OK, that clears things up. 🙂
The second hand PC-7 was bought as a replacement for the lost example it seems, but also a single PC-9 was added to the inventory. So now Chad has 3 flying Pilatus aircraft, correct?

I can only guess about Chadian AF operability at this point (although the number 3 does make sense) – my contact had been working there (I received a few snap shots of French, Chadian and humanitarian operations out of it – like the crash of C-130 TT-PAF) but he has ‘recently’ been transferred to Uganda – and has become more difficult to contact during the last month.

Chad has/had at least 3 PC-7s:
TT-QAA
TT-QAB
and since 2006 TT-AAX

‘QAB was lost (it was the one wearing sand and brown camouflage) there are a couple pics of the wreckage on the net.
‘AAX wears a nice 2-tone grey camo… hendriksf260 posted a few pics of it on a previous Small Air Forces thread

most rediculous??? hmmm… mine dates back to childhood – I wanted (and still do for that matter) an actual example (full size, functioning, etc.) of all the aircraft I’d built up from Airfix and Matchox kits.

ohhhh… Steve you surely must be jesting by now… don’t make me dig up my mum’s Anne Murray or Kenny Rogers records!!! I might have to find a Yoko Ono ‘greatest hits’ of some kind :rolleyes:

Pete, you’re old enough and smart enough to know it’s a wind up..we are both near enough to the same age so I’d suggest our musical tastes are pretty similar .. i like all types of music and and would surely love to shoot the breeze with you over a pint or ten where we could both discuss music and salivate over Miss Kylie

If Kylie’s going to be there, can I come along and drink and drool too?

Yes, they also got some CF-5.

No, the Canadian version was different from those for the rest of the world. Most notably: mid air refueling and more powerful engines: J-85-CAN-15’s.

There are some twelve main points of deference between the Dutch model and the baseline one:
– stronger wings
– take-off flaps
– doppler rader
– de-icing equipment
– two positions for take of the nose wheel
– reinforced canopy
– emergency hook
– more powerful engines.

The Canadian CF-5A/D is older then the NF-5A/B series. Apparently some features described above are also in the CF-5 series.

After they were decommissioned they were given to:
– Turkey (60) status?
– Greece (12) retired

Sold to:
– Venezuela (7) status?

I know the Turkish Star used to fly them. So I wonder if they were given a new lease of life, and under went the upgrade in Turkish service.

So what is the bird’s status after 22 years (1969-1991) of Dutch service and 18 years (1990-present) of foreign service.

Not to hi-jack the thread – more just to clarify some history… Canadair contracted with Northrop to produce the F-5 under license 1965. These were produced to RCAF/CAF requirements as the CF-5 (CF-116 in later CAF/CF nomenclature).

The Netherlands ordered 105 F-5s from Canadair (not Northrop) in 1966. The main differences between CF-5s and NF-5s were the Dutch requirements to carry the 1,250L underwing tanks and the addition of the leading edge ‘flap’ to improve low-speed manoeuvrability. The first NF-5 was rolled out in early 1969, and the first 3 were delivered to the KLu at Twenthe in November of 1969.

Regarding Venezuela… The original license from Northrop prohibited Canadair selling F-5s to anyone (other than the Netherlands) and so the Canadian Armed Forces (not Canadair) sold Venezuela 16 CF-5As and 2 CF-5Ds (circa 1971) – Canadair later supplied 2 more CF-5Ds. The CAF then purchased 18 new CF-5Ds from Canadair. Northrop was ticked-off and sued the Canadian Government as did Canadair – the whole ‘mess’ was seemingly cleared up when the Gov’t purchased (nationalized) Canadair in 1975.

The only CF-5s otherwise exported went to Botswana in 1999/2000 (CF-116s modernized by Bristol Aerospace of Winnipeg)

I’m intrigued by what appears to be an inflatable hangar.

Location… I’m more inclined to think it may be China. Also rather interesting in the second photo… no one is really looking at anyone in particular – during what appears to be an ‘official’ presentation of the pilot(?)

a side note…

Just as a side note – perhaps it may aid in something..

I can state this from my experience in the construction industry – the ‘bandit(s)’ were using a petrol powered cut saw with a 10″ to 14″ blade (notice the cut in the stone which lines up with the cut in the collar) – most likely stolen. The culprit is rather weak in the upper body – specifically lower arms (scrawny frailer). It takes a degree of skill and practice to hold and properly utilise said saw horizontally (If it were me, I’d have that cut through and gone in less than 5 minutes), and judging by the continued hesitation marks on the blade shank, said culprit had either never used one before, or had been a hired hand with a paving or landscaping crew (strictly cutting pavers vertically or on the bias).

JJ