St. Lucia Airways
Encyclopedia
St. Lucia Airways Limited was a privately-owned company founded in 1975. General and tourist flights were operated mainly to Martinique
and Barbados
, but also extended throughout the Caribbean
and South America
. There was also a shuttle service between the two St. Lucia airports of Vigie and Hewannora. A Boeing 707
was acquired in 1982 for cargo charter work. Head office was listed as PO Box 253, Castries, St. Lucia, West Indies.
The firm operated two aircraft as of 1982.
During the 1986 arms for hostages scandal, U.S. Marine Corps Col. Oliver North
arranged for shipments of Raytheon
MIM-23 HAWK
antiaircraft missiles to Israel
. "The CIA's air branch suggested a proprietary which did clandestine
work for the agency - St. Lucia Airways." The CIA congressional relations man, Clair George
, was unavailable, so Duane Clarridge, the Latin America
division chief, checked with the acting Deputy Director of Operations, Ed Juchniewicz, who told North that, in addition to its proprietary work, St. Lucia operated as a commercial venture. So it was available to anyone for special charter operations.
"North arranged for St. Lucia to provide two Boeing 707
s. They were able to carry HAWK antiaircraft missiles to Israel
, where the HAWKs were transferred to Israeli planes for transit to Iran
. North was running the operation through a Swiss bank account, Lake Resources, Inc. (number 386-430-22-1 at Crédit Suisse
). For coming up with an airline on short notice, North told [Vice Adm. John] Poindexter
on their interoffice computer, 'Clarridge deserves a medal.'".
Lars Olausson
's "Lockheed Hercules Production List" provides the following tie-in between Oliver North's St. Lucia operation and current suspected CIA operative Tepper Aviation
:
November 27, 1989: L-100 c.n. 4129, delivered to ZAC-Alexander, registered 9J-RBW, April 1966, sold to Maple Leaf Leasing, 1969, leased to Pacific Western Airlines
, line number 383, March 1969, damaged Eureka, Nunavut
, August 1969, rebuilt as L-100-20, December 1969. Leased to Alaska International Air, (earlier Interior Airways, later MarkAir
), December 1969. Sold to Pacific Western Airlines
, registered CF-PWN, 1977, then sold to St. Lucia Airways, registered J6-SLO, May 1985, named "Juicy Lucy", after a rock and roll band, 1969-1972, transporting cargo for UNITA
, July 1987. Sold to Tepper Aviation
, Florida
, N9205T, January 1988, named "Grey Ghost" - crash landing at Jamba
, Angola
.
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
and Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
, but also extended throughout the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. There was also a shuttle service between the two St. Lucia airports of Vigie and Hewannora. A Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
was acquired in 1982 for cargo charter work. Head office was listed as PO Box 253, Castries, St. Lucia, West Indies.
The firm operated two aircraft as of 1982.
- Britten-Norman BN-2A IslanderBritten-Norman IslanderThe Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a 1960s British light utility aircraft, regional airliner and cargo aircraft designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. The Islander is one of the best-selling commercial aircraft types produced in Europe. Although designed in...
, manufacturers serial number 612, registration J6-LAS, formerly registered VQ-LAS - Boeing 707-351CBoeing 707The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
, manufacturers serial number 18689, registration J6-SLF, formerly registered G-WIND.
During the 1986 arms for hostages scandal, U.S. Marine Corps Col. Oliver North
Oliver North
Oliver Laurence North is a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, political commentator, host of War Stories with Oliver North on Fox News Channel, a military historian, and a New York Times best-selling author....
arranged for shipments of Raytheon
Raytheon
Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
MIM-23 HAWK
MIM-23 Hawk
The Raytheon MIM-23 Hawk is a U.S. medium range surface-to-air missile. The Hawk was initially designed to destroy aircraft and was later adapted to destroy other missiles in flight. The missile entered service in 1960, and a program of extensive upgrades has kept it from becoming obsolete. It was...
antiaircraft missiles to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. "The CIA's air branch suggested a proprietary which did clandestine
Clandestine operation
A clandestine operation is an intelligence or military operation carried out in such a way that the operation goes unnoticed.The United States Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms defines "clandestine operation" as "An operation sponsored or conducted by governmental...
work for the agency - St. Lucia Airways." The CIA congressional relations man, Clair George
Clair George
Clair Elroy George was a widely respected veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency's clandestine service who oversaw all global espionage activities for the agency in the mid-1980s...
, was unavailable, so Duane Clarridge, the Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
division chief, checked with the acting Deputy Director of Operations, Ed Juchniewicz, who told North that, in addition to its proprietary work, St. Lucia operated as a commercial venture. So it was available to anyone for special charter operations.
