Antonov An-30

The Antonov An-30 is another member of the An-24 family. It was designed as an aerial survey and photographic airplane, employed e.g. for map-making. The aircraft flew for the first time in 1973. Some An-30 are also known to have been employed on ecological survey missions. Various cameras and sensors are integrated into the fuselage, and some of the airplanes reportedly even feature their own darkrooms. To make more room for the equipment, An-30 features a raised cockpit on the forward fuselage. As the An-30 is a highly specialized aircraft type, it has only been built in small numbers. The first An-30 reached otopeni air base on december 1976, in the same month it performed the first flight with romanian pilots and the first photo mission was performed in July 1977. For the time being Romanian Air Force uses the aircraft for geodetic surveys and "Open Skies" missions, performing the first international flight in November 1990 in Hungary. In July 1995, a romanian An-30 was deployed for the first allied military operation in Hungary.