Belize, 1987

Belize, 1987
by Jan Koppen

In the winter of 1987, my girlfriend and I travelled by Cubana de Aviacion Ilyushin IL-62M CU-T1225 from Brussel to Havana, with stops in Zurich and Gandar (The latter only for uplifting fuel). After a stop-over in Havana, we travelled onboard a Cubana de Aviacion Tupolev Tu-154-B2 CU-T1222 to Mexico City. During our stay in Central America we took the opportunity to spend some time in Belize. Ofcourse we briefly visited several airports in the country to spot and photograph the limited aviation activity. Enjoy the pics and captions.

Belize International Airport

Philip Stanley. W. Goldson International Airport is an airport that serves the nation of Belize's largest city, Belize City along the eastern coast of Central America. It was named after politician Philip Stanley Wilberforce Goldson, who died in 2001. Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport is about 30 minutes’ drive from Belize City's center, in Ladyville. The airport is at an elevation of 5 m (16 ft) and this means both the airport and the entirety of Belize City are at risk of serious flooding due to its low elevation and coastal location. For this reason, Belize's capital has been moved to Belmopan, but it remains the largest and busiest in the country. With stable passenger growth, Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport is currently the seventh busiest airport in Central America.

Due to the Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute, Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport, (formerly Belize International Airport) has hosted several military units over the years since its construction. Most notable residents have been Headquarters British Forces Belize, No. 1417 (Tactical Ground Attack) Flight RAF operating Harrier Jump Jets, No. 1563 (Helicopter support) Flight RAF, resident Anti-Aircraft Squadrons of the RAF Regiment, resident helicopter units of the Army Air Corps, HarDet Belize, Butcher Radar and Belize Defense Forces, among others. Price Barracks is a military installation located just north of the airport, which was formerly known as Airport Camp, the Headquarters of British Forces Belize.

Lockheed L-188C HR-TNL on a broiling, hot Belize Stanley airport tarmac in February, 1987.

Aircraft movements that day were very limited. Besides this TAN Electra, we spotted a TACA Boeing 767-200 from San Salvador. Parked in a confined spot were several RAF Harriers, Puma helicopters and a Belize Defense Force Britten Norman BN-2 Islander BDF-02.

Transportes Aéreos Nacionales SA, also known as TAN Airlines, was an Honduran airline, headquartered at the Edificio TAN in Tegucigalpa. The carrier was set up in 1947 and merged into Sahsa in November 1991.

This Lockheed L-188C rolled-off the Burbank production-line in mid 1961. The aircraft was ordered by Capital Airlines but not taken up. Registrated N9710C she spent eight years of its life operating for Braniff International Airways in which she crisscrossed between the many US states. In March 1969 Braniff traded her Electra fleet for Boeing 727's with the Boeing Corp. Four months later Boeing sold the Electra to Transportes Aéreos Nacionales S.A. in Honduras. For seven years she operated in a passenger configuration before she was converted to a freighter. Unfortunately this freighter crashed into mountainous terrain on approach to Toncontín Airport in bad weather on March 21, 1990, while the aircraft was completing a San Pedro Sula–Tegucigalpa cargo service.

TAN was formed in 1947 by private investors to operate cargo flights by contract. In 1950, the company started scheduled passenger and cargo services. At March 1960, the fleet consisted of three C-46s serving a route network that was 1,180 miles (1,900 km) long. In 1967, TAN and LANICA agreed to operate LANICA's single BAC One-Eleven 400 jet on a joint basis; the joint operation of the aircraft started on 19 October 1967. The airline acquired a Douglas DC-6A freighter aircraft in March 1973 and operated it until its sale in September 1979, using it particularly on their route to Miami. In February 1970, TAN acquired Pan Am's 38% holding in Sahsa. According to the Official Airline Guide (OAG), TAN was operating a Convair 880 jet in 1972 on flights to Miami. An ex-Pluna Boeing 737-200 jet was incorporated into the fleet in May 1974. The aircraft was part of the fleet by March 1975, along with one DC-6B and two Electra turboprops. On 1 November 1991, TAN Airlines merged with Sahsa, adopting the latter name.

A hard working Lockheed Electra being unloaded at Belize Stanley airport on a sticky day in February, 1987.

