Subject: [History] American Visitors

Article:

Rich, famous and not so (rich or famous) Americans who visited Suriname. 25 Mar 1927- 3 "Loening" AF planes arrived in Suriname. Feb. 1934- Richard C. Dupont and daughter Alice arrived in a plane for a landing on the river. The plane was piloted by daughter Alice. 24 March 1934- Female pilot Guggenheim and male pilot Russell Thaw made an emergency landing near the Nieuwe Haven. They could not find Zanderij. The Lockheed was so severely damaged that it was shipped back to the USA.

16 Apr. 1934- Female pilot Laura Ingulls lands in a single engine plane at Zanderij. Jan. 1937- William van der Bilt arrived in a baby clipper Sikorsky with wife and friends the Huntingtons. 3 June 1937- Amelia Earhart lands with a Lockheed Electra at Zanderij. The navigator was a retired PanAm pilot Noonan. 16 March 1938- Two pilots Whitney and Harmon made an emergency landing with their Beechcraft on an airstrip near the Eerste Rijweg. They could not find Zanderij.

23 Sept. 1929 Charles Lindbergh landed on the Suriname River with a Sikorski. He was accompanied by his wife and Mr. Trippe of PanAm. Nov 1941- units of the US Armed Forces arrived in Suriname and were stationed at Zanderij. The 99th bomber squadron had B19 bombers and B25 fighter bombers at Zanderij. The runways were constructed by the US Corps of Engineers. They also built the road from Onverwacht to Zanderij and which was completed in 1942. The Zanderij AF Base was turned over to the Dutch on 22 Oct 1947. The value of the facility was estimated to be sf 400,000.

9 June 1947- two American War veterans Lann Call and Julian Wiggins made an emergency landing at Zorg en Hoop. In March 1947 Alfredo de Los Rios landed with a 8-F Luscombe plane at Zanderij. He had travelled from Dallas, Texas. June 1959- Pilots and missionaries Robert Price and Eugen Friesen arrived with a single engine plane. They performed many medical treatment work in the interior and the Sipilawini savannah.

3 March 1960- President Dwight D. Eisenhower landed at Zanderij with AF One a Boeing 707 jet. He was accompanied by secretary of state Christian Herter. They left the same day. 14 April 1967- President Lyndon B. Johnson arrived during a rainstorm at Zanderij with AF One Boeing 707. Security was tight around Zanderij airport. 1961- An agrement was signed by the Dutch government and the USA to use Zanderij airport for MAC (military airlift command) usage. The US paid US$22,000 for 400 landings per year. The crew stayed overnight at the Torarica hotel. 8-13 Nov 1963- The X-15 NASA jet was on exhibition at Zanderij for an air show.




Met dank aan Albert Buys








Met dank aan Albert Buys