Between 1978 and 1981 (at least), a complicated international triangulation allowed Colonel Gaddafi to keep his fleet of CH-47 and Lockheed C-130 helicopters in working order. At the center of the operations was the Officine Aeronavali company in Venice. A member of the Italian judiciary, as well as a US court, established: “Tencom also shipped parts to West Germany, with their ultimate destination being either Libya or Venice, Italy, where Libya had its C-130 fleet serviced at Aeronavali, an aircraft maintenance company. Aeronavali had agreed to repair the fleet of C-130s for the Libyan Air Force; however, Aeronavali would not supply the replacement parts. To obtain these parts, Luigi Scarpa, an Aeronavali employee, prepared lists of the needed replacement parts that he transmitted via telex to Colonel ElYazgi. ElYazgi would then order and obtain the airplane replacement parts.”
