Hip helicopter videos from Syria (including footage of a Mil Mi-17 shot down by rebels)

The following videos show the Syrian Mil Mi-8/17 Hip helicopters at work.

The first, brought to my attention by Bjørn Holst Jespersen, is interesting as it provides a close-up view on a Syrian Mil Mi-8 gunship, loaded with rocket launchers, as it lands at an unknown location guarded by Assad soldiers.

The second one, recommended by Matt Fanning, shows the wreckage of a Mil Mi-17 allegedly shot down by the rebels.

Syrian helicopters flying near the border with Turkey prompted the scramble of six Turkish Air Force F-16 few days ago, in the aftermath of the disputed downing of a Turkish RF-4E Phantom.

About David Cenciotti
David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.