Aviation Kolyma received two Mi-38-4 helicopters manufactured at Kazan Helicopter Plant (KVZ). On 4-7 March 2024, the machines, wearing livery stylised to resemble the colouring of killer whales, performed a flight from Kazan to their permanent base in the Magadan region.
The helicopters with registration numbers RA-14340 and RA-14343 were intended for the Special Flying Squadron “Russia” of the Russian Presidential Administration, but were not accepted by the customer. “Avia Kolyma” leased them with the help of a subsidy provided by the government of the Magadan region and became the first airline that received and will use two Mi-38-4s at once, it will also be the main operator of Mi-38 helicopters in the Mi-38-4 modification.
One of the helicopters was piloted by a girl pilot Milana Smerdova. At the Magadan airport on the eve of International Women’s Day on 8 March she was greeted with a bouquet of flowers by the Governor of the Magadan region, Sergei Nosov.
For four days and 35 flight hours the Mi-38 crews with three overnight stays covered a distance of 6500 kilometres with stops in Chelyabinsk and Omsk, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Bratsk, Bodaibo and Neryungri. On the fourth day they reached Magadan. The government of Magadan region noted that such a run of Mi-38 in winter conditions is a great test of endurance of the equipment. Earlier such long flights were not performed by helicopters manufactured at KVZ, and for Mi-38 this flight became a kind of a record in terms of range.
Mi-38-4 helicopters in passenger version with thirty seats will be used on the route Yamsk – Takhtoyamsk. In the future there will be a new air service Magadan – Susuman – Yagodnoye – Seimchan – Magadan.
Maxim Startsev, director of Aviatsii Kolyma, said Russian Helicopters had extended the warranty on the helicopters by two years and increased it by 300 hours. “Due to their speed and modern piloting and navigation system, these helicopters can automatically circle terrains during flight and carry people in comfortable seats. These are modern machines, which will give an opportunity to open new flights within the region, as well as flights to other regions in the future,” he added.
A total of four prototypes of the Mi-38 helicopter and nine flight production models have been built so far, the last of which will be built in 2021.
