MAKS 2011 (1)

This tour is specially for those enthusiasts whose main interest is to visit the various aviation museums and aircraft collections in the Moscow area, including Monino (pictured), plus 2 days at the MAKS airshow. And as an added attraction we have now included visits to various places associated with the Russian space programme, e.g., Star City, the Energia Spacecraft Plant and Mission Control.
Time also for a morning, guided sightseeing tour of the Red Square area, and a completely free day to enjoy Moscow at your leisure! We fly on the scheduled services of British Midland Airways (BMI) from London’s Heathrow Airport; transfers and transportation is by deluxe, air-conditioned coach; we stay 7-nights at the 4-star Aerostar Hotel (see details below); and in addition to your Ian Allan Tour Manager, we are also accompanied by a local English-speaking guide. Please note that ALL meals are included in the tour price.

 

Day	Description
DAY 1: Wednesday, 17th August	Between 07:40 and 08:40 please check-in with British Midland Airways on the “Departures” level (first floor) of Terminal 1 at London’s Heathrow Airport. Then meet your Ian Allan Tour Manager who will be stood by the entrance through to “International Departures”. Latest check-in time is 08:40, however, as this is the busiest time of the day in Terminal 1, please allow plenty of time to check-in and go through security. > Heathrow Airport, T1 Flight: BD 891 Departs: 10:40 > Moscow Domodedovo Airport Arrives: 17:40 After Immigration, Baggage Reclaim and Customs we enter the Arrivals Hall and meet our local Englishspeaking Russian guide; we then transfer by private coach to the Aerostar Hotel in Moscow suburb of Khodynka. We stay 7-nights on a Full Board basis (breakfast, packed lunches and evening meal). Website: www.aerostar.ru
DAY 2: Thursday, 18th August	Departing our hotel at 07:00 we spend the first of two full days at the 2011 “MAKS” – the Moscow Aviation Exhibition and Airshow. Today is a Trade Day for professional visitors only. We have VIP tickets (for both of our visits so that our coach can park on Zhukovsky airfield itself rather than using the ‘park and ride scheme’ from Bykovo Airport). There are several exhibition halls, a large aircraft static display and a comprehensive airshow in the afternoon.
DAY 3: Friday, 19th August	Leaving the hotel at 09:00, at 10:00 we begin our 3-hours visit to one of the best museums in the world: the mind-boggling Russian Air Force Museum at Monino. As well as military aircraft associated with the Cold War of the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, there are also early examples of Russian aeroplanes, warbirds from WWI and WWII, and various classic Soviet airliners. Website: www.moninoaviation.com We then go on to the ‘home’ of the Russian space programme – Star City. Among the facilities here are fullsize mock-ups of all major spacecraft developed in the former USSR, from Soyuz to Buran, from TKS to Mir, and the International Space Station (ISS); a water pool used imitating weightlessness was used for EVA (spacewalk) training and capable of accommodating a 20-ton space station module; two centrifuges, large TsF-18 and smaller TsF-7, designed to imitate G-forces during the rocket liftoff; and a planetarium capable of projecting as many as 9,000 stars. http://www.russianspaceweb.com Returning to our hotel we visit, if it is still open, the remaining aircraft in the now defunct National Air and Space Museum. Located only a short distance from our hotel on Khodynka airfield, Moscow’s original airport, it was here in 1910 that the first powered flight took place in Russia. In May 1896, prior to becoming an airfield, Khodynka field was the site of the ill-fated coronation of Tsar Nicholas II. A stampede caused by a rumoured shortage in souvenir coronation mugs resulted in more than 1000 (some sources say 1,500) people being trampled to death.
DAY 4: Saturday, 20th August	Our second full day at the 2011 MAKS: today is a public day. Again we have VIP admission tickets allowing us to drive directly onto Zhukovsky airfield. And, like Thursday, there is a full flying programme.
DAY 5: Sunday, 21st August	This morning we enjoy a walking sightseeing tour of Red Square and St Basils Cathedral; inside the Kremlin; the incredible, and famous, GUM shopping arcade; and Sparrow (formerly Lenin) Hill, high up on the bank of the River Moscow with its superb views overlooking the Russian capital. In the afternoon we look around the Central Armed Forces Museum, one of the world’s greatest places to see military history. It was founded in 1919 and every year about 1 million people visit the Museum to see its displays and exhibitions. There are 24 rooms showing the history of the Russian Army and Navy from the beginning of the 18th century until today. The collection includes over 800,000 military and historical objects. Website: www.cmaf.ru. Among the Museum’s rarities are: The Red Flag raised over the Reichstag building in Berlin in May 1945 as a symbol of victory over the Nazis. Personal belongings and decorations of famous government and military leaders such as Stalin, Frunze, General Zhukov, General Rokossovsky, Vasilevsky, Kuznetsov and others. Trophies of World War II – Nazi flags, decorations, documents, weapons and items which belonged to Hitler, Rosenberg, Rommel, Goering & Field Marshal Paulus (of Stalingrad fame). The wreckage of the American U2 spy plane piloted by Gary Powers and shot down by Soviet Anti-Aircraft Defence Troops in May 1960.
DAY 6: Monday, 22nd August	A free day to enjoy as you wish in Moscow.
DAY 7: Tuesday, 23rd August	We start the day with a visit to the Energia Spacecraft Plant, followed by a tour of the Mission Control Centre of Russian Spaceflight. In the afternoon we visit the Vadim Zadorozhny Museum (formerly the Yakovlev Design Bureau Museum), whose collection of historic aircraft includes the superb Hawker Hurricane IIB whose restoration was completed in 2009 by Patrioticheskoe Vysota in St Petersburg. Its collection includes those originally from the Yak Design Bureau Museum. For further information please see the excellent website: www.vitalykuzmin.net. This only deals with outdoor exhibits; there is another ‘page’ showing internal aircraft and memorabilia.
DAY 8: Wednesday, 24th August	This morning we visit the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, which has over 25 aircraft on display; website: www.russianmuseums.info/M421. The Museum is located within the huge expanse of Victory Park; website: http://www.moscow.info Mid-afternoon we arrive at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport and check-in for our flight back to London. > Moscow Domodedovo Airport Flight: BD 894 Departs: 18:40 > London Heathrow Airport, Terminal 1 Departs: 19:55 After UK Immigration Control we await our luggage in Baggage Reclaim and take the opportunity to bid each other farewell – until the next time: “ Paka! Dosva Danya”!

