This is kind of cool. Via Jim Oberg, I'm informed that two Russian strategic bombers are going to fly from Russia over the north pole and land in Oregon.

1350 GMT -- Russian strategic bomber to visit U.S. for first time

MOSCOW. June 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian TU-95MS Bear strategic bomber will conduct a flight to the U.S. for the fist time, Colonel Alexander Drobyshevsky,head of the Air Force press- service,told Interfax-Military News Agency on Friday. According to him,the strategic bomber's flight is timed to the 100th birthday of famous Russian test pilot Valery Chkalov to be celebrated on June 15-21.

"The ferry flight will be conducted along Chkalov's route from Russia to the U.S. via the North Pole," Drobyshevsky said. He also noted that the TU-95MS would be refueled in the air over the Arctic Ocean outside the Novaya Zemlya archipelago by the IL-78 Midas tanker.

The TU-95MS is to fly from the Russian Air Force base in Engels to Portland, while the IL-78 from Anadyr airbase to Portland. The IL-78 will carry a delegation of Russian Air Force officials and various equipment for the bomber. "It will be the first time Russian aircraft of this type visit the U.S.," he emphasized.

Well, Bears have flown along (and some would say into) US airspace before. This is probably the first time they've landed.

I wish I could hop over and visit one... are they giving tours to the public?

The IL-78 will carry a delegation of Russian Air Force officials and various equipment for the bomber

Hmmm...

"Andrei, you rmember those old nukes we used to carry?" "Da, Viktor." "Is there any reason that three of them are stored back here?"

Actually I was thinking more along the lines of spare vacuum tubes, squelch grease, duct tape and rubber bands.

The story is not accurate. Bears have landed in the United States before. Two Tu-95 Bears and an An-124 landed at Barksdale AFB in Louisiana in May 1992. There is a photograph of the planes sitting next to a KC-10 and B-52 on the July 1992 cover of Airman magazine.

It is possible that this specific model has not landed in the US before, but that is a nitpick.

Two B-52s also landed at Dyagilevo Air Base near Ryazan, Russia on March 4, 1992.

Dwayne is correct, and there's another nitpick: The Bears on coastal patrol along the border between the U.S. and Russia -- yes, there is one, remember Alaska? -- have had mechanical difficulties and had to land at U.S. air bases in western Alaska. Policy has been to keep the planes and people segregated, provide 'em fuel and ground power, and get them off as soon as possible. It was never what you'd call "common," but it did happen with some frequency.

Regards,
Ric

I wonder how much it would cost to buy a Bear.

It does seem to look like a commemoration of the Soviet ANT transpolar flight of the 1930s,where on one flight ,the soviets landed in Vancouver Washington.

One interesting factoid, On greeting the Soviet flight crew, General Marshall discovered that the crew had no suits, just heavy parka flight suits in which to be received at a dinner in their honor.

General Marshall phoned the local haberdashery and gave the Soviet crews the run of ths store. The flight crews were grateful for the measure, so much so that years later on meeting one the crew, he remarked that he still had the suit.

The Russians are preparing to attack us at anytime, now that our military is so scattered. I hope our forces have maneuvered, always keeping a weary eye and always prepared to take on the former Soviet Union and China if necessary. The thought of a Tu-95 flying here is very menacing at the present time. Check out my military section at www.thatcherthunders.org. I have been reporting on the Soviets and now the Russians since 1976. Russia has been in cahoots with Mexico since that time. Today June 7th, 2004, President Putin of Russia is visiting Mexico. Something is up! Right now we are preoccupied with the death of President Reagan.

Your aluminum hat is malfunctioning.

Not the first time that Tu-95MS BEAR Hs have visited the US. The two that visited Barksdale were also BEAR Hs. This variant is the air launched cruise missile carrier. The last post is the biggest load of non-sense. The Russians were granted permission by the US government to commemorate Chkalov's flight. A planned 2002 visit by Flanker fighters was cancelled to commemorated Chkolov's flight.