Boeing 727 used in Equatorial Guineau coup attempt purchased in Kansas!

[yellowcanine]

Mann put in $400 000 to cover the cost of a specially converted Boeing 727 purchased a week before the alleged coup attempt from a firm in Kansas. The M&G has established that the aircraft had been converted for US military use so that it could take off and land on shorter runways. It also had a pressurised cargo hold, which could be accessed during flight.

Final preparations were completed in February. Using his military and arms dealing contacts, Du Toit helped recruit the mercenaries — apartheid-era soldiers in South Africa — and introduced Mann to the head of the Zimbabwean Defence Industry in Harare.


more
http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=121194


Major violations of U.S. law here. Does anyone know the name of the Kansas firm?

[9119495]

1. Did they have to pay extra for "factory installed True-coat?"

[yellowcanine]

2. Curiouser and curiouser - Spain (Aznar's gov) involved? And U.S.?

Note the second paragraph. Lot of smoke here.


"Although no links have surfaced between Spaniards who knew about the alleged coup plot and Sir Mark Thatcher, statements made after the main group of mercenaries were detained in Zimbabwe would appear to confirm Spain’s clandestine involvement. As the mercenaries were allegedly completing their plans to topple Mr Obiang, two Spanish warships slipped out of the Rota naval base near Cádiz in January. The frigate Canarias was supported by a combat vessel Patiño with 500 crack troops and marines on board. No official announcement was made but those on board knew they were headed for Equatorial Guinea.

Since Rota is a Nato base, used by the United States, one would assume that the US knew of the mission as well as their close allies, the British."

[yellowcanine]

3. More on the plane from Kathy Cramer's Blog

U.S. Federal Aviation Administration records show N4610 to be a 727 plane registered to Dodson Aviation based in Ottawa, Kansas. Dodson Aviation said it sold the plane in question about a week ago to an African company called Logo.

http://www.kathryncramer.com/wblog/archives/000457.html

[ret5hd]

4. can someone do some research...

(i cant, geting ready to leave town)

10 years or so ago, i was involved in doing these same conversions on 727's...heavier landing gear, etc. they were being sold to a company called "green" something aviation...greenleaf, greenway, green... whatever.

anyway, we later found out that it was really a cia front. is it possible to trace the ownership of this plane back farther than dobson?

[AZCat]

5. Yes

I did some googling back when this news first broke. The plane (N4610) was previously owned by the Air Force.

Links to earlier threads:
Plane did stop at Grantley Adams - Mercenaries' 727 flew from USAF base

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=407384">Zimbabwe Seizes U.S. -Registered Cargo Plane Allegedly Carrying Mercenaries

[yellowcanine]

6. More from Kathy Cramer's Blog

First of all, N4610 isn't just any random former US cargo plane. Rather it is a specific military plane with a specific history which is relatively easy to find out on the web. As is widely reported, the plane was registered to Dodson Aviation, Inc. of Ottawa, Kansas. Jetliners.com lists the plane as operated by the U. S. Air Force. It also gives additional information: that the plane is a specific type of Boeing cargo plane, a C-22B, and it gives an additional identification number 83-4610. Airlink has a nice factsheet with a picture of the type of plane, a Boeing 727-100 modified for air national guard support missions. There are only eight, with serial numbers 83-4610 (tail # N4610, the plane in question), 83-4611 (N290AT, orig. tail # N4611, destroyed 1993), 83-4612 (orig. tail # N4612, currently in use by the US Air National Guard 201st), 83-4613 (orig. tail # N4613, registered to Cargo Aircraft Leasing Corp., Coral Springs, FL), 83-4614 (C-GOFA, orig. tail # N4614,registered in Canada), 83-4615 (orig. tail # N4615, currently in use by the US Air National Guard 201st), 83-4616 (currently in use by the US Air National Guard 201st), and 83-4617 (OB-1465 , orig. tail #N4617, registered outside the US) :


Of Note - only 8 of these planes made and mostly used by Air National Guard units - though this particular plane was apparently once operated by the U.S. Air Force

[seemslikeadream]

7. Some background on that plane

post #25 Riggs and Equatorial Guinea
The Dogs of War
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=125&topic_id=9558


:hi:yellowcanine