N5810E BACK IN THE SKY

N5810E in North Texas after full restoration. January 2024

This 1959 Cessna 150 is Enrique René first airplane, the president and founder of Aviadores del Caribe.  It was René and his son Neftalí dream to work as A&Ps on the plane, but the plan changed when Neftalí "Kikito" passed away in 2019. N5810E was placed in storage and a dream put on hold. By 2021, the aircraft was no longer airworthy, and it became a restoration project, with a mission in mind.

N5810E disassembled ready to be shipped in a container to Tampa, FL

The journey began in Puerto Rico, N5810E was disassembled and shipped in a container to Jacksonville, FL. It was then trailered to Sarasota, FL where a good friend and colleague A&P, had also committed to save the Cessna 150 after hearing about it from Kikito.

That friend is Gilbert Perez, A&P and manager of Sarasota Avionics un Sarasota, Florida. Gilbert spent hundreds of hours working pro-bono in the airplane, and secured donations from Garmin Aviation to fully upgrade all the avionics in the airplane, and from Sarasota Avionics to do the installation and upgrade.

This project could have never been possible without Gilbert and all the amazing people involved from Sarasota Avionics. They put sweat and effort into N5810E, working all aspects of it, from the airframe, corrosion, power plant, paint, avionics... For that, Aviadores del Caribe will always be thankful.

In the spring of 2023, N5810E had its first milestone and longest flight in years, as it became one of the exhibit aircraft's at SUN 'n FUN Aerospace Expo 2023, where it became a focal point for many.

The airplane featured a before and after of the avionics upgrade, while keeping its "original" 1959 style, with modern equipment. It also became a meeting point for friends and followers of Aviadores del Caribe.

N5810E flying west over the Alabama-Mississippi border during the golden hour on its way to Jackson, MS

On December 2023, René flew the 1959 Cessna 150 over 950 nautical miles from Sarasota, FL to Fort Worth, TX, N5810E new home. This aircraft is so much more than his first airplane, it is a constant reminder of his son and embodies Aviadores del Caribe main goal, to provide all, the opportunity to truly experience the joy of flying. One of the initiatives that Aviadores has already embarked is to provide discovery flights to children and adults with the dream of flying. Pilots donate their time and cover fuel cost, while René provides the airplane, and honestly, most of the time René flies people himself.

Published: February 2, 2024

By: Aviadores Collaborator P-NF