Commercial Photographer

Russian Turbo-prop Aircraft

When the Soviet Union broke up the states which formed the new CIS acquired the assets of the Soviet military and civil agencies. The airforce in particular found that many of its transport aircraft were no longer needed. Initially these aircraft were transferred to Aeroflot but as that organisation shrunk in size many surplus aircraft were sold on to foreign countries or to the many new carriers which grew up in the turmoil of the early 1990's.

Some of the new carriers found it expedient to register the company and its aircraft under flag-of-convenience nationalities; African countries were often the most accommodating hosts. The Persian Gulf state of Sharjah became a Mecca for CIS aircraft in the 1990's. Aircraft were either based at Sharjah or sent for overhaul before adopting new identities for their lives in the "market economy".