Southern Air Transport

Southern Air Transport was the name of two airlines in the United States.

outhern Air Transport (1929)

The first Southern Air Transport, based in Dallas, Texas, formed on February 11, 1929 when businessman A. P. Barrett consolidated Texas Air Transport and several other small aviation companies. Later that year SAT came under the control of the Aviation Corporation, the company that organized American Airlines.

outhern Air Transport (1947-1998)

The second Southern Air Transport, based in Miami, Florida, is best known as a front company for the Central Intelligence Agency. It was founded in 1947 and became a subsidiary of the CIA's airline proprietary network, the Pacific Corporation. SAT's Pacific Division supported the US war effort in Southeast Asia, and operated 23 Lockheed Hercules aircraft in its fleet. They were c.n.s 4134, 4147, 4208, 4248, 4250, 4299, 4300-4302, 4362, 4383, 4384, 4388, 4391, 4472, 4477, 4558, 4561, 4562, 4565, 4586, 4590 and 4763. [cite book
last = Olausson
first = Lars
title = Lockheed Hercules Production List 1954-2008, 25th edition
publisher = Lars Olausson, self-published, Såtenäs, Sweden, April 2007
page = 140, no ISBN.]

As of 1982, the SAT fleet was as follows:
*Douglas DC-6, c.n. 45325, N28CA, leased in, F.A. Conner
*Douglas DC-6A, c.n. 45237, N6539C, leased in, Civil Air Transport
*Douglas DC-3, c.n. ?, N772A, leased in, Carib Air Cargo
*Douglas DC-3, c.n. 4219, N783V, leased in, Carib Air Cargo
*Lockheed L-100-30, c.n. 4362, N7984S, line number 84S
*Douglas DC-3, c.n. 20749, N87629, leased in, Carib Air Cargo
*Lockheed L-100-30, c.n. 4299, N9232R, line number 32R
*Lockheed L-100-20, c.n. 4250, N9266R, line number 66R
*Douglas DC-8, c.n. 45296, XA-LSA, leased in, Aeroleon, formerly registered N8027U [cite book
last = Endres
first = Günter G.
title = World Airline Fleets 1983
publisher = Aviation Data Centre, Feltham, Middlesex, 1982
page = 351, ISBN 0-946141-029.]

Although the CIA was ordered to divest its airlines in 1976, SAT continued to support US covert activities in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Angola, and elsewhere. On October 3, 1986 Nicaragua shot down a SAT C-123K, N4410FOmang, Joanne, and Wilson, George C., "Questions About Plane's Origins Grow", Washington Post, Washington, D.C., Thursday, October 9, 1986, pages A-1, A-32.] , formerly USAF 54-679 (c/n 20128), cargo plane and captured the cargo handler, a SAT employee Eugene Hasenfus, leading to the Iran-Contra affair. Two other crew were killed.

The airline declined during the 1990s. In late 1998 it tried to merge with other aviation companies, but it filed for bankruptcy on October 1, the same day that the CIA released a report detailing allegations that it had been used for drug trafficking.

On March 10, 1999, the assets of Southern Air Transport were purchased by Southern Air, owned by Carmit Neff (50%) and James Neff (50%), and the new carrier began operations in November, 1999.

For further flight information it is notable that Barry Seal used one of SAT´s planes while working with the CIA and U.S. DEA during his involvement in drug smuggling operations.

References

For further reading

*Former United States Attorney General William Barr was described as a Southern Air Transport employee in "Compromised", written by Terry Reed.
*Additional material on SAT can be found in "The CIA and the Cult of Intelligence", written by Victor Marchetti and John D. Marks, published in 1974. The CIA attempted to censor the book before publication, but a court case supported by the American Civil Liberties Union led to a federal judge restoring 171 of 339 edits demanded by the agency. (Publishers Note, frontispiece, Dell Publishing Company, Inc., New York, New York, ISBN 440-04698-175.)

ee also

*Air America
*Civil Air Transport
*Pegasus Aviation
*Rendition aircraft
*St. Lucia Airways
*Tepper Aviation

References