The plane CU-T1294 by Cubana de Aviación, which was kidnapped in 2003, has been turned into collectible badges in the United States.
The aircraft is a Antonov AN-24RV who became sadly famous, not for his service in the Cuban aviation, but for being the victim of a dramatic kidnapping, carried out by the pilot Adermis Wilson González, to escape communism in Cuba.
The act of air piracy culminated in the landing of the iconic plane in Key West, Florida. Following the incident, the pilot was imprisoned and his plane was abandoned until it was acquired by MotoArt, an American company specialized in preserving aircraft parts with notable stories.
MotoArt has transformed the casing of this aircraft into PlaneTags, tags that capture a tangible fragment of aviation history.
"Each tag is a piece of history, offering fans and collectors the opportunity to own a piece of aeronautical heritage," explained a MotoArt representative.
These metal plates are especially significant given the plane's dramatic past. Adermis Wilson González, 54 and confined to a wheelchair, spent two decades in a federal prison in South Carolina.
At the end of his sentence, instead of being released, he was transferred to a detention center in Stewart, Georgia, managed by the Department of Immigration and Border Control (ICE), facing the possibility of being deported to Cuba.
In their fight to remain in the United States, the only legal option was to request protection under the Convention against Torture, a benefit for individuals at risk of being returned to countries that claim them. The option of political asylum was not available to him due to his conviction for air piracy.
The plane Antonov AN-24RV For a time it was used in the United States for the training of professionals who offer first aid in aeronautics.
The collectible badges made from the aircraft's fuselage have a value of around $45. They will be a reminder of one man's countless challenges to achieve freedom.
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