 

PRICE PER PERSON
From £ 1,625.00 From £ 225.00 From £ 1,298.00	Package price based on sharing a twin bedded room on a full board basis Single room supplement Land-only (NO flights) PLEASE SPEAK WITH ONE OF OUR CONSULTANTS BEFORE BOOKING

TOUR PRICE INCLUDES

• Economy class tickets on the scheduled services of British Midland (BMI) from London’s Heathrow Airport, Terminal 1
• UK & Russian airport taxes and UK Passenger Service Charge, currently £78.80
• Coach transfers and transportation as stated
• 7-nights hotel accommodation in rooms with private facilities
• All meals (lunches will be of packed variety)
• 2 days VIP Admission Tickets to MAKS 2011
• Admission to all museums, Space City etc, as stated
• Services of a local English-speaking guide

• Travel insurance – see General Information
• Tourist visa: required by all visitors – see General Information
• Personal expenditure, e.g. telephone calls, laundry, drinks, etc.
• Tips and gratuities

Payment
A deposit of £250.00 per person per tour should accompany your Booking Form, with the balance due 10 weeks prior to the tour’s departure. Please see your Booking Confirmation/Invoice for the exact date. Please note that a reminder of the payment date will not be sent.

Passports and Visas
Citizens of the UK are required to be in possession of a Full UK Passport, which must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your intended departure date from Russia. Everyone requires a visa to enter Russia and the price varies according to how quickly you want your application processed. You may also refer to the World Travel Guide website: www.wtgonline.com for general information on passports, visas and health requirements.

