I Flew on Colombia’s 50 Year Old Soviet Airliner
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Date: 2026-09-04
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Comments and reviews: 20
darrelb4371
I enjoy watching Noel's videos. In the years I've watched him I've wondered how much radiation he's been exposed to while 40k feet in the air. So I did the math. His bio says over a million miles. Let's assume that bio page hasn't been updated recently and go with 1. 3 million miles. Now, let's average the speed of a commercial airliner which is about 480 mph.
1, 300, 000 / 480 = 2, 708. 33 hours in the sky.
Radiation at 40k feet is averaged at 0. 0055 milisieverts an hour. 2, 708. 333 x 00. 0055 = 14. 90 milisieverts.
Now let's translate that into something more people can understand.
1 normal chest x-ray is equal it 0. 1 milisieverts. 1 normal CT scan of the chest is 0. 7 milisieverts.
Noel therefore has been exposed to the equivalent of 149 chest x-rays or 2. 1 chest CT scans.
For Fallout fans, that equals 0. 75 rads. Measured in good old fashioned roetgens, that's 1. 49.
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I enjoy watching Noel's videos. In the years I've watched him I've wondered how much radiation he's been exposed to while 40k feet in the air. So I did the math. His bio says over a million miles. Let's assume that bio page hasn't been updated recently and go with 1. 3 million miles. Now, let's average the speed of a commercial airliner which is about 480 mph.
1, 300, 000 / 480 = 2, 708. 33 hours in the sky.
Radiation at 40k feet is averaged at 0. 0055 milisieverts an hour. 2, 708. 333 x 00. 0055 = 14. 90 milisieverts.
Now let's translate that into something more people can understand.
1 normal chest x-ray is equal it 0. 1 milisieverts. 1 normal CT scan of the chest is 0. 7 milisieverts.
Noel therefore has been exposed to the equivalent of 149 chest x-rays or 2. 1 chest CT scans.
For Fallout fans, that equals 0. 75 rads. Measured in good old fashioned roetgens, that's 1. 49.
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Marlow925
Funny story. 2005. Germany. i parked my car in northern Germany and a police officer came running towards me asking me for irish EUR coins. No. he didn't want a bribe. He had simply spotted my irish registered car and figured he'd trade some coins for equivalent (for his son, who collects EUR coins from all countries, to get irish EUR coins. I had actually parked not quite legally, and on inquiring, if i was ok there, I was told (after trading, that there would be no issue and if so. to refer to him at Station 1 down the road: p. (for reference. i'm not irish, but danish, but have lived in Ireland 22 years. So, I totally get your columbian police officer.
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Funny story. 2005. Germany. i parked my car in northern Germany and a police officer came running towards me asking me for irish EUR coins. No. he didn't want a bribe. He had simply spotted my irish registered car and figured he'd trade some coins for equivalent (for his son, who collects EUR coins from all countries, to get irish EUR coins. I had actually parked not quite legally, and on inquiring, if i was ok there, I was told (after trading, that there would be no issue and if so. to refer to him at Station 1 down the road: p. (for reference. i'm not irish, but danish, but have lived in Ireland 22 years. So, I totally get your columbian police officer.
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jordillach3222
1: 27 A native Spanish speaker here.
In certain regions of the Spanish-speaking Americas, they use the verb _cancelar_ and its participle _cancelado_ in a very nonstandard manner that can, with good reason, be the source of a lot of confusion, not only to speakers of other languages.
What they want to say is _pagado, _ payed for.
The standard meanings of _cancelar_ and _cancelado_ in Spanish are actually to cancel and cancelled, respectively.
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1: 27 A native Spanish speaker here.
In certain regions of the Spanish-speaking Americas, they use the verb _cancelar_ and its participle _cancelado_ in a very nonstandard manner that can, with good reason, be the source of a lot of confusion, not only to speakers of other languages.
What they want to say is _pagado, _ payed for.
The standard meanings of _cancelar_ and _cancelado_ in Spanish are actually to cancel and cancelled, respectively.
