Former US Army serial 67-17321 seen in a striking colorscheme over Afghanistan. It was registered to the US Department of State on 11 Feb 2008 as N366SD (not visibly carried), and still current as such by 2023. The Department of State - Air Wing had secretive missions in Afghanistan, including anti-drugs missions.

This Kiowa was delivered to the US Army as an OH-58A with serial 72-21225. The helicopter was converted to OH-58D with serial 88-00312 and again converted to OH-58D(I) Kiowa Warrior with serial 95-00013. It is seen here just for take-off from deployment base Kandahar when serving B/2-17th CAV. The Warrior was placed into storage with the 309th AMARG on 8 May 2015 and sold as scrap to HVF West at Tucson (AZ) on 10 August 2017.

Dirt strip landings are cool!

Part of French Air force detachment during Héraclès operation for ISAF operations in Afghanistan.

Welcome to Kabul!

In hybrid Ariana c/s. Repainted in full Afghan Air Force livery one year later.

Waiting in the sun and the dust along a taxiway.

An UNHAS DC-9-32 in Afghanistan, quite a challenge to fly an aircraft like this over a war-torn area. Opeations from Kandahar are well secured, but many other airfields where this aircraft operated from were less secured. The 1979 built DC-9-32 was eventually, after its long career that started with Texas International Airlines and Continental Airlines, withdrawn from use in 2012. The nine is now permanently stored at Johannesburg where it was last-noted mid-2016.

This SA227DC started its career as N3028U with Fairchild Aircraft Corp. in Jun'94, it was sold later that year as B-3950 to Hainan Airlines where it flew up to mid-2001. The metro was incorperated with Alta Flight as C-GKAF in Aug'01 and flew with the same registration from Mar'02 onwards with QuikAir Airline Services. Then the black side came along, from 30 Mar'05, Presidential Airways (PA) accepeted the Metro in its inventory. PA was at that time the cover for Blackwater, a US private mil contractor. In nov'10 AAR Airlift (also a cover) became the owner. It was canx from US register 24apr17.

An Il-76 without an impressive history is nearly impossible to find. This Il-76TD was delivered to the Soviet Air Force as CCCP-76659 in late 1985, transferred to Atruvera as RA-76659 in 1994 and flew subsequently with Aviacon Zitotrans, Sukhoi and again for Atruvera up to 2000. Then it became ER-IBL with Airline Transp Inc and Juba Air Cargo up to late 2004. After that, it was seen like this, all white but in service with Tenir Air up to early 2007 when it was transferred to Eastern Express Georgia as 4L-GLP. Since late 2011 is it reported as stored at Osh (Kyrgystan) as 3X-GGO.

In 1979, this An-12 started service with the Soviet Air Force as CCCP-11772. In 2004 it became EK-11772 in Armenian service in basic Aeroflot colors but without the Aeroflot marking. It is reported it flew with Miapet Avia at that time. Since late 2007, the Armenian company Taron Avia become the new owner of the aircraft. A small logo with TA is visible on the nose section.

In 1979, this An-12 started service with the Soviet Air Force as CCCP-11772. In 2004 it became EK-11772 in Armenian service in basic Aeroflot colors but without the Aeroflot marking. It is reported it flew with Miapet Avia at that time. Since late 2007, the Armenian company Taron Avia become the new owner of the aircraft. A small logo with TA is visible on the nose section.

A touch down of a Kazakh ATMA Cargo Il-76TD at Kandahar.

This CN235 started its life as EC-014 in Spain back in '88. The Casa was then delivered as EC-EMN to Binter Canarias in February 1989 and was withdrawn from use with that company in 1997. It saw new life with Luftmeister Air in May 1989 as ZS-OGF and three years later transferred to Tiko Air with the same registration. In November 2001 it changed to 5R-MKM with Tiko air and then it was sold to Presidential Airways in August 2006. This company is known as the shadow company of Blackwater. The BW in the regi reveals this a little. Since mid 2008 carried the registration N1269J with Presidential.

Sky Way Air was founded in 2003 and is a cargo carrier based out of Manas, Kyrgyzstan. This Mi-8 flew undefined missions from Kandahar in 2008 and was eventually transferred to the Afghan civil aviation register as YA-KHA with Khorsan Air at Kabul by May 2010.

Dutch Apache being prepared for another mission over Uruzgan province (Afghanistan)