Re: Missing 737 from Afghanistan: Conflicting Rep
Kabul is a Day VFR Only field ( according to my Military pubs ), Bagram is a Radar facility. I spent an afternoon talking with the controlers ( Civilian Contractors ), at Bagram and one of their complaints is that Kabul wanted to control thier airpsace as if they had radar, they would assign headings and altitudes to departing aircraft. They also wanted to claim class D to FL250. Afghanistan is suppose to go IFR this April, but there are alot of players up there that don't play by any rules and they just trust dumb luck to keep themselves alive. Ironically the radar box for Bagram is called the coffin as that is what is resembles and what you'll end up in if you don't pay attention. There are Nasty hills up there. When I fly up there is its less than VFR I stay at a safe altitude untill within 50nm and get under positive Radar Control. The controllers at Bagram can talk you down to a 200' PAR, it is a slam dunk because of the steep terain gradiant.
Jim