This is closest you’ll ever get to the Antonov An-225 in the air without being inside of it. For its recent flight from Kyiv to Leipzig, the airline and its chief pilot Dmytro Antonov filmed the flight from inside and out, including drone footage of the departure.
An-225 drone takeoff footage
The takeoff roll commences about 3:30 into the video and includes footage from the flight deck as well as drone footage of the takeoff. The video also show cases the stopping power of six engines under reverse thrust in Leipzig.
From Kyiv to Leipzig
Let us know your thoughts
What do you think of the video, especially the An-225 drone footage. Let us know in the comments below.
![An example full flight summary response from the Flightradar24 API: { "data": [ { "fr24_id": "0987654321", "flight": "SK1415", "callsign": "SAS1415", "operated_as": "SAS", "painted_as": "SAS", "type": "A20N", "reg": "SE-DOY", "orig_icao": "ESSA", "orig_iata": "ARN", "datetime_takeoff": "2023-01-27T05:15:22", "runway_takeoff": "12R", "dest_icao": "EKCH", "dest_iata": "CPH", "dest_icao_actual": "EPWA", "dest_iata_actual": "WAW", "datetime_landed": "2023-01-27T06:15:10", "runway_landed": "27L", "flight_time": 3600, "actual_distance": 1007.74, "circle_distance": 6245, "category": "Passenger", "hex": "4A91F9", "first_seen": "2023-01-27T05:06:22", "last_seen": "2023-01-27T06:18:10", "flight_ended": "true" } ] }](https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Flight-summary-API-cover-300x148.jpg)
![An example full flight summary response from the Flightradar24 API: { "data": [ { "fr24_id": "0987654321", "flight": "SK1415", "callsign": "SAS1415", "operated_as": "SAS", "painted_as": "SAS", "type": "A20N", "reg": "SE-DOY", "orig_icao": "ESSA", "orig_iata": "ARN", "datetime_takeoff": "2023-01-27T05:15:22", "runway_takeoff": "12R", "dest_icao": "EKCH", "dest_iata": "CPH", "dest_icao_actual": "EPWA", "dest_iata_actual": "WAW", "datetime_landed": "2023-01-27T06:15:10", "runway_landed": "27L", "flight_time": 3600, "actual_distance": 1007.74, "circle_distance": 6245, "category": "Passenger", "hex": "4A91F9", "first_seen": "2023-01-27T05:06:22", "last_seen": "2023-01-27T06:18:10", "flight_ended": "true" } ] }](https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Flight-summary-API-cover-768x378.jpg)
14 Responses
Wonderful footage!! Very Very nice!
How did you record the climb on takeoff from Kyiv?
That was simply amazing!
Great piece of video! The drone footage was – as you suggested – spectacular (I wonder what the drone video looked like once the turbulence from that flying skyscraper hot it!) but the whole thing was quite fascinating. I flew out of Kyiv once “back in the day” on a Russian puddle-jumper and it was sheer terror. Things appear to have improved since then. 😄
I was surprised at the apparent, er, maturity of the AN-225’s flight crew. Not a Tom Cruise in the bunch!
I think this was a helicopter, not a drone. The audio suggests a helicopter.
An225 vs. drone………..Wow………….no identifiable wing-tip turbulence experienced by the drone………….
Thank you very much for the video, I enjoyed it very much.
The AN-225 Mriya is the most fantastic aeroplane in the world.
I have worked in the Nth Caspian Sea for 5 years, lived in Astrakhan.
I previously lived in Baku, Azerbiajan and during this time have used the AN-124 on 2 occasions to transport oilfield equipt; from the US to Baku.
I am Australian, now retired and living in Australia.
Thank u very much, love u guys….
Very impressive plane, loved the drone footage on take-off.
A great YouTube video of the Antonov An-225 ! I used to fly Boeing 747-400’s for United Airlines years ago and what was amazing was the high take-off and landing speeds of the An-225. They are much higher than the B-747’s that I flew. During my 34 years with UAL, I got to see the inside of several Russian planes, but only the outside of the An-225 when it landed in Las Vegas years ago. It is an amazing airplane! I wish I could have been able to fly it.
Pilot Dmytro Antonov seems to be flying without a co-pilot! I have never seen a pilot so busy as he was landing the world’s largest plane, all the while taking his hands off the yoke and his eyes off the airport. Any explanation?
Fantastic video good to see drone footage, and to see the inner working of the flight, looking forward to seeing it loading,and what type of cargo this giant takes. 3 Pumas from Afganistan to Brize was good but could not see them coming off.
Great photos and a beautiful video on the AN-225.
Love the fact that the 747’s are still in the air!
To me it remains the most beautiful Boeing ever made.
Best regards maarten buma Pretoria South Africa
simply amazing. We won’t get a chance to fly it, so we can. have that feeling.
Absolutely fascinating! This aircraft is a tribute to the engineering skills which exist in Russia!
Impressed by two things.
How clearly defined the touchdown zone on the runway is, as indicated by tire marks. A virtually straight line. Precision.
I couldn’t detect the moment the plane made contact with the runway. Usually there is some small jolt, but not here. I’m wondering if that’s a result of so many sets of wheel distributing the weight.
Not impressed:
The fan in the cockpit! The A/C not very effective? 😄
Thanks for the video. I’d love to see this thing in the flesh.
Captivating