Fascinating, and thank you for the input Nigel.

I was only a young 14 year old, but I flew out (unaccompanied) to Jakarta just before the invasion. Fortunately my dad was so tight, he paid to put me on (a 4 stop from Prague) Czechoslovakian Airlines rather than BA. I remember the return flight being massively re-routed to avoid the region and taking 5 stops and a routing that saw us being escorted by Soviet Mig's for a good hour of our journey. I was excited and also petrified as I'd followed the BA149 story in the Jakarta Post and being on a plane at that time worried the hell out of my little mind (mainly I normally flew BA so had it in my mind that 'it could have been me, albeit unaccompanied!!). So i'd followed the story since as it had stuck in my mind.

And yes you deserve answers, and the cycle ride through N. Iraq sounds incredible. More power to you...