Made in Colombia, the Calima trainer is based on the Lancair two-seat composite homebuilt aircraft. This example was specially painted for a trip to the UK in a C-130.

Pictured departing Fairford for Farnborough after taking part in the static display at a super RIAT 2012. The special marking were to commemorate the fact that this was the first ever Colombian aircraft to take part in an UK airshow and signify that this C-130H has undergone a Programmed Depot Maintenance (PDM) refit supported by Marshalls Aerospace.

A better opportunity than during the previous week at Fairford to photograph this highly decorated Hercules, promoting Colombia's Periodic Depot Maintenance programme. This 1984 machine was due to soon undergo upgrade to a glass cockpit

Seized by the Colombian government in 1981 from Belize Air Cargo, this was originally BOAC's first Seven Seas, G-AOIA. Although little if ever used by the FAC, she was smartened up in early 1996 and remained stored at the CATAM airbase for some time but assumed later scrapped

Long on my i/d query list, I was delighted to eventually locate the probable con no. for this Super Dak. Remained in service at Madrid AB for many years and said to have become N34AH

Received by Satena when new in 3.72, this 748 was written off in a non-fatal crash on landing after a passenger flight at Pasto on 7.8.83. The serial was later reused on a Let 410 with Satena

An old friend from Southend (see my shot of TF-OAB in 1971), this seized veteran crashed near Leticia on 24th July, 1985

This colourful Dak, caught here during a short stopover, remains active in Colombia and later actually based at Villavicencio with Aerovanguardia as HK-3199. Derelict there in 2017. Note "Equipado con Radar" marking and mud on the wheels from landings at remote strips

My first trip to the legendary Villavicencio was aboard this wonderful old machine. Had the choice of a DC-3 or DC-4, both delayed by bad weather over the mountains. Well looked after by a very pleasant crew, the FAC pilots just like they were out of a WW2 B-17

The no.2 P&W Twin Wasp explodes into life to join the other three. A/c was derelict and engineless at Madrid AB near Bogota in 2005

Quite a collection of piston power. After much research with a Colombian expert, the identity of this C-47 is now known (2021), as are several of the previously unknown FAC Daks. FAC677A turns out to be the former N91379, which was delivered to Colombia circa 1981. I was lucky enough to be able to tour the COTAM ramp allowing for close up shots of that rare DC-7 (FAC923) which was originally BOAC's G-AOIA, although the weather didn't play ball.

Among the many interesting airframes displayed by the Fuerza Aerea Colombiana outside their CATAM base at El Dorado is this rare Junkers W34. Although large numbers were built from 1926 as a development of the W33, only three survive world-wide, the other two in Sweden and Canada; 12 were once operated by the FAC, serving in the Colombia-Peru War of 1932-33