Smudge,
on Op Vigour the 'usual incumbent' did not have the chance to use the no go item. We just left it in situ as being the safest place to store it. Besides it was useful for stowing kit on.
Op Vigour.
The day before we were due to fly to Nairobi to pick up our pax all the crew went in to help role and clean up XV 187 as best we could in the circumstances. I went over to the USAF HQ to get an int brief. This was long on reassurances and short on facts. Nairobi and our usual strips were not the concern. Neither was Djibouti as I knew the French still used the place.
Hargeisa was the great unknown for me. Before the civil war it had been a busy place but now was bereft of ATC and any of the normal facilities. It was in the self proclaimed Republic of Northern Somalia which was not recognised by the UN.
Google will provide you with the background story.
Still group would not send an a/c, crew and a VIP to anywhere in harms way would they ? No option but to get on with it.
Approach to one of the strips used on Op Vigour. Sometimes a low LZ inspection was required to check for stray animals and people. Once or twice we seemed low enough to identify the type of ant inhabiting the area !