Historic aviation operators are located around the globe, but it's hard to find a company as passionate like Egmond Vintage Wings at Hoogeveen airport in The Netherlands. Their main goal: to maintain and fly their fleet of various and interesting aircraft, with the purpose of offering a living history to both their enthusiastic members and the general public. They frequently organise Open Hangar Days and Fly-Ins to demonstrate their equipment, but also participate in airshows and memorial flights throughout the country. A true milestone is the construction of a 1930s Fokker D.XXI fighter, using original drawings. This aircraft made its first flight in 2022, an event witnessed by Jack van Egmond, founding father of the passionate organisation. In this report, we focus on EVW's liaison and observation aircraft.

Text and photos: Emiel Sloot & Bob Fischer

Egmond Vintage Wing’s Stinson L-5 N255DB (c/n 76-050) is most probably the oldest Sentinel worldwide that still flies around. Built in Wayne, Michigan in late 1942 as part of the first contract of 275 examples – the order being signed on 10 December 1942 – this particular aircraft received serial number 42-14847. It was accepted on 27 February 1943, and subsequently taken on charge by a number of US-based units of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), all utilising the aircraft for aircrew training. After WW II, it was stored and eventually retired in 1950. Its follow-up history is unknown until 1965, when it moved to Canada with registration CF-STC for use as a tug aircraft with the Winnipeg Gliding Club at Winnipeg, Manitoba until June 1986. The next year, the aircraft returned to the US, becoming N255DB. Here, some three different owners operated the Sentinel for three-and-a-half decades.

In 2021, the L-5 was shipped to the Netherlands, and on 28 June that same year, N255DB was registered to Egmond Aircraft LLC, the American subsidiary of the company run by Jac van Egmond, son of patron Jack. Following its arrival at Hoogeveen, the aircraft received a new Trig TY91 8.33 kHz channel spacing VHF communication radio as well as a VT-2000 Mode-S transponder, to enable operation in Dutch airspace.

There is one peculiar thing about this aircraft, concerning the nose art that has been applied to both sides. While such markings are not uncommon to warbirds, the accompanying text Pas op! (Beware!) is noteworthy, as this is actually Dutch. However, the nose art was painted on the aircraft far before the aircraft actually moved to the Netherlands, as pictures available online demonstrate. So far, the Dutch link remains a mystery.

Although the L-5 has been added to the fleet just recently, it is again put up for sale. Egmond Vintage Wings does own another L-5, with serial 42-99252, that is currently under restoration. This one, slightly younger than the one for sale, first flew on 24 March 1944, and served with USAAF’s 12th Army Air Force in Italy.

A pair of Piper L-4 Grasshoppers currently complete Egmond’s fleet of historic liaison and observation planes. Just before the end of WW II in Europe, L-4J N3989B (c/n 13549) entered service with the USAAF on 16 April 1945 as 45-4809. It was used by the 2532nd Base Unit at San Marcos, Texas until the aircraft was transferred to the Civil Air Patrol at Adams Field in Little Rock, Arkansas. From 1952, the history is somewhat unclear until February 1997, when it received its current civil identity while still being home in Arkansas. Following an extensive restoration, N3989B won the Judges Choice L-4 Award and the Preservation Award of the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in August 2005 and August 2006, respectively. 

On 29 December 2020, the aircraft was registered to Egmond Aircraft LLC. Once in the Netherlands, like the Sentinel, it was fitted with modern avionics such as the TY91 radio, a Trig TT21 Mode-S transponder and an ELT.

Unlike N3989B, Egmond’s L-4H N29EG (c/n 11024) is an actual WW II veteran. It first flew on 10 February 1944 as 44-79709 and moved to Europe shortly after. While serving for the US 29th Infantry of the USAAF, the aircraft landed on Omaha Beach on 7 June 1944.

After the war, it ended up in Belgium where it initially became OO-VVV in 1946, then OO-VIL between 1956 and 1993. On 23 August 1996, it transferred to the UK civil register as G-CVIL and on 26 October 2000, it was obtained by Van Egmond, initially as G-CVIL but ultimately becoming N29EG on 18 October 2005, with the ownership being registered to Van Egmond Aircraft LLC.



Since Egmond Vintage Wings currently operates two Grasshoppers, N3989B is currently offered for sale. Because of N29EG’s participation in Operation Overlord, it is of great historical value and will remain with EVW at Hoogeveen. ■