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Something personally brought back from Iraq


mmerc20
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I am happy to see this new category, I hope it sticks around!

 

Since we haven't seen anything modern yet, let me share a story about something I personally brought back.

 

When I was in Iraq, there was a plane in the distance on the other side of the airport. As much as I love aviation relics it had been calling me since I had arrived and finally found the time to go check it out.

 

It was about a 10 minute drive around the perimeter road but I finally reached it. To my surprise, it had an Iranian flag painted on the tail, and one on the side of the fuselage that the former British soldiers who ran our base tried quite unsuccessfully to remove as a souvenir.

 

It is a Fokker F-27 operated by the Iranian Oil Ministry that wrecked there November 29th 1993. After a little research on the internet I discovered that it was hijacked by a man with his 5 children and wife looking for political asylum in Kuwait. Apparently he gave up (whether that was in flight or on the ground, I don't know) and was sent back to Iran for prosecution. We can assume he did not last long once he returned.

 

As an aircraft mechanic, I had just about any tool needed. After my visit, I went back to the shop, got a tin snips and returned for the flag on the fuselage that was partially removed.

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Here is the part of the flag I was able to remove. I gave one piece to a good friend and have kept the rest. I wish I went back for more, but never did. I am probably one of the only people in the world that has a piece of an Iranian flag!

 

Mike

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When I was in Bosnia, there were a couple of crashed Migs with Yuoslavian insignias I always wanted to cut off, but all I had was my linesman tool...dang it! Very cool souvenir though!

 

 

Mark sends

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Here is a picture of the flag and how the former British soldiers on the base were not able to get it off. I wish now I had removed the whole thing and perhaps the Iranian Oil Ministry symbol below the window.

 

Mike

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  • 2 weeks later...

This reminds me if the flag off an Iraqi mig fighter I drug around with me for months during Iraq. It was probably 2 feet by 3feet and came off the tail of the aircraft with the aluminum aircraft structure still intact. We had to move from our base one night and relocate down south and the flag was left behind... I was pissed

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One night, I was taking off from the FOB just south of the Najaf airport as a flight of two under goggles. Quite unexpectedly, I saw one of those flags about the same size and what seemed about the same distance. Found out later that Iranian passenger planes didn't have to make those pesky ATC calls.

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One night, I was taking off from the FOB just south of the Najaf airport as a flight of two under goggles. Quite unexpectedly, I saw one of those flags about the same size and what seemed about the same distance. Found out later that Iranian passenger planes didn't have to make those pesky ATC calls.

 

hahahaa....sounds like the 160th, they didn't bother with traffic calls or any other silly radio calls.

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