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jenykoo
its actually had coms flight version, I flew on that then I was a kid - 1980-1990s - I preferred it over jets - as it never flew up the clouds so I was able to see the ground from the winodow - cows pature, tractors, combains, trains airfileds, forests endles fileds. Ussr had very mighty economy, and planes fleet! So I hope communists take over these elections so we ill follow china way - communists control over freeenterprize economy! very good plan-e! AN 24
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its actually had coms flight version, I flew on that then I was a kid - 1980-1990s - I preferred it over jets - as it never flew up the clouds so I was able to see the ground from the winodow - cows pature, tractors, combains, trains airfileds, forests endles fileds. Ussr had very mighty economy, and planes fleet! So I hope communists take over these elections so we ill follow china way - communists control over freeenterprize economy! very good plan-e! AN 24
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DavidJones-fo8no
You have my sympathy. In 1979, I flew on an A-24 (or A-26) in Angola from Luanda to a military airport near the SA border. The Cubans flew it, the cargo under the nets didn't bare thinking about and SWAPO guerillas were still active. I was surveying the site for new navaids but most for the work being done at the time was moving earth. Later did I learn where this place was. Camera's and maps Not likely. Flight back on a small Tu tri-jet, (I think.
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You have my sympathy. In 1979, I flew on an A-24 (or A-26) in Angola from Luanda to a military airport near the SA border. The Cubans flew it, the cargo under the nets didn't bare thinking about and SWAPO guerillas were still active. I was surveying the site for new navaids but most for the work being done at the time was moving earth. Later did I learn where this place was. Camera's and maps Not likely. Flight back on a small Tu tri-jet, (I think.
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jfas2323
It is also unacceptable implausible, that you do not make the effort to learn the basics in Spanish, it is not so difficult, especially if you travel to this type of Latin American cities, I am Latin American, I am from America just like you, but I speak fluent English, so that you learn more we are all from America, some from North America like you, others from South America and Central America. More information plus culture.
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It is also unacceptable implausible, that you do not make the effort to learn the basics in Spanish, it is not so difficult, especially if you travel to this type of Latin American cities, I am Latin American, I am from America just like you, but I speak fluent English, so that you learn more we are all from America, some from North America like you, others from South America and Central America. More information plus culture.
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paulturner2911
Great video once again Noel. That AN-26 HK-4730 is a frame I saw as ER-AZF, in COVENTRY! I don't have a date for when I saw it there, but it would likely have been when I was working for Atlantic Airlines. So, that frame has been about a bit for sure! Then, I thought I'd check the fleet, and as it turns out, their other AN-26 was also seen by me at Coventry. Who'd have thunk eh!
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Great video once again Noel. That AN-26 HK-4730 is a frame I saw as ER-AZF, in COVENTRY! I don't have a date for when I saw it there, but it would likely have been when I was working for Atlantic Airlines. So, that frame has been about a bit for sure! Then, I thought I'd check the fleet, and as it turns out, their other AN-26 was also seen by me at Coventry. Who'd have thunk eh!
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joshuabamford9500
The flaps settings were not aggressive whatsoever and they straight up used 97% of that runway before reaching V1. I jump out of clapped out 172's or if I am lucky a caravan for fun on weekends and id still rather do that than fly in that plane in its configuration there was zero margin there at all. Just balls to the wall hold my beer flying going on there.
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The flaps settings were not aggressive whatsoever and they straight up used 97% of that runway before reaching V1. I jump out of clapped out 172's or if I am lucky a caravan for fun on weekends and id still rather do that than fly in that plane in its configuration there was zero margin there at all. Just balls to the wall hold my beer flying going on there.
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nickisrael9922
Hi Noel: In French, they say chapeau bas. I took that same flight from San Jose Del Guaviare three years agothe exact same routeand it’s a bit of a wild ride. You are an absolute pro. As always, huge hugs from Colombia. N. B. Cancelado in Spanish means the opposite of cancelled in English; it actually means already paid.
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Hi Noel: In French, they say chapeau bas. I took that same flight from San Jose Del Guaviare three years agothe exact same routeand it’s a bit of a wild ride. You are an absolute pro. As always, huge hugs from Colombia. N. B. Cancelado in Spanish means the opposite of cancelled in English; it actually means already paid.
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alandargie9358
Brilliant! Reminds me of a lot of the dodgy flights I took in Central Africa (Cameroon down to Angola) over a ten year period starting 1987. Was great fun. Unfortunately, of course, no smartphones to be able to take photos or videos, a camera was dodgy as they didn't like photos of airports or planes then. Great video!
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Brilliant! Reminds me of a lot of the dodgy flights I took in Central Africa (Cameroon down to Angola) over a ten year period starting 1987. Was great fun. Unfortunately, of course, no smartphones to be able to take photos or videos, a camera was dodgy as they didn't like photos of airports or planes then. Great video!
