The Rotary Nostalgia Thread

[Earl of Rochester]

Belgian Nostalgia

The decline of Belgium's national flag carrier Sabena was another sorry chapter in European aviation - given the company's long and interesting background which included, to a modest degree, helicopter operations:



Bell 47-D1 OO-UBA landing in downtown Brussels in the early 1950's.



S-51 1B OO-CWA operating in the Belgian Congo between 1951-1955. The aircraft was thereafter bought by Westland.



S-55 OO-SHA at Mesbroek in the mid 1950's.



S-55 OO-SHB departing Melsbroek. SHB flew with Sabena from August 1953 to October 1956.



Alouette II OO-SHV bought by Sabena in 1957 and operated in the Belgian Congo as OO-CWH returning to Belgium in June 1959 as OO-SHV and leaving the Sabena helicopter fleet in 1968. The aircraft was used for trials and service in medical rescue operations.

[Also .. because IFR hoods were not available in those days and in order to familiarise pilots with basic IFR conditions (for purposes of preparing crews for inadvertant entry to IMC) the helicopter was left out overnight and then used for early morning sorties while the condensation was still intact! (Not! )]



OO-SHV departing Brussels 'Allee Verte' heliport in 1962.



Boeing Vertol V-44 N74057 leased from Boeing for operations during the Brussels Exposition between April and October 1958.



S-62A N976 leased from United Aircraft and used by Sabena as an evaluation aircraft between May 1960 and February 1961.



Boeing 707-329 OO-SJB at Zaventem 1960. Sadly, this aircraft was to be involved in a nasty incident at Berg on 15th February 1961 killing 61 passengers and 11 crew. Sliced in this shot is, I think, an S-58.



MBB BK117-A3 OO-XCY sponsored by Sabena in 1989 for air medical rescue operations and operated by Heli Samu.

Earl

ps: Do we have any Rotorheads from Belgium?