For UK Passport holders/residents, the cheapest rate for a single-entry tourist visa is currently £50.00 based on a
processing time of 5 working days; however, during the summer months it will take longer. In additional to the cost of the visa itself, there is also a Consular Admin Fee of £26.40 (plus £7.40 postage for Royal Mail Special Delivery for postal applications). Please note that you cannot apply for a tourist visa more than 3 months in advance of your date of travel: i.e. no earlier than 17th May, 2011.

All visa applications in the UK have been outsourced by the Russian Consular (Visa) Section to a private company “Visa Services UK Ltd”. Since October 2009 the application form, requirements and procedures have changed significantly; the main change being that ALL VISA APPLICATIONS MUST BE DONE ON-LINE; there are NO exceptions. After completing the application form you must then make a copy, sign it and either mail or take it to Visa Services Ltd who are located in central London, along with the necessary supporting documents which we will provide. Full details and the application form are on their website: http://ru.vfsglobal.co.uk

For UK Passport holders/residents we strongly recommend you take a look at the website of “ASLA Select”, the specialist company with whom we have previously worked: they can usually get visas more quickly than the advertised time. In fact, we consider it best if you speak with them even before you start the process of completing the visa application form as there are certain things you can and cannot do on the form. For example, there can be no mistakes whatsoever; you cannot use hyphens or slashes; there is to be no gaps between numbers (i.e. on telephone numbers). Their specialist staff will be able to answer any questions you might have.

Details of charges and the application form can be seen on their website: http://www.asla.co.uk/index.shtml
You will also need to include with your application proof of travel insurance.
The necessary “Letter of Invitation” from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and a tourist voucher, will be sent to you nearer the date of travel if you reside outside the UK. UK residents/passport holders should advise us of how you intend to apply for your visa so that this documentation is forwarded either to you or ASLA.
If applying through ASLA please make sure that all the required documentation (check list is on their website), e.g. your completed, signed, application form; passport; photograph; copy of travel insurance, etc is received at ASLA as soon as possible after booking on the tour.

The Russian authorities can change the requirements for obtaining a visa, and/or the price, with no warning; however, the above is correct as of 1st February 2011. Any changes can be seen on the websites mentioned.

Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) Consular Advice
The FCO's consular service is a major operation. Every hour of every day consular staff around the world are advising and helping British nationals. For up-to-date passport, visa and security information on the destination you intend visiting, we suggest you visit www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo
In addition, the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) provide an Information Line, telephone: 0901 201 505 (calls currently charged at 50p per minute).

Baggage Regulations – British Midland Airways (BMI) – London Heathrow Departures Only
BMI’s baggage rules, for Economy Class allow an unlimited number of pieces in the aircraft’s hold, up to a maximum weight (when totalled) of 20kgs per person.

Hand, or cabin, baggage is limited to one item no bigger than 25cm (9.85 inches) deep x 56cm (22 inches) long x 45m (17½ inches) high, and which you must be able to lift unaided into the overhead locker onboard the aircraft, plus one ‘personal item’, i.e. laptop, briefcase, etc..

Limited quantities of liquids (individual containers must not exceed 100ml or 3.5 fl oz), are now allowed as hand baggage but must be carried separately through security in a clear plastic, zip-top or re-sealable bag that does not exceed 20cm x 20cm (8 inches x 8 inches), or quart size. Items must fit in the bag comfortably and the bag must be completely closed.

The bag can only contain liquids such as shampoo, suntan lotions, creams, toothpaste, hair gel and hair spray, perfumes, cosmetics such as mascara and lip gloss, water and other drinks, soups and syrups and other items of a similar consistency.

Cigarette lighters are NOT permitted in hold baggage or through the security search. These may be purchased airside. Hand baggage can also include electronic equipment such as mobile phones, digital cameras and MP3 players (such as i-Pods). Laptops must be removed from the bag for x-ray.

Prescription medicines in liquid form, e.g. diabetic kit can also be included.

At security all remaining items should be placed in the tray provided for screening, e.g. car keys and fobs, cash, solid food, books, newspapers, cigarettes and tobacco, belts and shoes. Pushchairs and walking aids are permitted but must be x-ray screened. All wheelchairs will be subject to search. Please note: you may be subject to a hand search by the security team and required to remove footwear to be x-ray screened.

