Hugo Verledens' 1970 150 "SuperCharlie" Year: 1970 Model: 150K Serial#: 15071603
475 of 875, 1970 150K's manufactured
13,602 of 21,404, 150's manufactured in the USA
Comments from Owner Hugo Verledens: I learned to fly in 1991 at the rather "old" age of 35. I gradually worked my way to my commercial rating. Together with some friends, after our PPL , We earned our commercial multi-engine check ride in Belgium. Some time later I went to Florida (Crystal River) for my US license, and returned with a CPL ME IFR license. Most of my flying hours are paid by aerial photo work or banner towing operators.
I found this great 150 Horsepower C150 for sale in Phoenix, Arizona at the end of 2004, at Buckeye Municipal Airport. We dismantled and crated this baby in 3 days with help from some local guys from the Buckeye Parachuting club. It all fit in a 40 foot shipping container but had to wait until early 2005 to ship it to Belgium.
In Belgium we spent many hours brainstorming to come up with the unique eye catching paint scheme.
The airplane has just over 1,100 hrs TT. With the 150Hp Lycoming, the Horton STOL kit and a towing hook , it is an ideal banner towing aircraft. It took us 6 months to get EASA approval from the Belgian CAA, and it now approved for commercial use. Unfortunately We have not been able to get approval for the O&N auxiliary fuel tank yet, because the EASA does not accept it as an STC modification.
We are very happy with the performance, and have flown more than 125 hrs banners in our first 3 months of operation. The Lycoming O-320 does a great job, CHT and EGT temps are far below maximum limits, even though the Airplane flies nose up dragging a 120 square meter banner at 50mph in the slow flight configuration with 10 degrees of flaps.
Banner Towing in Flanders Fields, Belgium
I think this is one exceptional C150 with this new look and low in hrs for a 1970 C150, After flying only 10 months in Belgium the airplane is already quite famous.