Bolivia’s El Alto (SLLP) airport used to be one of the busiest propliner spots in South America; despite the altitude, the unforgiving weather and otherwise harsh operating conditions; old-timer piston and turboprop pilots and their aircraft edged a living transporting all types of cargo to and from this location.

At its highest commercial point, up to twenty cargo companies were based in La Paz, while each company may have had only a few aircraft and perhaps ran for less than a year, they still managed to mark a place in Bolivian aviation history. What remains of that heyday is very much worth preserving; the aircraft and infrastructure that dot the area of the airport could very well be the basis for a new Bolivian Aviation Museum.

The Air Force also has a very important presence in this installation, the main transport unit of FAB, the Grupo Aéreo 72 or Transporte Aéreo Militar as its better known; has its base here and many of its retired aircraft rest on open storage in the immediate vicinity.

In this collection of photos we catalogue what remains of that material –both civil and military-; each aircraft is presented with an individual history, current photos and a geographical marker to facilitate visitors review.

 ►Click on the icons to see larger photos and aircraft descriptions (clockwise) ◄

Haga click en los íconos para ver las descripciones por avión

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