African G-159's

[G1pilot]

I run a website that is devoted to the history of the Grumman/Gulfstream G-159.

I am looking for information on the following G1's that worked there way into Africa and sort of went off the radar....

I am sure most, if not all of these G1's have been scrapped, but for the sake of accuracy, wondering if anyone knows about any of these....

9Q-CBY CN. 033 Compagnie Africaine d' Aviation was registered CBY in 1993.
5Y-BLR CN. 034 Last seen in Kisangani in 2007.
9Q-CBD CN. 035 Compagnie Africaine d' Aviation
P4-JML CN. 076 Last seen at Rand with TAC Air Services
D2-EXC CN. 080 Reported withdrawn in Luanda (FNLU)
D2-EXD CN. 124 Registered in 1997 with Intertransit
9Q-CJB CN. 155 Compagnie Africaine d' Aviation in 1993



Thanks

[captseth]

Just saw one in Kinshasa yesterday, if I pass through again I'll try and get the reg.

[G1pilot]

Thanks for the response!

That is N717RA / CN. 167.

An image:

[petersaunders]

What is the website? would like to check it out.

[G1pilot]

Here ya go....

Home Page | G-159 Historical Research Museum

[Flying Mechanic]

There's some pictures of one at Ras Al Kaimah airport. You can see the pictures on airliners.net

[G1pilot]

That is N12RW CN. 082. It is covered in my website. That one used to belong to Victor Bout. The famous/infamous weapons dealer.

[Flying Mechanic]

How many G1's are flying now in the world?

[Flying Mechanic]

Great site by the way.

[G1pilot]

By my count, out of the two hundred built, there are currently sixteen active flying G1's in the world. Twelve are in the U.S. Of those, eight are with Phoenix Air Group based in Cartersville Georgia, three are in Texas with a private owner and one based in the Northwest that conducts weather research.

There is one in Canada and three in Africa that are active. There are a few airframes around that could be made flyable if the economics allow it.

Here is a page from my site that covers the status of all 200 airframes:
Fleet Status | G-159 Historical Research Museum

SM

[Flying Mechanic]

I am fortunate to fly a Gv, so always interested in the Gv's father!
What are the most expensive parts for them these days? I bet the Dart engines are a big factor.

[G1pilot]

The engines are of course the most expensive followed by the props. However the landing gear is a hard time change out item and the hardest to find.
However, there is one item that is affecting all G-159's, and that is corrosion. Dissimilar metal corrosion is a huge problem.

[JTrain]

I am sure most, if not all of these G1's have been scrapped, but for the sake of accuracy, wondering if anyone knows about any of these....

9Q-CBY CN. 033 Compagnie Africaine d' Aviation was registered CBY in 1993.
5Y-BLR CN. 034 Last seen in Kisangani in 2007.
9Q-CBD CN. 035 Compagnie Africaine d' Aviation
9Q-CJB CN. 155 Compagnie Africaine d' Aviation in 1993

CAA hasn't flown G1s in years. I'm curious if one of theirs is the one that ITAB has (9Q-COE).

If they once belonged to CAA and are indeed not flying but still in Congo, odds are they are sitting somewhere amongst all the derelict aircraft at the Kinshasa Airport (FIH). Maybe you could get a Google Earth imagine of FIH from overhead and pick out profiles. The Kinshasa airport ramp is almost like an aviation museum with all the non-flying old school airplanes sitting around. Airframes generally don't get scrapped in Africa; they just get shoved off to the side of a ramp to slowly wither away (sort of like the B727 and the G1 in the picture you had above).

Re 5Y-BLR - that may be sitting in the weeds in Kisangani as I know there is a derelict turboprop on the walkway to the RVA office. It may be another aircraft (a Viscount) though; haven't been thru Kisangani in several years.

[G1pilot]

CAA hasn't flown G1s in years. I'm curious if one of theirs is the one that ITAB has (9Q-COE).

According to the history I have dug up, 9Q-COE never belonged to CAA. It was owned in the U.S, by several companies including some NASCAR race teams. It wound up at Phoenix Air for some work and was then flown to Africa. Do you know if 9Q-COE is still around? Last pic I have of it is from Sept. 2011.
CN. 156 | G-159 Historical Research Museum

If they once belonged to CAA and are indeed not flying but still in Congo, odds are they are sitting somewhere amongst all the derelict aircraft at the Kinshasa Airport (FIH).

