Originally Posted by
Gordomac
Akula ; Interesting post & question. I guess we, professional Airline pilots, are not regarded any differently, by foreign authorities, to ordinary visitors etc.
I can never recall any formal advice given by my airline ( employed by 7). I can never, through employment, recall any formal advice given by the Foreign Office or Consular Authorities. I was aware of the need to observe local rules and regulations by reading of the handling of other unfortunates in general press and TV reports. Oh, and TV series like the recent airing of the appalling . Nzanin Ratcliffe case.
Indeed, only one one employer, at the height of the UK/Irish troubles was so concerned by the Belfast Crew Cafe bombing that they told us to avoid leaving the aircraft during extended turn-rounds and then, followed by asking for Volunteers for the turn-round sked.
informal advice was, of course, legion.
How I ,personally, avoided the occasional flogging in a public square, serious jail time for offending very important people is, frankly, beyond me.
Oh, hang on.........................................for another time capsule...................
Thank you for sharing that — it actually reinforces the concern I’m trying to highlight. Most of us have operated all over the world for years, and like you said, we’ve relied almost entirely on informal advice, common sense, and luck to avoid getting tangled in something serious. But the reality is that in certain jurisdictions the risks are no longer theoretical. In my own situation, the only reason I ended up in Kazakhstan was because I was rostered there on duty. Once inside the system, none of the safeguards we assume exist — proper forensic standards, due process, competent translation, presumption of innocence — actually functioned. And as you pointed out, there was no formal guidance from the airline, no clear consular protection, and no structured support. That’s the part I think should concern all crew: We’re expected to operate into countries with documented corruption issues. We receive no official warning, preparation, or risk briefings. If things go wrong, you can end up completely alone in a very hostile system. Nobody expects immunity from local laws — far from it. But in countries where international standards aren’t met, and where foreign nationals can be targeted or used for leverage, you would hope that your government and your company would step in to ensure basic fairness. When they don’t, you’re entirely at the mercy of that system. That’s why I’m raising this now. It’s not about pilots being “special”, it’s about recognising a professional vulnerability that’s never been properly addressed, despite crews being among the most widely travelled professionals in the world.