The Antonov An-30 is a Soviet-era aircraft developed in the late 1960s as a specialized variant of the An-24, designed specifically for aerial cartography and observation. What really sets it apart visually is its glass nose—an extensively glazed cockpit area that allowed navigators and survey operators to have an unobstructed view of the terrain below. This feature, along with the angled cockpit windows, gives the An-30 a very distinctive, almost insect-like appearance.

It was built to carry out high-precision photographic mapping, and to do that effectively, it was equipped with a suite of vertical and oblique cameras. The aircraft typically flew at medium altitudes, cruising at around 430 km/h, with a range that allowed it to cover large swathes of land during missions. Internally, it usually had a crew of five to seven people, including the pilots, navigator, and camera operators, all working together to ensure the quality and accuracy of the data being gathered.

Beyond its civil mapping role, the An-30 also found use in military and arms control settings. One of its more notable roles was in support of the Open Skies Treaty, where it was used by several countries, including Russia and Ukraine, to conduct mutually agreed aerial surveillance missions as a form of transparency between nations.

Though it’s a niche aircraft, the An-30 has remained in service for decades due to its unique capabilities. Its rugged Soviet-era engineering, combined with its specialized role, means that a number of these aircraft are still flying today—some still in mapping, others in observation roles. Despite newer technologies, it’s one of those aircraft that continues to have a place where visual reconnaissance and analog reliability are still valued.