Location: ANR/EBAW

Photo: collection Skystef

Description: this factory fresh Cessna was on August 3 1965 registered to Sotramat which stood for Société de Transports Aériens Maritimes et Terrestres being established on May 7 1958 and based at Brussels Airport / Antwerp airport with at first the core business being importer of propeller driven Cessna airframes for the Benelux. Just like this airframe which in April 1967 was sold to Freddytrans as first flying project of the famous Antwerp entrepreneur Freddy Van Gaever. On February 7 1968 it went to the Vlaamse Luchtvaartbond, a club which was established on March 3 1966 as flying school, for air baptisements, bannertowing and aerial photography starting its operations later that year on September 24. Here seen at its home base in a bright red livery carrying also their titles below the aft window (see also upper left inset). In 1973 it moved on to the Algemene Vliegtuig Uitbating (also based Antwerp airport) making its final flight for them on April 26 1998 and later that year on September 2 its CofA did expire remaining stored at Antwerp airport for another five years. On May 23 2003 it left on a trailer for Midden Zeeland airfield (the Netherlands) being cancelled from the register the following year on July 7. It became on November 4 2004 "N50AV" for Schuybroek Aviation on behalf of a private user Richard Van As but apparently it never took the sky again. It remained stored at Midden-Zeeland airfield and was cancelled from the American register on January 31 2013. Meanwhile it was on display inside the Gyrocopter and Old Aircraft Museum at Midden-Zeeland airfield with its original Belgian registration taped on. In 2023 it was again transported on a trailer to Antwerp airport after it was bought by a private user (D. Van Den Langenbergh) and on November 22 2023 it was officially registered with the same Belgian regi. After restoration it would become operational on behalf of Bergh Aviation based at Antwerp airport.