Euphrates River,
Basra, Iraq.

In Iraq, about forty kilometres downstream from where the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers meet, this is "The Cradle Of Civilisation" … or one of them. It is widely accepted that civilisation independently emerged in five locations.

Flying into Basra had added challenges. Before descent the crews had to call the company on the satellite phone to confirm that the Security Department was happy for the flight to continue. Then all external lights were turned-off for the approach. During landing the lights were turned back-on.

The airfield did not have any runway lighting, so flights had to get in and out during daylight. Breakdowns added extra layers of complexity.