IRAQ - Basrah

[REF]

Basrah International Airport, Iraq

Photos taken on various visits in November 2003

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/OVERSEAS/Basrah/20031126Basrah02-1.jpg
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/OVERSEAS/Basrah/20031126Basrah05-1.jpg
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/OVERSEAS/Basrah/20031126Basrah01-1.jpg
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/OVERSEAS/Basrah/20031126Basrah03-1.jpg
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/OVERSEAS/Basrah/20031126Basrah04-1.jpg
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/OVERSEAS/Basrah/20031106Basrah1-1.jpg
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/OVERSEAS/Basrah/20031106Basrah2-1.jpg
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/OVERSEAS/Basrah/20031126Basrah06-1.jpg
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/OVERSEAS/Basrah/20030617BasrahG-BDXJ01.jpg

[PNK]

The gooseneck flares in photo 2 are a bit smokey!
Looks like a nice quiet place though.

Peter

[John Cooper]

Richard

I passed through here very early morning [0600hrs] on February 2nd 1958 after a four hour flight in HP Hermes G-ALDC before heading to Karachi.

The heat at this time of the day and time of year was quite extraordinary, I recall being one of 12 servicemen singled out by Iraqi Immigration Officials for a passport check, we were allowed to go to the riverside Tigris/Euphrates [??] to stretch our legs. This cannot be the same airport terminal but I do recall those very high columns.

On take off we flew over Khorramshar/Abadan there were miles and miles of huge cylindrical fuel tanks. Thankfully my visit was only for a couple of hours but I guess yours was a little more pressing in that Sandy Area!

[REF]

It was hot when we arrived too, got there under the cover of darkness - one of the steepest decents I've ever known. We decended "blind" and the a/c landing lights were put on at the last minute along with the runway lights - I guess this must have been so the bad guys didn't know where we were!

We were told about the statue by the one of the Army chaps but I forget the significance of it, does anyone know?

[ianbache]

Hi all
I dont think it was called international airport when this image was taken, jets were many years off,

http://i550.photobucket.com/albums/ii425/LLanbedr/short_rangoon_aerial_view_raf_basra.jpg

[REF]

Some more photos of Basrah at various dates in 2003.

Vickers VC-10 C.1K (XV109)
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/OVERSEAS/Basrah/20030617Basrah1-1.jpg

Lockheed TriStar K.1 (ZE704)
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/OVERSEAS/Basrah/20030617Basrah3-1.jpg

Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules C.4 (ZH875)
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/OVERSEAS/Basrah/20031106Basrah12-1.jpg

Same aircraft as above but showing all of the control tower behind
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/OVERSEAS/Basrah/20031106Basrah11-1.jpg

Boeing 747-236B (G-BDXF)
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/OVERSEAS/Basrah/20031106Basrah8-1.jpg

A very bad photo of me infront of the terminal at Basrah, November 2003
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/OVERSEAS/Basrah/20030617BasrahEAC3-1.jpg

De Havilland Twin Otter (N6161Q)
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/OVERSEAS/Basrah/20031106Basrah14-1.jpg

Some of the crew and myself landside at Basrah
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/OVERSEAS/Basrah/20031125BasrahEAC2-1.jpg

Departing Basrah
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/OVERSEAS/Basrah/20031106Basrah15-1.jpg