Post by viscount on Mar 24, 2010 22:27:11 GMT 1
THE NORTH AMERICAN SABRELINER & T-39A.
Although the initial production were as trainers for the USAF, the Sabreliner is one of the earlier biz-jet designs, with a type first flight on 16th September 1958, and into service 1962. By the time production ended in 1982 over 800 had been built, around 200 of which were for the American military (according to wikipedia).
The Sabreliner was not as sleek as later biz-jet designs, always seeming to be very upright and taller, with just a few tiny, unusually triangular shaped cabin windows. Like the Jetstar, the Sabreliner was very popular in the United States and Mexico, but not that common with European operators. Generally marketed as a 10 passenger executive transport. The type was over time upgraded and re-engined, so appears in different marks from the Sabreliner 40 through to 75A. For a period after retirement from USAF Europe service of the Convair C-131, there were around ten T-39As (modified as CT-39A) for general communications and VIP flights around Europe, some operated by the 58th MAS based at Frankfurt/Rhein Main.
Although officially North American officially shortened the Sabreliner designation to Sabre in 1970, I much prefer the longer version for the biz-jet (leaving Sabre name for the F-86 fighter).
1975
It took a while for the first visit by a Sabreliner to Liverpool, but the type then became a rare regular for a number of years. First was 10677 on 30th April 1975, using call-sign 'Clue 12' and operated from and to Mildenhall. All visits to Liverpool were likely in connection with the US Army Depot at Burtonwood. The second CT-39A was 24473 on 9th June as 'Mot 40' from Northolt to Ramstein.
1976
Further CT-39A visits occured in 1976. On 7th June 10677 called as 'Clue 12' from Zweibrucken to Eshterdingen. The following day 10679 called as 'Clue 17' operating the reverse routing, while six months later on 17th December 10677 appeared again, this time as 'Clue 16' from and to Stuttgart.
1977
10653 as 'Mot 12' appeared on 3rd March, from and to Ramstein. Later in the year, on 9th June 10665 as 'Mot 17' again operating from and to Ramstein. Between these visits the first civilian Sabreliner appeared. N900CS on 14th April called, routing from Belfast/Sydenham, leaving later for Luton.
1978
Just the one visit to record in 1978, yet another visit by 10677 as 'Clue 17' on Friday 18th August, from Frankfurt Rhein-Main to Stuttgart Military.
1979
24471 called twice during the year. On 15th July as 'Mot 16' from Naples and onto Bitburg after a night stop. On 30th October as 'Mot 14' from Mildenhall to Alconbury. An aircraft that had appeared two years earlier, was noted on 31st October to have had the registration amended 0-10653, the '0' denoting over 10 years old (by a margin on fiscal year 61-10653). As 'Mot 12' routed from Ramstein and onto Waddington.
1980
Another civilian, this time Sabreliner 75A D-CBVW of Volkswagen on Thursday 7th February. In the morning cleared Customs from Braunschweig/Waggum to Hawarden, reappearing in the afternoon on the reverse routing. Undoubledly the visit was related to the purchase of HS.125-700s from British Aerospace. Later in the year another amended registration CT-39A 0-10679 on Monday 4th August as 'Clue 82' of 58th MAS from and to Stutgart Military.
1982
The type did not appear at Liverpool during 1981.
The '0' designation from the USAF serials appear to have been dropped in the early Eighties, as the next CT-39A was simply marked as 10684, calling on Tuesday 13th April as 'Mot 12', routing from and to Mildenhall.
1983
First time visitor 10654 called on Thursday 10th March as 'Spar 92' from Mildenhall to Bristol/Filton, on the ground 0840-1210. This visit was in relation to a change of Commanding Officer at Burtonwood. Later in the year 24471 revisited, this time as 'Spar 91' on Monday 20th June, on the ground 0840-1200, from Mildenhall to Fairford.
1984
Final visit by a USAFE CT-39A occurred on Tuesday 10th July, when 10685 called as 'Clue 83', on the ground 1505-1710, from Northolt, out to Ramstein. Sabreliner 65 N465LC C/no. 465-21 called on Wednesday 21st November, from and to Birmingham, on the ground between 1245 and 1640.
1990
Several years without visits by Sabreliners ended in 1990. By this time Liverpool Airport operations had moved from the north airfield Art Deco terminal to the new apron and terminal on the south airfield.
The Ibis Hotel Group on 31st January, for a change from their Jetstream 31, brought in their Sabreliner 60A OO-IBS from Halmstad, Sweden at 1751, leaving the next day for Brussels at 1701. The same aircraft reappeared on Tuesday 29th May at 1646 again from Halmstad, but this time leaving the next day for Avignon at 1606.
1992
A Sabreliner 65A OO-IBC C/no. 465-68 called on Monday 23rd March, 1424-1526, from and to Antwerp. Presumably (from the choice of registration) this was another aircraft owned by the Ibis Hotel Group.
1995
The final visit by a Sabreliner was as long ago as 1995 - I had thought it would be a little more recent. Sabreliner 65A N65FF arrived from Munich at 1156 on Wednesday 12th July and was parked at Liverpool for several days until departing at 1032 for Shannon on Saturday 15th July.
In Summary:
A total of 15 different aircraft (9 military, 6 civilian) appeared at Liverpool in a time span of 21 years (1975-1985).
Regn Fiscal Year of visits Call-sign Eventual fate, where known
10653 61-653 1977, 1979. Mot To a Technical College, San Francisco
10654 61-654 1983. Spar
10665 61-665 1977. Mot Stored AMARC, Davis Monthan AFB
10677 61-677 1975, 1976, 1978. Clue To a Technical College, Helena, Montana
10679 61-679 1976, 1980. Clue
10684 61-684 1982. Mot
10685 61-685 1984. Clue At US Army Aviation Museum, Fort Rucker, Alabama
24471 62-4471 1979, 1983. Mot/Spar Preserved at Ramstein AFB, Germany
24473 62-4473 1975. Mot
D-CBVW 1980
N65FF 1995
N465LC 1984
N900CS 1977
OO-IBC 1992
OO-IBS 1990
So which units used these call-signs? Spar was used by 58th MAS, but Clue and Mot ?? Anyone supply the marks for the civil aircraft, owner/operator at the time of visit and their current whereabouts/subsequent fate ?
More details of the North American Sabreliner type can be found by a search on www.wikipedia.com
This 2010 post checked through, April 2023 and some out-of-date BB code altered. No one able to find a Sabreliner at Liverpool photograph to illustrate?
