Russia is no longer the country where bears walk in streets.
Russia is the country where planes and helicopters fly over highways…
Searching for Mi-8 which flew 3 meters above the road
Translated from http://lifenews.ru/news/100905
Video record made by a driver in Sverdlovsk Oblast prompted investigation by RosAviatsia and traffic police. They are looking for the pilot who performed the “fly-by” over a busy highway.
The incident occurred on the highway Ekaterinburg – Kurgan.
- I was overtaking another car at the speed of 100 km/h when I heard strange noise behind me. – said the driver Alexander F. – Frankly speaking, I was scared. Thought that I didn’t check properly the safety of maneuver and might provoke an accident. But when I suddenly saw the helicopter flying over my roof, I was so surprised that almost “flew” into a ditch myself!
The situation with Mi-8 is now under control of local investigative committee.
- It is obvious that this maneuver violated all rules of flights at low altitude, – says Olga Romanova, the press-secretary of Ural transport prosecution.
Presumably, the military Mi-8 belongs to a military unit № 45123 whose airbase is located near Kamensk-Uralsky. According to local residents, their pilots often fly over the city at very low altitude.
- The stunt committed by a pilot was very dangerous. If at this moment there was some tall truck on the road, he could bump into it, leading to disaster, – say from Kamensk-Uralsky department of traffic police.
Once pilot’s identity is established, he could face administrative sanctions or temporary flight restrictions.
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This news come just few days after another resonant prank in which the fighter jet Su-24 was spotted flying some 20-30 meters above the highway.
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Possibly the best comment about this story was made in one forum:
Yesterday it was the plane over highway, now – helicopter .. What will be tomorrow – tanks riding on the beach?
The irony of this comment is in the fact that just one month ago the video of tanks driving through the beach in Kaliningrad Oblast went viral on Russian internet.
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Probably, I wouldn’t enjoy to be the driver with planes and helicopters wandering overhead, I would like, however, to watch the tanks while sitting on the beach with my camera.
That is pure irony, but yeah, that is odd behavior, by folks in the military. Nothing like odd pranks, but low flybys can be scary and disorientating. Fun stuff though, kids would enjoy the heck out of it.