Helicopter creates traffic jam in Almaty

A helicopter was driving down Suyunbai street in Almaty in the morning on March 19, Tengrinews.kz reports citing Margarita Mamoshkina's report in Facebook. Mamoshkina took a picture of the unusual vehicle at the road at 07:20 a.m. (Astana time). “Here, see a traffic jam created by a helicopter. That morning was a surprising one for all the drivers on Suyunbai street,” she commented. According to witnesses, the helicopter was pulled by a tow car and there was a pilot in the cockpit driving. Witnesses believe that the helicopter must have been driving to a railroad depot that is located not far from the street. The helicopter was accompanied by “a convoy of military police cars with blinkers”. The helicopter's main rotor has been dismantled. This was the only way a helicopter with a huge rotor like that - about 21 meters in diameter - could drive through the city streets without uprooting all the electric poles along the way. Witnesses believe that the helicopter's morning city stroll was part of the effort to transport it to Astana for the military parade that will be held on May 7. This was the cheapest way to transport it, they think.