UR-U.. IL76 that has not been reported since 2008
My pictures show a reg is wiped out on the side, at the same position as UR-UCG in 2008
UR-UCG was UR-76414 and CCCP-76774 before becoming UCG
One of my pictures shows what seems to be a 4 as the last digit on top of the wing

During the ramp tour one of our guides told us about his adventures in Afghanistan with the Mil24 and walked to some of the wrecks.
I noticed a piece of paper behind the front window with what appears to be the c/n.

Before the security guy started panicking and called us back I managed to note the last 6 digits of 2 Mil24
708851 with code 44
913271 didn't note a code for this one.

I hope this is of help - Rob

[SirGunHo]

On Sept 5 we did the helo and Motor Sich ramp tour.
Thanks Erwin, for making the map and posting the link, it was a great help.

I have reasons to believe the obscured IL76 is not 86923 but UR-UCG
There's a pic on the net of both aircraft taken at Zaporizhia in 2008
86923 has an Aeroflot cheatline and the type is noted in Cyrillic as IL-76MD
UR-UCG was all white in 2008
My pictures show an all white IL76 with the type noted as IL-76
I've seen the "just IL-76" noting only on some UR-U.. aircraft (e.g. UR-UCB)
UR-UCG is the only Zaporizhia UR-U.. IL76 that has not been reported since 2008
My pictures show a reg is wiped out on the side, at the same position as UR-UCG in 2008
UR-UCG was UR-76414 and CCCP-76774 before becoming UCG
One of my pictures shows what seems to be a 4 as the last digit on top of the wing

During the ramp tour one of our guides told us about his adventures in Afghanistan with the Mil24 and walked to some of the wrecks.
I noticed a piece of paper behind the front window with what appears to be the c/n.

Before the security guy started panicking and called us back I managed to note the last 6 digits of 2 Mil24
708851 with code 44
913271 didn't note a code for this one.

I hope this is of help - Rob

Rob, first of all thank you for your reply, this is very interesting regarding that missing Il.76. For this reason we marked this one as a suspect what it could be. But I'm sure you are like us, or 100% sure or not at all. I'll send you a PM with my email address, would you be so kind to send me that picture of that IL.76 UR-UCG?
It's really funny how the security starts panicking over some old wrecks but those two c/n you noted are a great help to complete the list.
Updated the list in Google MyMaps.

Cheers,

Erwin

[SirGunHo]

Map updated after seen the photo evidence, the missing Il.76 is the UR-UCG we know now except the stored Mig's and a few Mil's all the stored aircraft. Thanks again Rob!

[l8rmt]

I flew over OZH a couple of times last week, we wanted the Mil 2, but all the helicopter crews were in Minsk for the helicopter championships ! so we had an AN2, there is one chnage on the 76s, UR-UCU is not there anymore, i assume scrapped and UCY is where UCU was and has started to be scrapped, my fotos show the tail already chopped off, So if anyone needs to go there, GO NOW !