Mallard60022

I believe it may well have been returning Ukranian Pilots, who had been learning how to fly 'redundant' Copters in Ireland. Three have been sent over to Ukraine; why when they are so vulnerable to missile attack? 

The Ukrainians have shown a remarkable capacity to imaginatively utilise anything they're given, and I've seen cockpit video of Ukrainian MI-8s flying so low over arable fields that I've found myself clutching my chair when they approach a tree line. As they won't be using these as weapon platforms I reckon they'll either be using these for insertion/recovery, heavy lift, or depending on the sensor package, possibly anti-sub work where MANPADS are less of an issue. My main concern is mass - if we're adding yet another logistical burden, hopefully we can give them more than 3

We hired it to fly in our 92s. We needed something big!