The Latin American Aviation Historical Society

Now Available! Shooting Stars in Southern Skies — by Dan Hagedorn & Rob van Lijf.

A must-have for aviation enthusiasts! For the first time, a coherent and authoritative look at the story of the T-33A and F-80C in Latin America.

📷 Get your copy here: www.europeanairlines.no/product/shoo...

New on LAAHS | January 1934: El Salvador's three Curtiss-Wright C14R-4 Ospreys flew in formation to San José, Costa Rica — a goodwill visit marked by a clipped power line on landing, a diplomatic row, and a Communist demonstration. By Dan Hagedorn.
🔗 www.laahs.com/ospreys-over...

New LAAHS article by aero-historian Guido Chávez documents the Lockheed L-188 Electra's operational history in Ecuador (1967-late 1980s), covering fleet deployment by Ecuatoriana and TAME on Quito-Miami and Galápagos routes.
Read it here 👇
www.laahs.com/electra-ecua...

NEW ARTICLE: The Caudron C.601 Aiglon Senior in Guatemalan Service (1936-1946)
Corruption, tragedy, and a flawed purchase—the untold story of Henri Massot and the French trainers that cost a pilot's life.
Read now! 👇
www.laahs.com/guatemala-ai...

NEW: "Bad Day at Belize" by Dan Hagedorn — the dramatic story of a Nicaraguan Waco WHD-A that crashed into a golf club on takeoff, March 1938. Miraculously, the pilot survived. Read more here:
www.laahs.com/bad-day-at-b...

Season’s Greetings from LAAHS! From all of us to all of you, warmest wishes for the holidays. Thanks to our members and readers for keeping Latin American aviation history alive. May your hopes and dreams come through next year! ¡Feliz Navidad! 🎄

In August 1925, SCADTA’s Dornier Wals “Atlántico” & “Pacífico” flew from Barranquilla to Florida—the first Colombia-USA flight. Read the full story by Jaime Escobar Corradine here 👇🏼

www.laahs.com/scadta_fligh...

In 1969, a Lockheed Lodestar crashed in Guatemala's jungle. When authorities arrived, the crew had vanished. The photos tell a story. The missing crew tells another. Check the latest research from the Latin American Aviation Historical Society.
👇
www.laahs.com/lodestar_cra...

#USAF MQ-9A Reaper video allegedly from CSL Comalapa🇸🇻 supports Operation Southern Spear in Eastern Pacific. Pod configuration matches Aguadilla🇵🇷-based aircraft. Strategic location extends strike range against narcotrafficking routes. #MQ9Reaper #Counternarcotics

Paraguay's Air Force deploys EMB-314 Super Tucano & AT-27 Tucano aircraft in Operation Escudo Guaraní—large-scale border security operation targeting transnational crime. First operational deployment of recently acquired A-29s for airspace surveillance & counternarcotics missions

AC-130J Ghostrider gunship was photographed at El Salvador's Comalapa air base -a first since 2000. LAAHS exclusive analysis of US counternarcotics aviation shift from surveillance to offensive operations. Read it here: 👇
www.laahs.com/counternarco...

LAAHS confirms four Bell UH-1N helicopters donated to Fuerza Aérea Salvadoreña (FAS), likely ex-U.S. Dept. of State. Two deployed to GFS in Haiti (MSS mission), two integrated into FAS inventory in El Salvador.

Photo: Canadian UN Ambassador Bob Rae visiting GFS medevac unit.

Video showing the crash of Piper PA-31T1 Cheyenne I, Venezuelan registration YV1443 (C/N 31T-7904013), at Paramillo Airport, in San Cristóbal, Venezuela, earlier today. According to local sources, there are two fatalities. (Via @pro_plane_pilot)

The Fuerza Aérea Boliviana (Bolivian Air Force) has released a comprehensive commemorative volume marking its 100th anniversary in 2023. This significant publication is available for free download through the FAB's official website. Check it out:

fab.bo/wp-content/u...

