Antonov AN-124 Departed Indy Int'l Airport This Evening

[funeralweb]

Anyone else like to watch air traffic on Flightradar24? This evening, I spotted a 4-engine aircraft without any designated livery ID. It is a Russian-built knockoff of our C-5 Galaxy (only bigger) that departed Indy shortly before 8:00 pm. It flew over my area at 15000 feet and the low roaring whine of the engines sounded like nothing I’ve heard. I can't remember ever seeing this aircraft over the Midwest. I wonder who flew over and picked up/ dropped off what from who.

 

[Colt556]

I saw it as well. I’m under one of the approach/departure routes for the airport and can detect different sounding aircraft. I heard it so went to the radar to check it out. Needless to say I was quite surprised to see what it was! I was wondering if the Ukraine had any of these and they might have been transporting troops to/from Atterbury for some type training. I followed it for a bit and then got distracted with something else and never saw where it went.

 

[funeralweb]

I saw it as well. I’m under one of the approach/departure routes for the airport and can detect different sounding aircraft. I heard it so went to the radar to check it out. Needless to say I was quite surprised to see what it was! I was wondering if the Ukraine had any of these and they might have been transporting troops to/from Atterbury for some type training. I followed it for a bit and then got distracted with something else and never saw where it went.
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Your sighting appears to be a different aircraft. The one you post shows a climbing right bank while mine banked left climbing out of Indy. Your timeline is also about 45 minutes earlier than mine. Now I am REALLY intrigued.

 

[Ark]

I saw that guy when I was out on a run around Broad Ripple earlier this week and then again when I was out on my bike yesterday. Definitely an attention-getter. My first thought seeing overwing and four engines was "huh that looks like an Antonov, but that's impossible".

Must have been in town doing something this week. One of those two sightings it looked like it was lining up for the standard runway at Indy.

 

[littletommy]

I remember seeing one sitting at the Louisville airport years ago, pretty impressive.

 

[Wolfhound]

Looks like Ukraine operates 7 AN-124 and UAE has 1. Would like to know what it was picking up or dropping off.

 

[KellyinAvon]

A C-5A fuselage with 747 wings. Commie bastages ripped us off on this one before I was wearing green fatigues.

 

[rooster]

Looks like Ukraine operates 7 AN-124 and UAE has 1. Would like to know what it was picking up or dropping off.

Probably something that goes bang from a landlocked naval base…..

 

[ljk]

Looks like Ukraine operates 7 AN-124 and UAE has 1. Would like to know what it was picking up or dropping off.

Big guy's 10%.

 

[firecadet613]

One took off Wednesday afternoon, flew over me before it went into the clouds.

Driving by the airport today I was shocked to see another one on the ground...

 

[funeralweb]

Last nights flight landed at Shannon Airport (SNN) in Shannon, Ireland. Nice little location on the banks of the River Shannon, which feeds into the North Atlantic.

 

[avboiler11]

AN124s get to the US pretty frequently...there's one at IAH with some regularlity that hauls oil field stuff.

As to the one in Indy, I have no idea.

 

[BJHay]

I use Fightradar24 (and marinetraffic.com). Others have pointed out that Ukraine operates 7 AN-24s privately but according to Wikipedia Russia is the only military user and there are very few in commercial service.

The aircraft ownership and purpose of the flight are intriguing.

 

[Bigtanker]

Pretty cool. I never knew about the website like this. Just browsing around and this was interesting.

 

[rob63]

FWIW, one of these flew in and out of Indy a few years ago. I remember hearing that it picked up engines from Allison, but don't remember if that was ever confirmed.

 

[smokingman]

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I was out cleaning out a fence row yesterday afternoon when I heard something big flying overhead. I couldn’t see it for all the trees but it was nothing like the usual air traffic I hear. We are kinda under the approach and take off path to Louisville and often hear UPS traffic coming and going—especially the 747s. What I heard yesterday wasn’t that, I don’t think. Wonder if this is what I heard.

 

[vtnewbie]

There were Antonov flights into Hill AFB Utah a little over 20 years ago. Very hushed, carrying objects. Crew held Ukrainian passports

 

[KellyinAvon]

There were Antonov flights into Hill AFB Utah a little over 20 years ago. Very hushed, carrying objects. Crew held Ukrainian passports

Hill Air Force Base, home of the Ogden air logistics center, Or whatever they call it now.

 

[BJHay]

I asked a pilot friend who works at the airport. He said there were two of them and they parked at the USPS ramp. That's all he knew.