If flying from any other airport on BMI, i.e. on connecting services to/from Heathrow, the allowance differs depending on the airport – please ask for details at time of booking or contact your local BMI office or airport for details.

Meals
This tour is on a Full Board basis; breakfast, lunch and dinner each day (lunches will be of the packed variety).
Health Requirements There are no known mandatory or recommended precautions for visiting Russia; however, we strongly recommend youconsult your local doctor or health centre for the latest information.

Climate and Dress
Moscow in August should be hot and sunny (mid 70sºF - low 80sºF), so we recommend summer attire.

Travel Insurance
For citizens of the United Kingdom, Ian Allan Travel Ltd can provide competitive and comprehensive insurance cover for the duration of your tour. However, if you do not wish to take out our insurance, you must ensure that comparable or greater cover is taken. The number of your Insurance Policy should be written, if known, on your Booking Form at the time of making the reservation, but no later than the date when final payment is due. A copy of the policy must be forwarded to Ian Allan Travel Ltd.

Individual insurance policies are arranged through CoverMore Insurance Services Limited; the premiums for which will vary according to your circumstances. Full details are available on request.

Wheelchair Assistance at Airports.
Anyone requiring wheelchair assistance at airports must have this service requested and confirmed in advance. Airlines and/or airports can no longer provide this service without prior confirmation, therefore, please annotate your booking form accordingly.

Flexible Itinerary
We are very happy for enthusiasts to take time away from the printed itinerary to pursue their own interests during
multi-day stays in the same place, so long as they inform the Tour Manager. It will be the individual’s responsibility to ensure that they re-join the group in the hotel at the stated time on the day of departure.

Land Only Price
For enthusiasts who would prefer to join the tour in Moscow (instead of flying from the UK with the main group), we are very pleased to provide a ‘Land Only’ price. This price does not include international flights to/from Moscow at the start and end of the tour.

You are strongly advised to contact us before making your own flight arrangements to/from Moscow in the event that there has been a change to the published itinerary.

Please note that the ‘Land only’ price is based on you meeting the tour at the Aerostar Hotel in Moscow and no transfers are included. However, should your flight arrival and departure times - at Domodedovo Airport - coincide with those of the main group from London a seat will be offered if available for an appropriate supplement.

Pre-departure
For connecting flights from UK regional airports - please call Ian Allan Aviation Tours on 01932 255627 for the latest special offers available.

Airport Hotel and/or Car Parking - we can offer special rates for the above at most UK airports, please ask for details.

‘Meet & Greet’ Car Parking, London’s Heathrow Airport : from your home or overnight hotel, simply drive to
Heathrow Airport and follow the sign for Terminal 1, Customer Arrival, Short-Stay Car Park; after passing through the ticket barrier take the 2nd left turning to the ground level of the car park, and park your car in Zone D. You then hand your car over to the waiting driver who will then take it to an off-airport, secure, car park. On your return, the driver and your car will be waiting for you in the same location. Simple and very convenient. Recommended by our Tour Managers. Call for details.

Flight Timings & Connecting Travel Arrangements to Departure Airport
All flight departure and arrival times are correct at the time of preparing each itinerary; however, airlines may change these times with little or no prior warning. In practice such changes are only a few minutes either way and the final itinerary will show the actual times. Clients making their own arrangements to get to the departure airport by air, rail, coach etc., should bare the above in mind if purchasing non-refundable or non-changeable tickets. Ian Allan Aviation Tours cannot be held responsible for any changes to flight times and any privately arranged travel tickets to the airport becoming invalid.

Pleasure Flights – Disclaimer
Should you decide to undertake any pleasure/sightseeing flights which have not been offered or sanctioned by us, Ian Allan Travel Ltd will not be held liable for any injuries or death resulting thereon.

Tours Affected by World Events or Unforeseen/Unplanned Circumstances
In an ever-changing world, events may occur immediately before or during a tour that result in cancellations or changes to the tour itinerary. For example, an increase in security may result in an approved visit being cancelled by the host, etc.. Ian Allan Travel Ltd cannot be held responsible for any tour being cancelled, or itineraries affected, due to world events or circumstances beyond our control.