Sabena's helicopters

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Petrusja
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Joined: 28 Nov 2020, 12:30

Sabena's helicopters

Post by Petrusja »

Hello,

For the AirHistory.net photo website I'm writing an article about Sabena's helicopter operations in the 1950s and 1960s. I have already compiled a good number of photos, mainly from Dutch archives, many of them little known:
https://www.airhistory.net/pub/show.php ... gory_id=27

I have a question - I understand that the passenger helicopters flights from Rotterdam, Paris, Germany etc all went to the Groendreef heliport in central Brussels. However, many passengers would have wanted to connect with a longer-range Sabena flight at Zaventem. Did the helicopters also land at Zaventem before or after Groendreef? Or was there a shuttle helicopter service between Groendreef and Zaventem? Or just a bus?

I would also love to have even more photos. It would be nice to have photos of all the individual helicopters - OO-UBC and OO-SHO are lacking for example. Also we have zero or very few decent photos of the helicopters at Antwerp, Lille, Maastricht, Liège and all the Helipost destinations in eastern Belgium. Can anyone help?

Thanks and kind regards

Peter

Homo Aeroportus
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Location: 2300NM due South of North Pole

Re: Sabena's helicopters

Post by Homo Aeroportus »

Hello Petrusja and welcome to Aviation24.be

You knocked on the right door and I am sure that a member will share his experience on SH Helicopters with you.

;)


H.A.

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lumumba
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Location: brussels Europe

Re: Sabena's helicopters

Post by lumumba »

You can also check for very nice original advertising posters from that time with helikopters from Sabena on Instagram you have some.
Hasta la victoria siempre.

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sn26567
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Location: Rosières/Rozieren, Belgium
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Re: Sabena's helicopters

Post by sn26567 »

Petrusja wrote: 28 Nov 2020, 13:07 I have a question - I understand that the passenger helicopters flights from Rotterdam, Paris, Germany etc all went to the Groendreef heliport in central Brussels. However, many passengers would have wanted to connect with a longer-range Sabena flight at Zaventem. Did the helicopters also land at Zaventem before or after Groendreef? Or was there a shuttle helicopter service between Groendreef and Zaventem? Or just a bus?
Hi Petrusja,

I had the great pleasure to fly on a Sabena Sikorsky S-58 helicopter from Liège (Palais des Congrès) to Brussels (Groendreef/Allée Verte) in 1961. The helicopter indeed made a brief stopover at Brussels Airport, where most passengers actually were leaving to catch a plane. There were two separate cabins with each 6 seats and a door.

But sorry, I don't have pictures of my flights (one way in the morning and return in the evening).

Note: besides the Sikorsky S-55 and S-58 helicopters, Sabena also used a larger Boeing Vertol between Paris and Brussels during the 1958 World Exhibition.
André
ex Sabena #26567

Petrusja
Posts: 2
Joined: 28 Nov 2020, 12:30

Re: Sabena's helicopters

Post by Petrusja »

Thanks all, and thanks André for confirming the link between the airport and the heliport.

Peter

stamp
Posts: 1
Joined: 17 Jan 2021, 13:36

Re: Sabena's helicopters

Post by stamp »

I have a almost complete philatelic collection on "The mail helikopters in Belgium" With helikopters who flown to 9 places in Belgium to deliver mail in 1950 to 1959.
I have the intention to make a book. A combination of information, articles , photo's and envelopes and special cancels from that period.
I am still looking to find photo's from Antwerp, Herentals , Beringen and Libramont.
You can find some pictures on the internet. But I hope to find others...
If anyone can help me.

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sn26567
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Location: Rosières/Rozieren, Belgium
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Re: Sabena's helicopters

Post by sn26567 »

stamp wrote: 17 Jan 2021, 13:58 I have a almost complete philatelic collection on "The mail helikopters in Belgium" With helikopters who flown to 9 places in Belgium to deliver mail in 1950 to 1959.
Welcome to Aviation24.be, stamp!
André
ex Sabena #26567

Acid-drop
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Joined: 29 Jun 2005, 00:00
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Re: Sabena's helicopters

Post by Acid-drop »

I googled a bit for Liège and found this interesting link about the postal service
http://www.chokier.com/FILES/MONUMENT/Heliport.html

And more
http://users.skynet.be/chevralier01/CP- ... liege.html

And ofc this :)
viewtopic.php?t=40217
My messages reflect my personal opinion which may be different than yours. I beleive a forum is made to create a debate so I encourage people to express themselves, the way they want, with the ideas they want. I expect the same understanding in return.

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