"devil" wrote in message

My understanding is that while they were operating a flight for Aeroflot,
they were actually not an Aeroflot crew.

If the PIC was flying the plane, it wouldn't matter if he was an Aeroflot
"pilot." He's part of the crew. Similarly, if the crew aboard the Aeroflot
flight had assumed normal responsibilities of the flight crew, it can
safely be said by anybody who isn't trying to be a pedantic usenet ass that
they were the flight crew for that Aeroflot flight.

Ergo, they were at that time an active Aeroflot crew.

-c