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francissaju8181
Hey nole i just wanted to say smgh when you go to india again book a good sleeper bus company the one you traveled in before was trash so next time get a volvo or scania bus because if it does not come in even blankets or pillows or even a bottle of eater its trash and lowere case get the hugher case next time
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Hey nole i just wanted to say smgh when you go to india again book a good sleeper bus company the one you traveled in before was trash so next time get a volvo or scania bus because if it does not come in even blankets or pillows or even a bottle of eater its trash and lowere case get the hugher case next time
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noel_philips
I flew on an Antonov in 1990 from Beograd to Sofia.
But it was all for passengers, not jump seats like this one.
Noel - at some point we might have to bring you home for an are you freaking crazy exam!
Seriously though, it's not a comfortable ride, but you eventually got there.
Right Comrade
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I flew on an Antonov in 1990 from Beograd to Sofia.
But it was all for passengers, not jump seats like this one.
Noel - at some point we might have to bring you home for an are you freaking crazy exam!
Seriously though, it's not a comfortable ride, but you eventually got there.
Right Comrade
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edo0girl2. 03
It's funny, I started watching Noel 2 years ago because I was taking a flight for the first time and I wanted to see what the process of going through the airport was like to ease my anxiety. Now I watch because I love seeing all these different places and learning about aviation.
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It's funny, I started watching Noel 2 years ago because I was taking a flight for the first time and I wanted to see what the process of going through the airport was like to ease my anxiety. Now I watch because I love seeing all these different places and learning about aviation.
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lindarte
Most of these flights were on DC-3s up until the early 2000s, the Antonovs started getting to Colombia then as the DC3s became harder to operate. I think Villavicencio was the airport with the most DC-3 operations in the world back then, hope you got the chance to ride those as well
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Most of these flights were on DC-3s up until the early 2000s, the Antonovs started getting to Colombia then as the DC3s became harder to operate. I think Villavicencio was the airport with the most DC-3 operations in the world back then, hope you got the chance to ride those as well
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groundopsnick2758
This is the real Noel, back to the avgeek style videos. Sure Greyhound and Amtrak and business class seats are of interest, but this is the kind of video that’s watchable without skipping through. Keep going for the unique aircraft.
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This is the real Noel, back to the avgeek style videos. Sure Greyhound and Amtrak and business class seats are of interest, but this is the kind of video that’s watchable without skipping through. Keep going for the unique aircraft.
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juandavidmar2108
As a former medevac pilot in Colombia that flew in those airports many times I’m happy for people like you for showing the non-know Colombia! Btw, the cop was asking for a dollar for his personal international currency collection.
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As a former medevac pilot in Colombia that flew in those airports many times I’m happy for people like you for showing the non-know Colombia! Btw, the cop was asking for a dollar for his personal international currency collection.
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truebrit3578
Great video. Colombia has plenty of interesting aircraft and aviation adventures to enjoy. Unfortunately for those of us living in Colombia many of our adventures focus around Avianca cancelling their scheduled flights at short notice.
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Great video. Colombia has plenty of interesting aircraft and aviation adventures to enjoy. Unfortunately for those of us living in Colombia many of our adventures focus around Avianca cancelling their scheduled flights at short notice.
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rasmara2011
I am jealous man. this is so cool. the coolest flight similar to this i fly many years ago in Casa 212. old plane with cargo between the aisle. similar chaos. but you can see the cockpit. but this flight you take is awesome.
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I am jealous man. this is so cool. the coolest flight similar to this i fly many years ago in Casa 212. old plane with cargo between the aisle. similar chaos. but you can see the cockpit. but this flight you take is awesome.
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noel_philips
Hi Noel. It would be great if you could travel on one of the last SD3-60 or indeed SD3-30’s still flying. I was part of the purchasing team who helped build them. It would be great to hear those engines one last time.
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Hi Noel. It would be great if you could travel on one of the last SD3-60 or indeed SD3-30’s still flying. I was part of the purchasing team who helped build them. It would be great to hear those engines one last time.
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tjhess2
I've flown on an An26, and can agree, it's a shaky and noisy experience. They also do not climb fast, as you noted on your lengthy takeoff roll! It was pretty cool though, to be on a piece of aviation history.
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I've flown on an An26, and can agree, it's a shaky and noisy experience. They also do not climb fast, as you noted on your lengthy takeoff roll! It was pretty cool though, to be on a piece of aviation history.
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