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During the Sixties the RLS Beechcraft D-18S was one of the aircraft which gave Eelde a face. The Rijksluchtvaartschool operated a total of 15 Beechcraft D-18S in the period 1946-1969. Beech D-18S c/n A473 was registered PH-UDU by the Rijksluchtvaartdienst, holder RLS, on 12 December 1948. After being withdrawn from use with the Rijksluchtvaartschool, registration PH-UDU was cancelled on 24 October 1969. Four Beech D-18S, including Beech D-18S PH-UDU, were sold to Dutch Air Sprayers on behalf Agrarflug GmbH, Worms, Germany / International Ag-Cat Distributors Inc., Arlington (VA), USA, for a total of DFL.120.000. The four aircraft were parked in front of the German hangar awaiting resale. Beech PH-UDU was re-registered N9473 and departed to Worms on 21 March 1970.

In April 1969, Grumman G.164A Ag Cat's SE-ENW & SE-ENT arrived at Eelde by car. They were brought in flying condition and registered PH-DAP & PH-DAS on 10 June 1969 with Dutch Air Sprayers (Nederlandse Luchtsproeiers), Siddeburen, as holder and International Ag-Cat Distributors Inc., Arlington (VA), USA, as owner. The 1966-built PH-DAP was photographed on 30 May 1970, when it headed to the runway during the Eelde Airshow. After take off it showed a great dogfight together with and against sistership PH-DAS. On 31 August 1971, the registrations of both Ag Cats were cancelled after the defunct of Dutch Air Sprayers. They were re-registered as N33508 and N33509 on 16 June 1972.

In December 1968, Dutch Air Sprayers, Siddeburen, was established by the agricultural pilots Slagman and Post with support of Agragflug, Worms, Germany. However it was an Eelde based operator most of their aircraft were hard to see at the airport. One of the first signs of flying activity was the arrival of Grumman G-164A Ag Cat 5Y-AIZ on 8 February 1969. This Ag Cat was destined for Farmers Air Work Ltd. in Kenya and was flown by Dutch Air Sprayers. On 13 February, Ag Cat 5Y-AIZ departed on delivery to its homebase Nakuru in Kenya. Mid-April 1969, Grumman G.164A Ag Cat's SE-ENW and SE-ENT arrived by car at Groningen-Eelde. They were brought in flying condition and entered the register as PH-DAP and PH-DAS. Dutch Air Sprayers flew all over the world in countries like Sudan, South Africa and Suriname. Next to the Ag Cats PH-DAP and PH-DAS they operated at least Grumman G-164A Ag Cat D-FACU and D-FADA. For crop-spraying a Hughes 300 was leased from Merava, Germany. As the Benelux dealer for Champion they operated Champion 7GCBC Citabria N7566F. For sightseeing and instruction flights Cessna F.172H PH-VVV and Cessna TU206C PH-EEG were operated. During an auction, four RLS Beech D-18S (PH-UDH, PH-UDS, PH-UDU and PH-UES ) were bought on behalf of Agrarflug GmbH, Worms, Germany / International Ag-Cat Distributors Inc., Arlington (VA), USA, for a total of DFL.120.000. The aircraft were parked in front of the German hangar awaiting resale. Next to the Beechcraft D-18S, Piper L-18C Super Cub N8944 was parked and offered for sale. Dutch Air Sprayers defunct in 1971.

Douglas DC-7CF G-ATMF of Transmeridian Air Cargo was photographed on the Eelde tarmac on 7 March 1967. Trans Meridian Air Cargo operated in 1967 a number of flights with cattle from Groningen to Teheran, Iran. As the titles Trans Meridian London on the aircraft suggest, the company operated that period out of London (Luton) at that time. Trans Meridian Flying Services was initially based at Liverpool and started operations with Douglas C-54B Skymaster G-ARXJ on 1 November 1962. Early 1966, Trans Meridian moved to the London Luton Airport.

The Royal Air Force and the A.A.C. were regular visitors at Groningen Airport Eelde since 1959. Until 2002 they were welcome guests. In the sixties with their Beavers and Sioux, later with the Puma and Chinook. They came in for fuel for the aircraft and food for the crew when on route UK - Norway. Forced by complaints of a small action group Groningen Airport Eelde decided early 2002 to close the field for military aircraft. In October 2002, it was changed into "Prior Permission Required". Westland-Bell 47G-3 Sioux AH.1 XT 245 was photographed when the helicopter was in for fuel together with Sioux XT244 and XT246 on 15 April 1968.

