Originally Posted by
rcsa
There's plenty of US military equipment and personnel gets lifted around Africa and the Middle East in E European /ex Sov aircraft and helicopters. Antonovs, Ilyushin and MIL make aircraft that are solid, easily maintained, cheap, robust, widely available and discreet. All useful qualities in both aid and military support ops.
As for this whole 'vodka swilling Russian pilot' trope that seems so popular here - (a) most of the Russian, Ukrainian, Moldovan, Georgian and other aircrew I've flown with over the years have been highly competent and professional. Audacious, yes, and sometimes prepared to fly in conditions that would make your average 'western' ATPL call in sick
Maybe that was what they were doing in this accident?