Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Antonov AN-225

Look at the size of this beast that landed at Fairbanks International Airport today. There is only one of these in the world, and these pictures do not truly tell the story of just how HUGE this thing is -- almost a football field long! It took Josh three pictures to get it from nose to tail:



This is another view that gives a better idea of how big the AN-225 is. The plane taking off is a 737, on the runway right behind the AN-225, and it is tiny in size.

This picture gives a good idea of how wide the wingspan is. Look at the size of the engine compared to the truck on the ground, and also that the tires are as big as the people walking next to the plane.

I think Josh would have given most anything to be able to go out on the tarmac to get an up close and personal view of this plane. It would be fascinating to watch it take off, but it is supposed to be closer to midnight. Josh was still so tempted (me too!), but it is a school and work night.
The local paper also had an article on this plane, which brought everyone out in droves to take a look see. Their article can be found at: http://www.newsminer.com/view/full_story/5884101/article-Huge-Russian-jet-lands-at-Fairbanks-airport?instance=home_lead_story.
Wonder if Josh will be piloting something of this size in the future?