Both the Ford truck, as HR-TNL, looked rather lackluster back in February 1987.

A Lockheed L-188 freighter of TAN with her open cavernous cargo door is seen here unloading cargo from Miami, Florida.

The 'ramp-rats' of Belize airport being portrayed under the intense Caribbean sunshine, on February 16, 1987.

The Allison T56 is a single shaft, modular design military turboprop with a 14-stage axial flow compressor driven by a four-stage turbine. It was originally developed by the Allison Engine Company for the Lockheed C-130 transport entering production in 1954. The commercial version is designated 501-D. With an unusually long and numerous production run, over 18,000 engines have been produced since 1954.

HR-TNL was a paint chipping Lockheed Electra freighter, full of dents and scratches.

On March 21, 1990, HR-TNL crashed into mountainous terrain on approach to Tegucigalpa-Toncontín airport, Honduras, in bad weather. The aircraft was completing a San Pedro Sula–Tegucigalpa cargo service.

Spit and polish! TACA Airlines Boeing 767-2S1 N767TA is seen here at Belize Stanley airport shortly after arriving on a scheduled flight from San Salvador, El Salvador.

TACA (Transportes Aéreos Centroamericanos) was a carrier from El Salvador.

After a 45 minutes turn-around TACA's Boeing 767-200 N767TA was seen thundering across the airport's runway 25.

On April 6, 1993, TACA flight TA510 departed San Salvador on a regular flight to Los Angeles (LAX). An intermediate stop was planned in Guatemala City (GUA). Weather at La Aurora Airport was poor. Rain showers were in the area. Visibiity was 3 miles under a 2000 feet broken cloud ceiling. Wind was 30 degrees at 8 kts. The flight was cleared to land on runway 19, which meant a tailwind landing. The airplane touched down at 3500 ft (1070 m) down the 9030 ft (2763 m) long runway at a speed which was 17 kts above the Vref. The thrust reversers deployed, but the airplane could not be brought to a halt on the runway. The pilot-in-command steered the airplane to the left some 100 ft (300 m) short of the runway end. At that point the 767 still had a 90 knot ground speed. The aircraft struck the perimeter fence, went down a hill, crashed through a cinder block house and struck another house. Three people on the ground were injured.

Welcome to Ambergris Caye

Ambergris Caye, is the largest island of Belize, located northeast of the country's mainland, in the Caribbean Sea. It is about 40 kilometres (25 mi) long from north to south, and about 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) wide. Where it has not been modified by man, is mostly a ring of white sand beach around mangrove swamp in the centre. San Pedro Town is the largest settlement on Ambergris and it has a very tiny airport.

Maya Air Britten Norman Islander, V3-HCT, is seen here ready for departure from San Pedro, for the short 15 minute flight to Belize Municipal.

Tropical Air Cessna 207A Stationair is seen here arriving from Belzie Municipal with another cargo of sun-worshippers. At the same time Maya Airways Islander, V3-HCT, has her props on and is ready to go.

Britten-Norman Islander, V3-HCT, leaves the airstrip at San Pedro on February 15, 1987, with a full load of vacationers.

Maya Island Air (also known as Maya Airways) is an airline with its head office on the second floor of Building #1 of Belize City Municipal Airport in Belize City, Belize. It operates regular scheduled flights to 11 destinations within Belize and chartered flights to Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.

The other operator on San Pedro was Tropical Air, with several Cessna 207 Stationairs.

Maya Airways Cessna 206 Stationair, V3-HDY, on a sweltering San Pedro tarmac on February 14, 1987.

The bright colors of Maya Airways BN-2A Islander caught by the camera on a busy sun-drenched day at San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

‘Delta Victor’ unsticks at San Pedro, capturing the atmosphere of a broiling, hot day at Ambergris Caye, in February, 1987.

Britten Norman Islander V3-HBI soaks up the late afternoon sun at San Pedro. An half hour later she flew us back to Belize Municipal. After arriving at the tiny airport, the kind pilot, gave us a lift to the city center. Now, - that service!

- The End -

Guatemala, 1987

OAxaca, 1987

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Belize, 1987 by Jan Koppen

Belize, 1987
by Jan Koppen