We had a job to do in Baghdad in 2003 just after the fighting stopped. Getting there as civilians was difficult but we made it as far as the transit hotel in Kuwait, including our 15 cartons of equipment, without any problems. Then the arranged charter plane was unavailable and we were stuck in transit! Fortunately our local contact advised he had made other arrangements which involved racing out to the taxiway in a pickup truck to scramble aboard a Ukrainian Antonov freighter (4 turbo prop), engines were already running as we tossed our stuff onto the ramp and climbed on for the ride with one other passenger, two small trucks, a pallet or two and a small forklift truck. The trip was OK and on landing we taxied to an deserted apron area and they unloaded. Then we stood around looking at each other not knowing what to do, including apparently the crew. Eventually the skipper asked if we had a phone. We had an Inmarsat portable that he borrowed and called somewhere then he asked if we wanted a ride to Kiev!
I am sure we never paid for the flight and I wasnt even sure we were in Baghdad until the Australian Air Force vehicle found us and took us to the tower building.