"North arranged for St. Lucia to provide two Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
s. They were able to carry HAWK antiaircraft missiles to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, where the HAWKs were transferred to Israeli planes for transit to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. North was running the operation through a Swiss bank account, Lake Resources, Inc. (number 386-430-22-1 at Crédit Suisse
Credit Suisse
The Credit Suisse Group AG is a Swiss multinational financial services company headquartered in Zurich, with more than 250 branches in Switzerland and operations in more than 50 countries.-History:...
). For coming up with an airline on short notice, North told [Vice Adm. John] Poindexter
John Poindexter
John Marlan Poindexter is a retired United States naval officer and Department of Defense official. He was Deputy National Security Advisor and National Security Advisor for the Reagan administration. He was convicted in April 1990 of multiple felonies as a result of his actions in the Iran-Contra...
on their interoffice computer, 'Clarridge deserves a medal.'".
Lars Olausson
Lars Olausson
Lars Olausson is a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the Swedish Air Force, who has published an annual volume on the history of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules airlifter currently titled the Lockheed Hercules Production List 1954-2012, the twenty-eighth edition having been printed March 2010...
's "Lockheed Hercules Production List" provides the following tie-in between Oliver North's St. Lucia operation and current suspected CIA operative Tepper Aviation
Tepper Aviation
Tepper Aviation, Inc. is based at the Bob Sikes Airport in Crestview, Florida. The company has a long association with the CIA. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was widely reported to be flying weapons into Angola to arm the UNITA rebels...
:
November 27, 1989: L-100 c.n. 4129, delivered to ZAC-Alexander, registered 9J-RBW, April 1966, sold to Maple Leaf Leasing, 1969, leased to Pacific Western Airlines
Pacific Western Airlines
Pacific Western Airlines was an airline that operated scheduled flights throughout western Canada and charter services around the world from the 1950s through the 1980s...
, line number 383, March 1969, damaged Eureka, Nunavut
Eureka, Nunavut
Eureka is a small research base on Fosheim Peninsula, Ellesmere Island, Qikiqtaaluk Region, in the Canadian territory of Nunavut. It is located on the north side of Slidre Fiord, which enters Eureka Sound farther west. It is the second-northernmost permanent research community in the world. The...
, August 1969, rebuilt as L-100-20, December 1969. Leased to Alaska International Air, (earlier Interior Airways, later MarkAir
MarkAir
MarkAir was a regional airline. It had its headquarters in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. It ceased operations and liquidated in 1995.-Former Code Data:* ICAO Code: MRK* IATA--BF* Callsign: MarkAir-History:...
), December 1969. Sold to Pacific Western Airlines
Pacific Western Airlines
Pacific Western Airlines was an airline that operated scheduled flights throughout western Canada and charter services around the world from the 1950s through the 1980s...
, registered CF-PWN, 1977, then sold to St. Lucia Airways, registered J6-SLO, May 1985, named "Juicy Lucy", after a rock and roll band, 1969-1972, transporting cargo for UNITA
UNITA
The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola is the second-largest political party in Angola. Founded in 1966, UNITA fought with the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola in the Angolan War for Independence and then against the MPLA in the ensuing civil war .The war was one...
, July 1987. Sold to Tepper Aviation
Tepper Aviation
Tepper Aviation, Inc. is based at the Bob Sikes Airport in Crestview, Florida. The company has a long association with the CIA. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was widely reported to be flying weapons into Angola to arm the UNITA rebels...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, N9205T, January 1988, named "Grey Ghost" - crash landing at Jamba
Jamba
Places*Jamba, Cuando Cubango, Angola, former base of rebel group UNITA*Jamba, Huíla, Angola, location of the airport with the IATA code JMB *Jamba, Moxico Province, AngolaPeople*Almerindo Jaka Jamba, an Angolan politician...
, Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
.
See also
- Air America
- Civil Air TransportCivil Air TransportCivil Air Transport was a Chinese airline, later owned by the CIA, that supported United States covert operations throughout East and Southeast Asia...
- Rendition aircraft
- Southern Air TransportSouthern Air Transport-Southern Air Transport :The first Southern Air Transport, based in Dallas, Texas, formed on February 11, 1929 when businessman A. P. Barrett consolidated Texas Air Transport and several other small aviation companies...
- Tepper AviationTepper AviationTepper Aviation, Inc. is based at the Bob Sikes Airport in Crestview, Florida. The company has a long association with the CIA. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was widely reported to be flying weapons into Angola to arm the UNITA rebels...