Mi-8 MTV-1 with Russian Flight Engineer
Stellenbosch airfield, Western Cape, 21st April.
Two Mi-8s are brought from Russia each year for South Africa’s summer months and are on permanent standby to fight fires in mountainous areas near Cape Town.
They are ZS-registered for the duration of the contract and operated by Russian Captains and FE's with South African co-pilots.
This year’s fire-fighting contract was due to end three days after the pics were taken - it's the beginning of Autumn in SA - and I was kindly offered a flight on the last day but was unable to rearrange plans.
Very frustrating!