The only one I know for certain at FIH is N717RA as shown in the pic above.

Maybe you could get a Google Earth imagine of FIH from overhead and pick out profiles. The Kinshasa airport ramp is almost like an aviation museum with all the non-flying old school airplanes sitting around. Airframes generally don't get scrapped in Africa; they just get shoved off to the side of a ramp to slowly wither away (sort of like the B727 and the G1 in the picture you had above).

Oh believe me, I use Google earth daily in my searches. :-)

Re 5Y-BLR - that may be sitting in the weeds in Kisangani as I know there is a derelict turboprop on the walkway to the RVA office. It may be another aircraft (a Viscount) though; haven't been thru Kisangani in several years.

I have pics of what I believe is 5Y- BLR sitting at Kisangani in the walkway to a building.
CN. 034 | G-159 Historical Research Museum

However the latest Google earth images no longer show it there. There also is an old Viscount sitting on the ramp. I am curious if 5Y-BLR was scrapped.

[JTrain]

CAA hasn't flown G1s in years. I'm curious if one of theirs is the one that ITAB has (9Q-COE).

According to the history I have dug up, 9Q-COE never belonged to CAA. It was owned in the U.S, by several companies including some NASCAR race teams. It wound up at Phoenix Air for some work and was then flown to Africa. Do you know if 9Q-COE is still around? Last pic I have of it is from Sept. 2011.

Last I was in Lubumbashi (where ITAB is base) it was there (circa 2008/early 2009) but it may have been sold to an operator in Goma. All the ITAB aircraft were quite distinctive and was thru Goma a few times in 2011/2012 and saw it based/working out of there (or I could be thinking of a different ITAB aircraft model that was sold to a Goma operator).

There was a South African G1 operator that did regular flights to Lubumbashi (DRC) in support of the mining industry. If I am remembering things correctly around 2007 or 2008 that aircraft had some sort of accident/incident in Lubumbashi that put its whole airworthiness into question and I believe the ITAB folks acquired it for quite a discount and used it essentially as a parts airplane.

I am almost certain that 9Q-COE is still based & flying somewhere in DRC, be it the SE or the NE part of the country. Wish I was going back there so I could let you know for sure.

Re 5Y-BLR - that may be sitting in the weeds in Kisangani as I know there is a derelict turboprop on the walkway to the RVA office. It may be another aircraft (a Viscount) though; haven't been thru Kisangani in several years.

I have pics of what I believe is 5Y- BLR sitting at Kisangani in the walkway to a building.
CN. 034 | G-159 Historical Research Museum

However the latest Google earth images no longer show it there. There also is an old Viscount sitting on the ramp. I am curious if 5Y-BLR was scrapped.

Wouldn't surprise me if it was scrapped. The Viscount is the junked airplane I remember the most about Kisangani.

Your website and passion for all things G1 is commendable.

[G1pilot]

Last I was in Lubumbashi (where ITAB is base) it was there (circa 2008/early 2009) but it may have been sold to an operator in Goma. All the ITAB aircraft were quite distinctive and was thru Goma a few times in 2011/2012 and saw it based/working out of there (or I could be thinking of a different ITAB aircraft model that was sold to a Goma operator).

Speaking of ITAB, they just lost a G1 last year at Pweto. The reg was 9Q-CIT.
9Q-CIT page 1 | G-159 Historical Research Museum

There was a South African G1 operator that did regular flights to Lubumbashi (DRC) in support of the mining industry. If I am remembering things correctly around 2007 or 2008 that aircraft had some sort of accident/incident in Lubumbashi that put its whole airworthiness into question and I believe the ITAB folks acquired it for quite a discount and used it essentially as a parts airplane.

I will do some digging on that one and see what I come up with.

Your website and passion for all things G1 is commendable.

It's like a full time job, just with no pay or benefits.......

