OO-AGH SABCA-Fokker F.VII-3m
(c/n unknown)
The Societe Anonyme Belge d'Exploitation de la
Navigation service was founded in 1923 when the
early Belgian air
transport company SNETA went out of business. Its original
equipment was made
up, in part, of D.H.9s and
Handley Page W.8s. Until its bankruptcy in 2001, SABENA was,
there-
fore, one of the world's
oldest airlines. Initial regular scheduled services flew
from Brussels to London,
Bremen, Copenhagen and
Strasbourg. After a single Fokker F.VIIa (OO-AID) had been
imported
in 1929 and used as a master, the remainder of the fleet of 28 Fokker
F.VIIb-3ms were licence-built
by SABCA (Societes Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aeronautiques).
OO-AGH was delivered in
1932 and
served with the airline until May of 1940 when it was commandered by
the Luftwaffe when
Haren Airport, Brussels was overrun.
Below is a reproduction of a John Player & Sons
cigarette
card issued in 1938 depicting the follow-on F.VIIb-3m.
OO-AGI SABCA-Fokker F.VIIb-3m
(c/n unknown)