I used to work for 747 operator Kalitta Air.

Connie Kalitta had a great idea; buy old 747's that cannot make it from Hong Kong to Anchorage with a full load, and "convince" the officials [Connie is a really BAD poker player- he loses big money whenever he plays. He only plays poker at "strategic" times, so you do the math~] in Khabarovsk, Russia to let his planes land there and get fuel. At Russian rates, which are probably 60% of what is charged in the west. Well, the Russians were only TOO happy to accept the "Connie" callsign 747's into their airspace as a result. The neat part about flying into this place is that the guy from the local ATC tower comes on board the plane and gives you your departure ATC clearance in person. The radio is really bad, and the accent causes trouble, so this face-to-face is quite welcome.

1. Russians apparently bathe about once per week; each time this guy came onto my plane the upper deck stunk of BO until after we took off!

2. Don't light a match around a Russian ATC; you'll start a fire for sure! Was it Stolichnaya I smelt on his breath? Or maybe the really good vodka that the Russians don't sell outside of their country. I don't know. It smelled like the fuel I put in my radio control model airplanes. And the guy, who was probably 60 years old, could barely bring his red nose and the rest of his body up the stairs. He was huffing and puffing-

Anyway...here's what "Thumper" over at Kalitta Air posted on their website:

TALK, RUSSIA

Entering Russian boundary:
• Connie 820, estimating boundary fix, @ 1500, FL 9,100 meters, landing UHHH, alternate UHWW, 4 soles on board, in contact with Harbin.
o Clearance must be received at least 10 minutes prior to boundary.
o If adjacent controller is in contact with Russia, requesting clearance on the #2 radio with Russia is not necessary. The clearance will be coordinated as a controller to controller hand-off.
o Changing FL’s, feet to meters must be completed 16 nm prior to boundary.

Below FL 98 (9,800 feet) limit is 270 kts and 3,000 fpm.

Approach/Radar controller:
• Connie 820, Arguk 2S arrival, ILS 23L, IMC/VMC, request QNH, ATIS “A”.
(IMC/VMC, must report weather phenomena if any)
• Connie 820, switching to QNH.
(Passing transition level)

Tower controller:
• Connie 820, ILS 23L, IMC/VMC, ATIS “A”.
(IMC/VMC, must report weather phenomena if any)

Maneuvering for descent approach and landing:
• Mandatory reports:
o Leaving or reaching an altitude.
o Turns.
o Intercepting, final approach.
o Intercepting, glide slope.
o “Landing gear down, ready to land”.

Ground controller, departure:
• Connie 820, ready for taxi, request QNH.

Tower controller, departure:
• Connie 820, ready for takeoff, request QNH.

Exiting Russian boundary:
• Overhead boundary fix, normal position report exiting Russian airspace.
o Must get approval to terminate Russian communication exiting boundary fix.

• Beijing, ZBAA is very close to the Great Wall of China. If you can see ZBAA, you can see the Great Wall.

QFE = Field Elevation, (altimeter reads zero on the airport).
QNH = Normal Home, (local altimeter, MSL).
QNE = Normal Enroute, (29.92).

Enroute emergency:
• 30 deg. right turn.
• Descend.
• Offset, and parallel course by at least 10.8 nm.

3,000 mountainous.
2,000 non-mountainous.

• OCH, Obstacle clearance height.
o No published airport minimums.
o Add the OCH to the TDZE to find obstacle height in MSL.

• Outer marker and middle marker are white.

• Wind speed in meters per second x 2 = knots.

N!

Oh