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1962 SAAB 91D Safir

Saab 91D Safir PH-RLS was delivered to the Dutch State Flying School (Rijksluchtvaartschool or RLS) in 1962. It was issued with a Certificate of Registration on 08-03-1962. At that time it was registered PH-RLY with serial number 91.436.

The aircraft served as a secondary trainer between 1962 and 1973. On 27-09-1973 the markings were removed from the Dutch Register with the aircraft being exported to the United Kingdom as G-BCFV. It was painted in the colours of the Swedish Air Force as Fv50000/09.

The British buyer sold the Safir in 1976 to Westcountry Aircraft Sales. They sold it to a private buyer in 1978 and he sold it to yet another private individual in 1979. It was flown until 1983 when it was sold to the USA where it was registered as N91SB.

Remarkably it was registered as an experimental aircraft in the USA. The reasons for this are not known, most likely the Saab 91D did not hold an FAA type certificate. The American owner had the aircraft until 2018 when it was exported to Belgium. In the mean time the US owner repainted the Safir in its original RLS colours.

The Safir was completely restored by Vliegwerk Holland and brought back to its certified status. A lovely jewel which the owner is forced to sell due to loss of medical.