Pembroke Mk. 51 - K66B-4008 / N51963: Where is it?

[Ryan Keough]

Hi folks,

I was puttering around the other day and came across an FAA listing for a Hunting Pembroke Mk 51 s/n K66B-4008 and US registered N51963.

The plane is/was registered to a William Wayne Ketch... of Gainesville, NY (the small town of 400 people that I grew up in). From what I have determined, it was imported in 1978 and completely fell off the radar screen... as did the owner? The FAA registration has expired as of 1982, so I expect that it is languishing in pieces somewhere...

It seems to be a sistership to the Pembroke that the Yankee Air Force NJ wing has still in Caldwell, NJ... but it isn't the same plane.

Anyone know anything? It is weird that I grew up in the region and never heard anything about it!

Thanks,
Ryan Keough

[mike furline]

My memory may be failing, but I think I remember seeing a Pembroke at the Watsonville, CA. airport back in the early 1990's. At the time it wasn't a flyer.

Just found these,

http://belmilac.wetpaint.com/page/Perci ... .51?t=anon

http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.s ... entry=true


Regards,
Mike

[Tulio]

From what I recall, a number of Pembrokes were imported into the USA, but were not certified for operations here, and had been intended for use by a certain U.S. Gov't agency in areas outside the USA.

The 11?? Pembrokes came from the Belgian AF.

One of them was used in Honduras as HR-ITA, and then re-imported back into the USA. It has been for many years now, at the Anoka-Blaine airport in MN, and has been offered for sale a few times in Barnstormers, together with an example in Canada.

Not germane to Ryan's original question, but this Pembroke is N510RP (ex-HR-ITA).


Saludos,


Tulio

[Percival Pembroke]

The Pembroke N51963 was last reported in Pennysylvania in 1978 but then disappeared. It was probably used for drug running and subsequently detroyed or abandoned.
Regards
Tom
(Pembroke historian)

[Obergrafeter]

I had the oppurtunity to buy a drug runner at Peachtree City back in the early 90s that might be your bird. Didn't buy it but have some pictures around here somewhere. Dumb (not buying it) as it was dirt cheap. I'm talking pocket change.

[Jerry O'Neill]

I'd have to check my photos, but back in 1985, there was a Pembroke at Centennial Airport near Denver. I actually met the owner and took shot inside the aircraft. Not sure it was the same one.
He was involved in creating a museum and he also had the remains of the prototype Bell Jet Ranger in a near by T-hanger.
Jerry

[soko121]

I too went and looked at the one in PDK in the mid 90's, there is the one in Anoka, Ex Belgian, one at Denver Front Range Ex RAF, one in seattle that a friend was trying to get certified as a Public use aircraft in the late 90's, the deal fell through and i think its still there, one in CA that is reported flyable, anyone know of others?
oh yeah the Sea Prince that was in Canada i think went back to England??

Simon

[Steve T]

A Pembroke turned up at one of the late-70s CWH airshows here at Hamilton...given the proximity maybe it was the New York one. Never heard any details about it.

S.

[stumac]

The Pembroke that the Yankee Museum aquired was a confiscated drug smuggler. It sat for several years at Republic airport in Farmingdale, NY. In the late 80's (there about) the airplane was aquired by the Yankee Air Force in Caldwell, NJ. Paul Redlich and myself were working for the Skytypers at the time and were contacted by the airport manager who was looking for someone that would get the airplane ready for a ferry flight over to NJ. Paul and I worked on the airplane for a couple of weeks (after work) and got it running and into ferriable condition. We applied for the ferry permit and after an inspection by the FAA inspector we recieved the permit. I can't remember the pilot's name any more but he came out and the airplane flew off to NJ. From what I have heard it hasn't flown since. I have loads of pictures of us working on the airplane (of course I don't know how to post them).

[Matt Gunsch]

I wonder if it this one,
http://www.visitelpaso.com/files/film_l ... 6_1024.jpg

It is on the West Texas Airport, just east of El Paso.

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=31.7202094&lo ... =0&m=a&v=2

Last edited by Matt Gunsch on Thu Feb 05, 2009 2:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[marine air]

Yes I remember the one that attended the CWH shows around 1980 or 81. My dad went to those shows and had pictures of it. It was a cream puff with new paint and had had a lot of work done to it. It sold a year or so later to drug smugglers and was last seen in the Miami area. It sold for either $100k or $125. Aboiut what you couldve bought a nice B-25 for at the time.

[AirJimL2]

I wonder if it this one,
http://www.visitelpaso.com/files/film_l ... 6_1024.jpg

It is on the West Texas Airport, just east of El Paso.

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=31.7202094&lo ... =0&m=a&v=2

Matt,

No that is a Varsity...though it spent some time at Mount Hope too.

Jim

[Percival Pembroke]

Ten ex Belgian Air Force Pembrokes were flown to the USA. All had been bought by Air America Inc which was nothing to do with the CIA airline. In addition five ex RAF Pembrokes were registered in the USA but not all made it over. This is a brief rundown of the Belgian ones....
N51591 Burnt by drug runners at Sylvester Airport GA 1979
N51961 Barged to Florida from Grand Bahama as spare parts.
N51962 last seen Fort Lauderdale 1979
N51963 last seen Wilkes-Barre/Scranton PA 1978
N51964 went to Honduras and is currently N702JM at Anoka County
N51948 at Thun Field, Seattle.
N51966 last seen Long Beach CA 1982
N51970 This was at Peachtree City (Falcon Field) Now at El Mirage, CA.
N51972 Stored Watsonville CA
N51973 at Essex County NJ. . . tom(at)singfield.freeserve.co.uk

[gilt]

The Rick Luytjes/Air America (Factoryville PA) story.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.h ... A960948260

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.h ... A966958260

http://www.amazon.com/Trafficking-Boom- ... 0684190249

I was contacted to ferry a Pembroke from Belgium to the US, while this was well before we knew the truth about the Luytjes operation I didn't like the aura of the operation and declined. Sorry I missed the opportunity to fly a Pembroke but glad I avoided any contact with the organization.

Tom-

[T J Johansen]

This Luytjes guy even used On-Mark Marksman N99426 during the 80s. This Invader and several others have been photographed a lot in the Miami area during the 1980-84 period. It seems that all of them ended up in the hands of the authorities at one time or another.

www.warbirdregistry.org


T J