[Grut]

The thought of climbing into an airplane that's been sitting out in the weather for a year or more makes this one-time aviator cringe. Airplanes that aren't flown break. This bird is probably at the bottom of a crater somewhere in the rain forest.

[ewing]

And the hydraulics may have been very dicey on that bird..

[JustAnAmerican]

"This bird is probably at the bottom of a crater somewhere in the rain forest.

Very unlikely, since the plane was stripped and fitted with tanks inside, if that thing did crash the explosion alone would have been picked up for miles. Assuming that a Sat. did not pick it up first.

[eno_]

Might make any reasonable person nervous, but you see all kinds of random ex-Soviet planes painted in UN colors. They sit ofr a long time in all kinds of godforesaken places.

[gdc61]

just the fact that it got airborn tells me it has been maintained. fuel,(ten year old fuel is called shellac);) hydraulics, tire pressure, everything would have to be maintained for this bird to even taxi out to runway.