One Mi-171 helicopter of the 2nd Chinese peacekeeping helicopter unit to Abyei taxies on the runway on November 10, 2021. (Photo by Liu Shiqi)
KHARTOUM, Nov. 12 -- One Mi-171 medium utility helicopter attached to the 2nd Chinese peacekeeping helicopter unit to Abyei completed its maiden flight on November 10.
With multiple surrounding no-fly zones and complicated weather conditions in the mission area, flying helicopters there is challenging for the pilots both physically and technically. Through this task, the unit has a comprehensive grasp of the performance status of the helicopter, mission implementation process, and weather and topography conditions in the mission area, which laid a solid foundation for conducting other tasks including projection of troops, search and rescue, material transportation, and air patrol.
It is learnt that since its arrival in the mission area, the 2nd Chinese peacekeeping helicopter unit has participated in the training organized by the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). All 14 crew members passed the aviation English proficiency test at one time. They also passed 127 qualification reviews in six categories of the UNISFA aviation department within just seven days.
One Mi-171 helicopter attached to the 2nd Chinese peacekeeping helicopter unit to Abyei performs flight mission on November 10, 2021. (Photo by Liu Shiqi)
