I'm not sure why you're going on about Basra. I'll put my original post up here again:
oh PLEASE!! Tallil would have to be about the SAFEST part of the country!!
No mention of Basra. You brought it up, and claimed it was "Just over the hill". It is a long way away; not only in distance, but in the mindset of the locals. This includes their attitude towards coalition forces, as well as what they're prepared to do about it. Basra is NOT Tallil!
I agree with you (shock) that Basra is NOT a safe part of Iraq, and if the report had been about the Herc landing back in Basra, I wouldn't have made my original comment.
So let be get this straight. You are basing the threat assessment to military fixed wing transport aircraft on what you thought you noticed as a passenger sitting in a cargo compartment that for all intents and purposes you can not see out of?
I apologise for putting in a "Throwaway line" about my observations on Loadmasters.
I'll state again, that I made my Threat Assessment on what I have seen, heard, and read over several months living and working in and around Tallil AFB! Knowing the layout of the airfield, and the (various things I wont go into on PPRuNe) I can say that I'd be quite happy doing circuits there in a Civilian aircraft.
How far out do you think the aircraft was when they executed the smoke and fumes checklist?
I have no idea. If they were at 4500', and GUESSING their likely departure profile, then I'm GUESSING not very far. Why don't you ask him and get back to me? Then your whole "distance from Tallil" argument may become relevant.
So if Tallil is this little safe haven in Iraq, how far out do you think that extends?
I don't know, and I'm not sure what it has to do with anything I mentioned earlier. At least circuit distance, obviously.
Do you walk around Tallil or Nasiriyah with no fire arm or body armour / helmet?
If it's all the same with you, I'd rather not discuss the weapons and armour posture of Australian soldiers at Tallil on PPRuNe. I will point out though, that Tallil had plenty of Civvy contractors who were unarmed and didn't wear body armour.
Since you don't believe Tallil to be a combat zone I assume you'll be donating $150( + your normal tax) for each day you spent in Tallil to charity (because by your own admission you don't deserve it)
Where did I say that I didn't believe that Tallil was a combat zone? How do you come to the conclusion "by your own admission you don't deserve it"?
I stand by my claim that you are confusing "Safe compared to XYZ" and "Safe"
Sure, you can claim that. But YOU are confusing my argument because I NEVER said that Tallil was safe compared to anywhere else. I said that Tallil was about the safest place in the country. You can infer from what I said that IMO Tallil was safe enough to do circuits.
being a pax in the cargo compartment certainly doesn't make you an expert!
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Where did I claim to be an expert on military fixed wing operations? I mentioned my paxing in and out of Tallil, because YOU asked if I'd be happy to fly into there.
I know better because I paxed into and out of there a few times over the past five or so months.
I never said that. Please read your own questions to me, and my answers to THOSE questions, and NOT what you thought you asked.
If you want to fly anywhere in Iraq in a civil aircraft then I personally think you have a death wish.
Your opinion! As I said, due to the reasons I mentioned earlier, I'd be happy doing CIRCUITS at TALLIL in a civilian aircraft. No other airports! Not between airports!
I think you're all talk and wouldn't do that.
I think you're wrong, and I would have if I had the chance
Apologies to the other Prune readers who had to wade through all that!
PAF, I'd be happy to talk about this offline, where we can get into specifics (which I'd rather not do here). PM me if you like.
DIVOSH!
p.s. Your assumptions about me are around 50% correct.
