CAL pilots
 

By any chance do you guys know when CAL will start Russia service. I heard about it, but no date.

thanks

edik

I did my 767 "Russia" training last spring. What a mess. I'll bid aroung it. In training they said Moscow in the spring of 2007, now I hear (rumors) that we won't go there due to costs/fees imposed by the Russians. It was going to be a 767-200 from Newark to Moscow. I heard that they wanted $300 per crewmember in visa fees or something everytime a plane landed. Plus a bunch of other expenses and fees to go there. CAL said if they can't make money doing it, they won't do it. I hear that they gave up and are not going now. This is typical of Russia, they are hurting for cash and trying to get it anywhere they can.

Russia sucks anyway
 

Hey Otto, your not missing anything...I'm not telling you anything you don't know...You went to AMS last week!!!

The food is crap, women filthy, just a ******hole!

edik,

It has been good 10 years since CAL's plans and rumors about going to Russia started floating around. I think there was first push to hire Russian speaking FA's in EWR about that time.

Variety of reasons slowed the progress. Sure you can guess them all including political and recession of US economy followed by 9/11.
I remember talking to a Delta's CSA in JFK once and he told me that Delta's JFK-SVO (Moscow) flight produces the highest revenue seat per mile in the whole Delta's system. Doesn't surprise me a bit. Moscow was just ranked the most city in the World.

Last year CAL got pretty serious and even sent a delegation there to talk to the Russian government. The corruption at GSGA is outrageously high and every bureaucrat hope to come home every night with an gratuity envelope. CAL doesn't give bribes especially to begin service - it'll get out of control. Presents to airport managers in Mexico is one thing, but flat out bribes - no way.

That's why the Russians came up with ridiculous rules and costs.

From 3 month old conversation with Larry Kellner I gathered that it was OK - CAL doesn't have enough airplanes to go there anyway. The delegation was just a first try. "Now it doesn't make sense to get more 767's when the 787 is right around the corner" - straight from Larry.

We'll go there - the 2 777's in 07will relief thing a bit and for now the planned date is March 07. Will see.
Traditionally CAL is very carefull opening new routes.

There is not much mess about actual flying part. Besides you can always request QNH approach.
Our system seems messy to Russian pilots :) They have altimeters show "0" on the ground (QFE setting) and fly all approaches where target mins are actual height above the ground. Standard ILS's mins are always at 60 meters - doesn't get easier that that! Bill R. did just fine on a charter flight there.

I heard the target airplane will be 764.
$400 for a visa plus every 6 months every crewmember has to be tested for HIV and have doctors papers with them working Russian flights.

All because CAL did not hint of bribe possibilities.

Individuals in the Russian government are "hurting" for cash when they see such opportunity - that's typical I'd agree. They'll negotiate forever and make strange rules. Will see what happens.

Man, I can imagine the HIPAA lawsuits! For a US company to require that you disclose HIPAA covered info to a country that doesn't recognise HIPAA is going to be a privacy goat rope.

On my 1st flight to Russia, we had a tail swap. When my copilot gave the new tail #, the Russians turned off the navaids. We had 2 take 3 couriers with a lot of cash to pay for landing fees. They wanted to double-charge us for both tail numbers and shut down the runways w/ ground vehicles and employees until we sorted it out w/the embassy. We had a great time on the layover, but I don't think I'd bid it on the regular.