Aircraft N99HU Data

Airframe Info

Manufacturer:	Grumman
Model:	SA-16A Albatross    Search all Grumman SA-16A Albatross
Year built:	0000
Construction Number (C/N):	G-40
Aircraft Type:	Fixed wing multi engine
Number of Seats:	8
Number of Engines:	2
Engine Type:	Reciprocating

Aircraft

Registration Number:	N99HU
Mode S (ICAO24) Code:	ADD10C
Certification Issued:	2006-03-06
Last Action Taken:	2006-03-06
Current Status:	Valid

Owner

Registration Type:	Corporation
Owner:	Afb Inc
Address:	Bear, DE 19701 United States
Region:	Eastern

User Comments

Jon M. Casey, 2007-09-14 04:00:00
	This is a re-print of an article that appeared in the Carlisle Sentinel Newspaper July 21, 2007 Vintage seaplane "Dirty Girl" is back in the U.S. By Joseph Cress July 21, 2007 Jay Shettel thought for sure trouble was on its way for him and his friend Mark Toigo. They had just walked onto the tarmac of a Brazilian air force base when up drove three carloads of military police with guns drawn clearly visible. What made the situation even more tense was the imposing sight of Col. Barras stepping out of a car before firing off two quick questions in perfect English. Why are you here? and How did you get into my base? Three years ago, Shettel and Toigo were visiting Sao Paulo to coordinate the restoration of Dirty Girl, a Grumman Albatross seaplane now parked at the Carlisle airport where the two men, both pilots, first met. As their story goes, they simply walked onto the base and asked for directions to the plane, only to encounter a language barrier. Many Brazilians speak only Portuguese. Somehow the friends managed to obtain security passes, but they were confronted minutes later by Barras and his guards as they approached the seaplane, according to Shettel, 44, of Carlisle. Time would pass before the two men learned to appreciate how much of an ally Barras would become in helping them bring new life to an old and neglected warbird. Long history of service Toigo, 44, of Shippensburg explained how the newly minted U.S. Air Force had placed an order for Grumman Albatross seaplanes to serve in search and rescue missions across the globe. The plane called Dirty Girl was manufactured in New York state sometime in the early 1950s and was deployed to the Korean conflict, where it was used to find downed pilots, Toigo said. In tracking the service number of Dirty Girl, Toigo learned the plane had to be towed to safety after being swamped by water when trying to evade fire from a Chinese gunboat during the rescue of a fighter pilot. Dirty Girl” continued to serve American forces in the Far East until 1958, when the Air Force deemed her and others o her kind obsolete in favor of helicopters, Toigo explained. The U.S. shipped Dirty Girl and other Grumman Albatross seaplanes to Brazil as a gift to a Third World ally seeking to build up its military. Dirty Girl then saw service with the Brazilian air force as a combination search-and-rescue, maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare platform, Toigo said. This continued until 1980 when, once again, she was deemed obsolete when the U.S. began to ship its first-generation search-and-rescue helicopters to Brazil. For more than 20 years, Dirty Girl sat out in the elements accumulating grime while many of her parts were removed for use in other planes. Her interior was full of bird nests and bee hives by the time Toigo bought the plane on eBay for $75,000 in 2003. Toigo said he thought restoring the plane would be a cool project to work on. One look inspired the nickname and motivated Toigo to enlist the help of Shettel in bringing Dirty Girl back from the brink. He would go on to visit Brazil six time in three years, spending up to two weeks per trip coordinating the restoration work on the seaplane. Shettel would visit Brazil five times over the same period. Forging friendships Through it all, Toigo and Shettel had help from the ground crew at the base who, at first, laughed at the foolish American who purchased such a dilapidated old plane. Opinions turned around after the Brazilians saw how serious Toigo and Shettel were in their goal of flying Dirty Girl back to the United States. A lot of cash also went a long way towards convincing the local Brazilians to take the project under their wing, Toigo added. Friendships were forged and before they knew it, Toigo and Shettel were invited to family gatherings and birthday parties. People down there were so willing and happy to help us, Shettel said. We named one of them Magoo. He never spoke a word of English but understood hand signals. The language barrier had also been breached through the use of translators. Perhaps the most emotional moment during the three years of work came when one of the original Brazilian crewman broke down in tears in seeing Dirty Girl being restored to her former glory. He could not believe someone was trying to bring her back to life, Toigo said. It is not too often a plane this old gets a second chance at life. It was our plan to get her out of Brazil, our dream to bring her back to the U.S. and our fantasy to park her in our back yard. Throughout the project, Col. Barras helped to direct the ground crew and became such a good friend to the Americans, he gave Toigo and Shettel each a souvenir watch. Rough patches But the project had its rough moments and there were times when Toigo was tempted to abandon Dirty Girl to an inglorious fate stuck in a boneyard of dead planes. Their main contact in Sao Paulo died suddenly seven months into the project, taking to his grave all his knowledge of the location of parts being collected for Toigo and Shettel. The two men were forced to scrounge for replacement parts in a vast city of almost 20 million people - many of whom do not speak English. What's more, they had to overcome a government bureaucracy that would charge a 100 percent duty on parts and even confiscate key components for extended periods. Work complete, the struggle ended, the two friends made final preparations to fly Dirty Girl out of Brazil early this May. The seaplane was ready with a full load of fuel. Toigo had just obtained the necessary permits to depart Sao Paulo. Then came a family tragedy. Just as he was getting ready to board, Toigo received a call on his cell phone from a girlfriend who told him his older brother had just died of a heart attack. The mood on the plane went from triumph to sadness, and the two friends had to abandon the mission to fly Dirty Girl home. The journey home They recovered and went forward with the operation on June 24. The entire ground crew gathered on the tarmac to cheer them on and see them off. The Brazilian air force base is located only six miles from the civilian airport where an Airbus-320 crashed Tuesday, killing all 186 people onboard. Toigo said it took two days just to fly out of Brazil and another four days to complete the 6,000-mile journey through South America, the Caribbean and up the East Coast. It was an adventure ... a super Type A vacation ... You can't put any more stress into a trip, Toigo said. There was a lot of doubt we would ever get her home. Somewhere between Barbados and Puerto Rico, the right engine generator caught fire but was quickly put out while Dirty Girl was flying 1,000 feet over the water. The vintage seaplane had landing gear problems coming into Orlando, Fla. The two friends touched down safely in Carlisle on June 29. Toigo said the plan for Dirty Girl is to give her a new paint job, complete the restoration work and maybe feature her at air shows. Other options include using her as flying Winnebago for chartered fishing trips (since she can land in the water) or seeking a corporate sponsor for her long-time maintenance.
Malcolm Clarke - Admin, 2013-10-19 19:55:40
	Built as 49-082. to Brazilian AF as FAB 6537 Oct 6, 1958. Sold as PT-ZAZ for ferry by an Icelandic company in 1984. Now registered as N99HU. (Joe Baugher).