I remember doing a Nairobi - Addis Ababa - Nairobi in a DC8 freighter in 1977 with 46 tonnes of paper on board for Ethiopia. it took a long time to unload the cargo and while we were there on the aeroplane the Air Loadmaster, who had just left the RAF, started to take a lot of interest in a nearby row of MIG 21 or 25’s that were being assembled after what must have been a recent delivery. He was armed with an expensive looking camera and started to take a lot of photos, which he said would be sent to the Air Ministry. I tried to slow him down as we could all have finished up in big trouble if the authorities saw the photos being taken. Anyway, the Loadmaster went “undercover” and became more careful when taking his photos.
A couple monthe later, he flew with me again and I asked him how his photos of the Russian Fighters were received by the Air Ministry. The answer was. “The buggers weren’t interested in them.”