Antonov AN-225 due to visit Shannon this Saturday ***UPDATED ARRIVAL TIME***
The giant Antonov AN-225 UR-82060 is due to visit Shannon this Saturday (11th April). As we write, the aircraft is planned to arrive at 20:45 on Saturday and depart on Sunday night at 23:00. ***Updated arrival time now 03:30 on Saturday night / Sunday Morning ***
The aircraft, the only one of its type in service, last visited Shannon on 21st May 2013. The An-225’s name, Mriya means “Dream” in Ukrainian. It’s powered by six turbofan engines and is the longest and heaviest airplane ever built, with a maximum takeoff weight of 640 tonnes. It also has the largest wingspan of any aircraft in operational service. The single example built has the Ukrainian civil registration UR-82060. A second airframe was partially built; its completion was halted because of lack of funding and interest.
The Antonov An-225, initially developed for the task of transporting the Buran spaceplane, was an enlargement of the successful Antonov An-124. The first and only An-225 was completed in 1988. After successfully fulfilling its Soviet military missions, it was mothballed for eight years. It was then refurbished and re-introduced, and is in commercial operation with Antonov Airlines carrying oversized payloads. The aircraft holds the absolute world records for an airlifted single item payload of 189,980 kilograms, and an airlifted total payload of 253,820 kilograms. It has also transported a payload of 247,000 kilograms on a commercial flight.
Here is a selection of photos from its last visit to Shannon. Click to enlarge.
By Malcolm Nason
By Piotr Tadeusz
By Piotr Tadeusz
By Piotr Tadeusz
By Roger Harrison
By Roger Harrison
About the Author
Mark Dwyer Mark is an airline pilot flying the Boeing 737 for a major European airline. In addition he is also a Type Rating Instructor, Type Rating Examiner and Base Training Captain on the B737. Outside of commercial flying Mark enjoys flying light aircraft from the smallest 3 Axis microlights up to heavier singles. He is also an instructor and EASA Examiner on single engines and a UK CAA Examiner. He flies the Chipmunk for the Irish Historic Flight Foundation (IHFF). Mark became the Chairman of the National Microlight Association of Ireland (NMAI) in 2013 and has overseen a massive growth in the organisation. In this role he has worked at local and national levels. In 2015, Mark won ‘Upcoming Aviation Professional Award’ at the Aviation Industry Awards sponsored by the IAA. Mark launched this website back in 2002 while always managing the website, he has also been Editor and Deputy Editor of FlyingInIreland Magazine from 2005 to 2015.
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