[JTrain]

Speaking of ITAB, they just lost a G1 last year at Pweto. The reg was 9Q-CIT.
9Q-CIT page 1 | G-159 Historical Research Museum


Quote:
There was a South African G1 operator that did regular flights to Lubumbashi (DRC) in support of the mining industry. If I am remembering things correctly around 2007 or 2008 that aircraft had some sort of accident/incident in Lubumbashi that put its whole airworthiness into question and I believe the ITAB folks acquired it for quite a discount and used it essentially as a parts airplane.
I will do some digging on that one and see what I come up with.


I believe Pweto has a new (by DRC) standards airport, a bit to the east of the town. The Pweto airport I used to land at was ~800 meters, with a mountain just to the north which limited the ability of larger aircraft to come and go from it. DAC/ECHO Flight used to bring in their Dash 8s, but were quite limited in their performance.

I want to say the registration of the South African G1 I am thinking of was ZS-JIS. I could easily be mistaken - details of my Congo life are being forgotten far too quickly.

[G1pilot]

I want to say the registration of the South African G1 I am thinking of was ZS-JIS. I could easily be mistaken - details of my Congo life are being forgotten far too quickly.

ZS-JIS became 9Q-CIT. That was the one that had the accident at Pweto last year.

[Mobotu]

For DRC - Ask an expert.....

ALL three CAA(Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation) aircraft were scrapped CBD being the last to survive(Hull only) at Kinshasa Ndolo until 2006 - CBY was the last to see active service which ended in 1998 when they replaced them with AN26's.
5Y-BLR was broken up around 2009 from memory in Kisangani.
9Q-COE is still owned and operated weekly by ITAB Lubumbashi in VIP config
There is another N-Reg G1 based in Lubumbashi for Katanga Express.
Malu Aviation has just received another G1, 9Q-CNP which was in VIP config but has now been returned to full Pax to replace G1 9Q-CTC which crashed in Djolu Equator DRC earlier this year in Cargo Config(Ex Elvis VIP).
The president also has a VIP G1 9Q-CGI which can be found either in Kinshasa or Lubumbashi depending on the position of the President.
There are another two G1's parked at Kinshasa Ndolo which are ex Fields RSA(Kiki Lemaire) one VIP and one PAX that were used during the presidential election campaign in 2011.
So there is something wrong with your database as there are 4 active G1's in DRC alone with another 3 standing(2 N'dolo and 1 N'djili)

[G1pilot]

ALL three CAA(Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation) aircraft were scrapped CBD being the last to survive(Hull only) at Kinshasa Ndolo until 2006 - CBY was the last to see active service which ended in 1998 when they replaced them with AN26's.5Y-BLR was broken up around 2009 from memory in Kisangani.

Thank you very much for the info. I will update the site today.

9Q-COE is still owned and operated weekly by ITAB Lubumbashi in VIP config.
There is another N-Reg G1 based in Lubumbashi for Katanga Express.

The N-Reg. G1 in Lubumbashi should be N159GS

Malu Aviation has just received another G1, 9Q-CNP which was in VIP config but has now been returned to full Pax to replace G1 9Q-CTC which crashed in Djolu Equator DRC earlier this year in Cargo Config(Ex Elvis VIP).

Would you happen to know the serial number of 9Q-CNP? That is a new registration to me.

9Q-CTC crashed???? Crap, that G-1 was serial 001. The first one ever built. Do you have any details? By the way, I have heard the rumors about that aircraft being owned by Elvis at one time. It is not true. Elvis bought serial number 032 to give to Colonel Tom Parker, but he promptly sold it.

The president also has a VIP G1 9Q-CGI which can be found either in Kinshasa or Lubumbashi depending on the position of the President.

Glad to know that one is still going. Wonder if it still has the wild purple interior.

There are another two G1's parked at Kinshasa Ndolo which are ex Fields RSA(Kiki Lemaire) one VIP and one PAX that were used during the presidential election campaign in 2011.

I will see if I can figure what the serial numbers of those two are

So there is something wrong with your database as there are 4 active G1's in DRC alone with another 3 standing(2 N'dolo and 1 N'djili)

It is very difficult to get good and accurate info concerning African G1's from here in the states. Hence the reasons for the questions. Thank you very much for the information. I have full days work for me now updating the website. :-)