Dutch Hawker Hunter sold

The Dutch Hawker Hunter Foundation (DHHF) announced some very sad news on 8 April 2022. According to a post on their Instagram account, single seat Hawker Hunter G-KAXF has been sold. The F.6A fighter, former RAF XF515, was flown in the colours of the Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLu, Royal Netherland Air Force) as ‘N-294’.

The Hunter will join the fleet of Lortie Aviation, Canada which is active in the field of combat air training for the Canadian and United States air forces.

DHHF states it has been forced to take this unpleasant step. The reason? A sharp decline in the number of both civilian and military airshows was seen in the past years. This decline was partially caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but increasing operating costs and more restrictive Government regulations also contributed to it.

All in all, DHHF concluded that it was no longer viable to operate two Hawker Hunters. And so, goodbye G-KAXF!

For a number of years G-KAXF was flown next to another Hunter, two seat T.8 G-BWGL (former Royal Navy XF357), painted in Dutch military silver and dayglow with serial ‘N-321’. In 2020, the Certificate of Airworthiness of G-BWGL expired and DHHF went on the lookout for a replacement.

It was found in Switzerland as part of the Hunterverein in Mollis. They decided to sell their T Mk.68 trainer HB-RVP (c/n 41HR003206) to the Dutch foundation. The two seat Hunter was registered in the UK as G-EHLW on 1 December 2021. The registration refers to EHLW, the ICAO code of Leeuwarden its future homebase in the Netherlands. G-EHLW will also be painted in Koninklijke Luchtmacht trainer colours but with the ‘N-322’. It is expected to arrive in the country before the coming summer.

Photo: Dutch Hawker Hunter Foundation