An Enstrom 480B helicopter operated by the FANB crashed at the San Vicente sanitary landfill in Maracay, Venezuela, moments ago. The aircraft, bearing the serial number 61647 and civil registration YV3549 (C/N 5208), was one of two operational at Base Sucre. At least 1 fatality.

"Here is one of your little birds." This story unfolds in 1973, and it is not written in any book, although it is possible that the complete details exist in some secret document, buried in some box in the National Archive. Barely any t...

In June 1973, a routine training flight of Venezuelan BAC Canberra bombers took an extraordinary turn when Captain Arístides González Salazar broke formation and, at gunpoint, forced his navigator to calculate a route to Cuba. Read the complete story here:
www.laahs.com/little-birds...

From Peace Delta to Show of Force: Venezuelan F-16s Challenge U.S. Navy in the Caribbean On Thursday morning, September 4, 2025, two Venezuelan Air Force F-16A Fighting Falcons lifted off from El Libertador Airbase in Palo Negro, their Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200 engines cutting through t...

Venezuelan F-16s buzz US destroyer -same aircraft sold as Cold War alliance symbols now challenge American naval ops. From Reagan-era "Peace Delta" to 2025 confrontation. Read the in-depth analysis here:
www.laahs.com/peace-delta-...

Costa Rica's Academy of Aeronautical History and Air Mail saved the deteriorating Curtiss Robin "Espíritu Tico II" from damage at Juan Santamaría Airport. This record-setting aircraft is now safe at IFA for restoration! Full details here 👇
www.laahs.com/espiritu-tic...

Great news! Costa Rica's historic Curtiss Robin "Espíritu Tico" replica is getting a second chance! After years of neglect at Juan Santamaría Airport, it's moving to the Institute of Aeronautical Training (IFA) in Heredia for restoration and display. 📸 via ADS-B Costa Rica

🛩️ NEW ARTICLE: "Naranjeros, Gauchos and Indios: Argentina's Flying Wing" by Hernán Longoni. Discover the fascinating story of the IA-38 "Naranjero" - Argentina's revolutionary 1950s cargo flying wing. A testament to post-war Argentine aviation ambition.
Read now: www.laahs.com/naranjeros/

New Column: Dan Hagedorn examines the critical need for preserving Latin American aviation history and LAAHS's role as the "center of gravity" in this mission. Is a central repository the answer? #LAAHS #aviationhistory
Read more here 👇
www.laahs.com/research-cen...

NEW: "Alcaravanes: Colombia's Vanishing Aviation Heritage" explores how Douglas DC-3s became the lifeline of Colombia's eastern plains. From unpaved airstrips to heroic bush pilots, discover the aircraft that transformed a region and shaped its history. www.laahs.com/alcaravanes/

We mourn the loss of Hernán Logoni, esteemed Argentine aviation historian and LAAHS contributor, who passed away on Jan 21. His dedication to preserving aviation history leaves an enduring legacy. Our deepest condolences to his family.

New @laahs.com review: 'Pulp Fiction Fighters' by Hagedorn & Garcia. 377 color profiles of 1930s military aircraft in Latin America. Essential reference for aviation historians. Exceptional technical documentation of colors and markings. Read more:
www.laahs.com/pulp-fiction...

🆕 Just published: "Storks and Criquets: The Morane-Saulnier MS-502 in Argentina"

Unveiling the complete history of Argentina's MS-502 fleet - from their arrival in 1946 to their crucial role in the national gliding movement.

Read more:
www.laahs.com/argentine-cr...

Season's greetings, aviation historians! Thank you for your invaluable contributions to preserving Latin American aviation heritage throughout 2024. Here's to uncovering more historical treasures together in 2025.

#LAAHS #AviationHistory #LatinAmericanAviation​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Call for Contributors – The ‘Airfix’ School of History: The Development and Writing of Air Power History Air power history, broadly defined, is almost as old as the application of air power itself. While histories were produced during the First World War, after the war, nations such as Great Britain w…

Call for Contributors – The 'Airfix' School of History: The Development and Writing of Air Power History drrossmahoney.wordpress.com/2024/11/11/c... #airpowerhistory #aviationhistory #MilHist #AvGeek

Thank you @ednash.bsky.social !!!