British European Airways ordered twenty Ambassador 2s. BEA called its fleet Elizabethans after the succession of Queen Elizabeth 1. Ambassador G-ALZP was built in 1950. It was originally delivered in 1951 to BEA as G-ALZP; in March 1960 the aircraft was sold to the Royal Jordanian Air Force as 109. In September 1960, the Ambassador was transfered to Morocco where was used for the King of Morocco as CN-MAK. The Amabassador was sold in 1964 to Decca Navigator Co. Ltd. where it was used as a test-bed for their navigation equipment. On 23 May 1968, the G-ALZP was photographed at the airport during a stay for some days at Eelde during the Dutch Aero Fair Eelde.

In 1967, Stinson L-5 Sentinel I-AAAZ was based at Eelde. The Sentinel was operated by a local dentist who had planned to operate sightseeing flights with this plane. Most of the time the Stinson was parked in the hangar where it was photographed in September 1967. The aircraft, owned by Aero Club Capua, never entered the Dutch register and returned to Italy. The c/n of the Stinson is not known: the Veritas register of 1969 gives the ex Italian Air Force markings MM.52.860. The Stinson L-5 was the military version of the commercial Stinson 105 Voyager of 1939.

On 24 May 1968, Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard visited the City of Groningen. As usual on these visits the Government Friendship PH-PBF was used and flown by the Prince himself. Fokker F-27 PH-PBF "Gerben Sonderman" entered service with the Dutch Government on 19 May 1960. The Friendship replaced the Douglas DC-47A PH-PBA and was replaced by the Fokker F-28-1000 Fellowship PH-PBX in 1972. The PH-PBF was sold to NV Fokker on 16 March 1972. Registration PH-PBF was cancelled on 20 March 1973. The Friendship was exported to Indonesia as PK-KFR. The Fokker was written off after a crash at Banjarmasin on 4 November 1976.

PH-OTB Pilatus PC-6/H2 Porter c/n 518

KLM Aerocarto was a regular visitor at Eelde. Based at Rotterdam-Zestienhoven, they operated a number of aircraft like the Douglas C-47A PH-DAW. Porter PH-OTB was registered with KLM Aerocarto NV on 25 May 1961, and replaced De Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide PH-OTA. In November 1969, the Porter was photographed when it was based for some weeks at Eelde. After being retired with KLM Aerocarto it was registered by Paraclub Icarus at Hilversum on 11 July 1972. Registration PH-OTB was cancelled on 5 February 1996. The Porter is still active in France with SARL Baulip Sports as F-GMVS.

Mey-Air A/S was a regular visitor at Eelde with their Beech 99, Beech 100 and Cessna 402. In the early morning these planes came in often on a fuel stop during a regular newspaper flight from Paris to Scandinavia. On 18 December 1969, Convair CV-240 LN-KAP came in on a passengers charter and stayed until the 22nd. The propliner was photographed on 20 December. This CV-240 was originally delivered to SABENA as OO-AWP on 27 March 1949. The Convair was noted before as LN-KAP at Eelde when operated by Polaris Air Transport A/S.

In June 1967, five Aeroflot helicopters came in for fuel for the planes and food for the crew on their way to the Paris Air Show (Salon International de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace) at Paris-Le Bourget in France. The Mil Mi-8V CCCP-11052 is a 24-seat multi-role transport transport helicopter powered by two Izotov turboshaft engines. In companion of the Mil Mi-8V CCCP-11052 were Mil Mi-6P CCCP-58647; Mil Mi-6V CCCP-06174; Mil Mi-10K CCCP-29115 & Kamov KA-25 CCCP-21110. Due to the coldwar the Soviet participants of the Paris Air Show flew over Scandinavia, Holland and Belgium on route to Paris. On the return flight, afterwards the show, they stopped again at Groningen-Eelde Airfield.

All photos on this site are copyrighted by international copyright laws, and remain the property of the relevant photographer. Prior permission should always be sought directly from the photographer for any other means than private viewing. If no photographer is mentioned the photos on these pages are made by Jack Wolbrink.

Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to insure the correctness of data. However, I disclaim any responsibility in case of any errors or omissions. I am not responsible for the content of the linked websites.

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