Issue No 22 THE AVIATION HISTORIAN 65
In August the same year the squadron acquired
an Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante to replace the
Piper Navajo Chieftain. It was mainly used for air
freight and the transporting of commandos and
parachutists, benches replacing standard seats in
the passenger cabin.
During September–October 1980 the MFI-9B
Junior was restored by mechanics Jean Dellac
and Michel Gineste, and made its first post-
restoration flight on October 31. Around the same
time, the pair completed pilot training on the T-6
with instructor Jacques Borne, and converted to
the Magister in late March 1981.
The GPG pilots were qualified to fly all the
aircraft in its inventory, Jacques Borne flying as a
copilot on the Puma and as a pilot in the Alouette
III from February 1981, for example. Mechanics
also managed to keep a Piper PA-18 Super Cub,
about which there appears to be little informa-
tion, airworthy for reconnaissance missions.
Modernisation and dark times
In 1982 the decision was made to update the
GPG with new, more modern aircraft. The
Embraer EMB-312 Tucano turboprop trainer/
light ground-attack aircraft was tested in Brazil,
but was deemed too expensive. A visit was paid
to Kansas, USA, to evaluate the Beechcraft T-34C
Turbo Mentor, which was ultimately selected
to replace the GPG’s Skyraiders. Following the
placement of an order with Beech, four T-34Cs
were delivered to Le Bourget in Paris in March
1982, before being ferried to Gabon, each with
a 110gal (500lit) auxiliary fuel tank in the back
seat. The last flight of a Gabonese Skyraider was
made on November 3, 1982, by Jacques Borne
ABOVE Jacques Borne in TR-KMP and Pierre Grosjean
in TR-KMO during a GPG Skyraider patrol. Originally
BuAer No 126922, TR-KMO went to France after its
GPG retirement and on to the UK as G-RAID, as which
it flew with The Fighter Collection from 1993. Now
owned by Kennet Aviation at North Weald, this hardy
survivor still flies today on the UK register as G-RADR.Gabonese Presidential Guard
aircraft inventory, 1972–92*
Aérospatiale SA.330 Puma
TR-KCA (c/n 1132); TR-KCI (c/n 1319)
Aérospatiale SA.316B Alouette III
TR-KCE (c/n 2242)
Piper PA-31 Navajo Chieftain
TR-LBB
North American T-6
TR-KFA; TR-KFB; TR-KFC; TR-KFD; TR-KFE;
TR-KFF (c/ns unknown)
Fouga CM.170 Magister
TR-KFH (c/n 366); TR-KFI (c/n 367);
TR-KFJ (c/n 368)
Beechcraft T-34C Turbo Mentor
TR-KFS (c/n GM-85); TR-KFT (c/n GM-86);
TR-KFU (c/n GM-87); TR-KFV (GM-88)
Malmö MFI-9B Junior
TR-KGA (c/n 56)
Embraer EMB-110P-1 Bandeirante
TR-KGB (c/n 110-0257)
ATR-42M
TR-KJD (c/n 131)
* Excluding Douglas AD-4N Skyraiders (see panel
on page 63)