Guayaquil, June 1972 (Propfreak Collection)SAETA (Sociedad Anonima Ecuatoriana de Transportes Aéreos) started operations in 1966. In 1971 HC-AVQ joined the fleet when she was bought from Bahamas Airways. Originally build in 1944 for the USAF, she later served with the RAF before entering civil life with BEA. After spending time with Cyprus Airways, Silver City Airways and Skyways she crossed the pond again to fly for Bahamas Airways. HC-AVQ and her 2 sisterships were used to establish domestic air links in Ecuador. When Viscounts and Caravelles where acquired their days were numbered. HC-AVQ was sold to Air Sunshine in February 1977. In the late nineties the old Dakota was again flying in the Caribbean, operated by Four Star Aviation and Virgin Islands International Airways. By 1989 her luck run out and she was hit by a hurricane while parked at St.Thomas. 2 years later the oldtimer was scrapped.
