An untypical event took place at Odessa International Airport: An-148 aircraft performed two takeoff and landing cycles at the unpaved runway, the airport’s press-service reports.

The extreme flights have been performed in the network of shooting a video film about An-148 demonstrating the jet’s capabilities under various operating conditions. Antonov State Enterprise is the customer for this film; the shooting was being carried out by Russian partners of Antonov – Ilyushin Finance. The jet was piloted by famous Ukrainian test-pilots from Kiev – Evgeny Galunenko and Bogdan Zagorulko.

"Odessa was chosen for shooting the video not by coincidence: our airport is the only one in Ukraine to have an operational unpaved runway long enough for a jet like An-148 (it is parallel with the main runway). The jet’s certification tests carried out in Odessa International Airport in 2007 helped expand the range of airfields able to service An-148", - the press-service said.

For shooting this video the crew used three cameras located on the ground and 8 ones located on the jet (in each landing gear compartment, on the tail, nose, wing of the jet and one more – in the cockpit). 

"The pilots of a Turkish carrier witnessed the flight and appreciated the skills of Ukrainian colleagues: the heavy jet landed smoothly at the unpaved runway before their eyes leaving a small dust cloud behind. The maintenance personnel inspected the jet and replaced memory cards in the cameras. After that the jet performed second takeoff and landing cycle", - the press-service added.