Two Royal Netherlands Air Force Allo's Now SA Residents
By Willie Bodenstein
11.01.2026
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The Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force is the military aviation and space branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. It was established in 1953 to succeed the Luchtvaartafdeeling of the Dutch Army, which dated back to 1913. In 2025, it was officially renamed the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force.
Between 1964 and 1965, the force received fifty SE3160 Alouette IIIs from Sud Aviation, later supplemented by twenty-seven Dutch licence-built examples. They served in observation, light transport, and Search and Rescue roles.
By the mid-1990s, most of these faithful Alouettes were withdrawn from service and sold to the air forces of Chad, Malta, and Pakistan, as well as to various civilian operators, technical schools, and museums. Only four airframes remained in Royal Netherlands service and were upgraded to SA316B status. During the upgrade, all four received a distinctive Royal Blue colour scheme to denote their role as VIP transport aircraft for the Dutch Royal Family.
Operating as the “Royal Flight / VIP Flight,” these four helicopters served members of the Dutch Royal Family, ministers, and other dignitaries. It was largely due to the Alouette's legendary reliability and the Queen's personal trust in the type that these helicopters remained in service as long as they did.
Today, two of these aircraft, A-275 and A-301, have found new homes in South Africa. Still wearing their final Dutch blue colours and serials, A-301 is now registered as ZU-RNP and based at Brakpan Airfield, while A-275, registered ZU-RIK, operates from Virginia Airport in Durban.
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Both owners have expressed their commitment to preserving the aircraft's historical authenticity and maintaining them in original condition - something aviation enthusiasts everywhere can appreciate.
I had the honour of witnessing the Brakpan-based example's homeward-bound flight from Johan Lock's Warbirds facility at Wonderboom, Pretoria, where it was assembled after its long journey from the Netherlands. Hopefully, we'll see both of these beautifully preserved Allo's gracing South African skies at future events.
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SAAF Museum Open Day 02 03 2024 Part One Flying 685
