Was just sitting here at PC listening to ATC and working on FS9 when I hear a voice really hard for me to understand. Here’s screens of it:
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/2133/AntonovRuslan1.th.jpg
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/6562/AntonovRuslan2.th.jpg
This may not impress anyone else,but I have never seen one of these around Portland,Oregon! 
We’ve spotted the big Antonov (An-225) in Texas and Canada under a few idents: ADB7718, ADB2995, ADB995F, and ADB718F.
Antonov operates several domestic USA flights each year for cargo that is too large for domestic airlines and that are impractical to be delivered via ground means.
As with any foreign carriers operating a flight domestically within the USA, each flight must get an exemption from the Department of Transportation. These exemptions are online at http://dms.dot.gov/. If you use the advance search, chose “OST” for the agency.
The docket for the flight from RIC to PDX ( http://flightaware.com/live/flight/ADB7804) states:
Relief requested: Exemption from 49 USC 40109(g) to permit the applicant to operate one, one-way, all-cargo charter flight, using its AN-124-100 aircraft, carrying outsized cargo on behalf of Active Aero Charter, Inc., from Richmond, Virginia, to Portland, Oregon, during the period January 25 through January 28, 2006. The flight would carry an outsized low pressure turbine rotor and ancillary equipment destined for the Portland General Electric Companys (PGE) Boardman Coal Plant. The applicant asserts that PGE needs the subject lift because the turbine rotor is required to restore the PGE Boardman Coal Plant to full service; that the cargo is too large for transportation on U.S.-carrier aircraft; and that surface transportation is not feasible because of the inordinate amount of travel time it would require.
The full docket can be found at http://dms.dot.gov/search/document.cfm?documentid=382491&docketid=23682
THANKS FOR ALL THIS INFO!
Cargo on the North Island - Denver flight will be an Atlas V EELV body. Dunno what launch it will meet up with, but expect one of VDB’s AN-124s to be in Denver for a flight to Cape Canaveral AFS Skid Strip within a month or two. That flight will have the body (now assembled into a first stage), the Centaur Upper Stage, fairing parts, and possibly the payload itself although those are typically flown to CCAFS by C-17 or C-5.
My thanks as well for the info on this big bird. Just saw it in BHM a few days ago and after not getting very far contacting the airport directly, was able to use the links provided to find all the details pertaining to its visit. Still trying to find out how to tell when it will be back, but will have fun surfing this cool site in the meantime.
I saw this plane arrive at Pearson International at 9AM this morning.(CYYZ)
How should I go about finding out its departure time? I’d like to get some pictures.
