94th AeroClaims-Aviation Consulting Group and the City of Fort Lauderdale North American F-86H Saber Jet Project

Shown from Left to Right is Mr. Ran Meriam former President of the Air Force Association (AFA) Gold Coast Chapter and Ms. Catherine Smallwood with Mr. Benny F. Benitez of the 94th ACG and members of the Miami AFA Chapter, the 317th

F-86H Sabre USAF s/n 53-1255 as it sits

at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (KFXE)

awaiting restoration and repairs

Damaged caused to F-86H Sabre USAF s/n 53-1255

as a result of 2005 Hurricane Wilma

Fort Lauderdale, Florida December 12th 2008: Elements of the 94th AeroClaims-Aviation Consultig Group (94th ACG), which included their Founder & CEO, Mr. Benny F. Benitez, Ms. Catherine Smallwood, Director of Flight Ops / Chief pilot and Mr. Roosevelt Viana, Director of Latin American (Brazil)-(not photographed) linked up with Mr. Ran Meriam (shown above) at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (KFXE) to survey F-86H s/n 53-1255 for the possible undertaking upon successful bid and awarding by the City of Fort Lauderdale toward repairing the aircraft.

A veteran of the United States Air Force (USAF), s/n 53-1255 survived 15 years of active flying service only to succumb to damages caused by Hurricane Wilma back in 2005. The 94th ACG is to spearhead a 2009 community project to get this USAF veteran back to its former glory. The 94th ACG is to rally the South Florida aviation community and local aviation schools to assist in this worth wild project and closely work with the City of Fort Lauderdale.

A great deal of appreciation is owed to Mr. Duncan Curtis an F-86 Historian and who run a proper website dedicated to the F-86 (F-86. tripod.com) and who is reachable via (DunxC@aol.com). Through Mr. Ducan the following history of s/n 53-1255 has been noted, its reads as follows:

1. F-86H-10 built as serial number 53-1255 under USAF contract number 203-27, assembled at the North American plant located in Columbus, Ohio.

2. Delivered to the USAF on 25th February 1955

3. Its first active service was with the 474th Fighter Bomber Group based at Clovis A.F.B, New Mexico on 25th February 1955

4. Last active squadron service was with the 104th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS) later becoming the 104th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS) based out of Martin Field, Maryland with the Maryland Air National Guard (ANG)

In between the above duty assignments, s/n 53-1255 served with the 2584th, 142nd, 138th, 119th and the 177th USAF squadrons. Finally in 1971, the aircraft was donated to the City of Fort Lauderdale were it has been on display since.