28 December 2005

Would you choose "YAK" for the name of a jet?

I’m flying to Donetsk for the day and wondering if Ukraine and Russia will go to war over gas. Yekhanurov actually said that Ukraine can just siphon off the amount it needs from the pipe that runs through Ukraine and transports 80% of GazProm’s gas. He claims it’s perfectly legal. I spread out in the back rows of the 120 seater Yakovlev Yak-42. The seats are old and small but all is well since I have a row of three to myself. As an added bonus the seats on these Yaks fold fully flat, so I’m able to push the seat in front of me completely out of my way, giving me additional space. It’s really casual flying in Ukraine. I get to go to Donetsk and back in the same day (sames applies for Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and other cities). There are no lines, no safety instructions, no need to put my tray table in the upright position, no need to store my bag under the seat in front of me. In fact, no one cares if you wear the seat belt or not. People actually smirk when they see me buckle mine. In a way I can see why. The belt presumably isn’t going to do much good when this jet loses its engines and nosedives in the steppe. Cell phones and electronic devices? No worries, you might have spotty network coverage, but use 'em if you got 'em. The Russian language newspaper that's provided, a Donetsk publication (it is DonBassAero after all), has a photo of Yushchenko in military fatigues during his Iraq visit. Also there is an article about how the Artemivsky champagne factory is terminating the brand "Sovietske Shampanske". No more of the green bottles with the simple black label. End of an era. Of course none of it matters if Ukraine goes to war with Russia over gas.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You amaze me...finding time to jot, not once, twice, but how many in the last few weeks? You've inspired me, sat down to write today for the first time all holiday season. I've decided there never is a good time, a secret to finding that perfect time to write, just do it. I enjoy your posts, keep em coming. And say hello to gold gatsi guy! =) Dana

Anonymous said...

Is a YAK, not a big, strong slobbering beast ? It sounds good to me.