Location: BGY/LIME

Photo: collection Skystef

Description: a unique aircraft on the register was this prototype of a two seat light jet trainer designed and developed by Italian engineer Stelio Frati which was derived from the Procaer F.400 Cobra but with jet engines. It was to be promoted by Promavia, established on May 23 1984 by 'Marchetti dealer' André Delhamende and based at Charleroi airport whereby it entered into an agreement with Sonaca for the production of the aircraft at this airport. For its first flight at Bergamo airport on April 30 1987 it was registered "I-SQAL", here seen such in a white livery carrying on its nose "Jet Squalus F.1300" titles (see.also upper left inset). Later on May 8 1990 it came in the Belgian register for Pomavia but except for some appearances at air shows the project failed as no (military) orders came in for this trainer. In 1991 the Canadian market was approached by Promavia but shortly afterwards they had financial troubles and the airframe was stored for several years at Charleroi airport. In 1995 they signed a licensing agreement with Alberta Aerospace (of Canada) and sold the Jet Squalus prototype to them which would be rebranded as Phoenix Fanjet. It was cancelled from the register on January 12 1996. After the bankruptcy of Promavia in January 1998, Alberta Aerospace acquired part of the assets from the liquidator. However a dispute between Delhamende and Alberta Aerospace resulted in a huge delay and financial troubles of Alberta Aerospace led to the cancellation of the new project in 2001, ultimate Alberta Aerospace itself went out of business in 2007. The airframe, meanwhile registered "N112SQ" to Jet Recon Services Inc, was in June 2010 last seen inside a hangar at High River Regional Airport (Canada) and is since 2015 for sale.