Planes and stuff

Esta semana não havia nenhum registo que me estivesse a "piscar o olho" para foto da semana mas, ontem ontem dei de caras com umas fantásticas fotos de PBY Catalina, e lembrei-me deste velho registo, que fiz há já alguns anos, de um destes aparelhos, do Ejército del Aire, no Museu de Cuatro Vientos, nos arredores de Madrid.

Na altura, o aparelho já estava com um ar um tanto quanto maltratado, como é natural, num aparelho exposto no exterior, à mercê dos elementos. Entretanto, parece que em 2016 foi concluído um restauro no mesmo, após quase um ano de trabalhos (notícia e historial, AQUI)

Esta semana, um companheiro destas andanças do spotting e aviação que se dedica ao desenho de perfis (bastante bons, por sinal), pedia informações acerca dos De Havilland DH-89A Dragon Rapide da CTA - Companhia de Transportes Aéreos, pelo que lembrei-me de ver o que tinha deste tipo de aparelho...

Não são muitas nem nada de muito especial mas, como nunca tinha publicado nada deste aparelho, cá vão 3 registos, obtidos em Cuatro Vientos, Madrid e no Museu do Ar, em Sintra.


 Já agora, relativamente à CTA, fica o link para um blog bem interessante com alguns registos e história da mesma, AQUI

Tive hoje uma surpresa ao surgir-me no correio uma encomenda inesperada... Abrindo a coisa com curiosidade, deparei-me com um par de livros prometidos há alguns anos e já completamente esquecidos...pelo menos por mim...
Trata-se de um par de cópias do livro Volez, JETS en Patrulles / Flyning, Jet Teams, um livro fotográfico sobre diversas patrulhas acrobáticas e no qual colaborei com algumas fotos da Equipa Acrobática do Ejercito del Aire Espanhol, a Patrulla Águila, tiradas aquando do Portugal Air Show 2009, o último que se efectuou.




Poderão ver mais algumas foto desse dia AQUI

The posting on some FB aviation groups reminded me of sharing these pics on the A310 at Madeira.
It doesn't show every A310 I've caught but as far as I can remember it does represent each livery I managed to get around here ...
(got a few regs from TAP and Sata...)




Some Sata colors, in the A310...

Talking about publishing...looks like the Spanish Air Force (Eda) display team will be the theme on a new book to be published before the end of the year.... ;)


Check a few more pics HERE

The Canadair allways felt like a special plane for several reasons...its design, the fact of beeing an amphibian, its  mission and finally the fact that I had never seen any here before....

The first time I had the oportunity to photograph one of these was last year, an old CL-215 at Museu del Air, in Madrid.
It was really nice but it was missing the vibrance and power of a living plane...

Lets of hope that changes next week when, hopefully, there will be an oportunity to shoot a "living one" around here... wheter its a CL-215 or a 415...

This week arrived to Porto Santo a military Fokker 27.
It's quite a nice and diferent plane...
Yesterday, I was told it was making some touch&go's at Madeira's runway 23...unfortunately I was at Funchal and wasn't worth going there...it would be long gone before I arrived....

Anyway, it was more than time for a new Photo of the Week, so decided for a Spanish military theme this week.
A pic I hadn't realsed yet, regarding the Patrulla Águila display on Portugal Air Show 2009 (a very nice display, by the way....)
You can check some more pics of that display HERE

Just saw a vídeo of a display made by a German Air Force F-4 that was pretty nice!
Check it HERE

The Phantom was allways a plane that filled my imagination, specially due to its roll in Vietname.
It was one big and beautifull plane and those twin engines roaring in the air just made it more beautifull.

Unfortunatelly never had the oportunity to be near one of them.
I still would like to see one of them flying live but for now, it was really nice to be near a couple of them last easter vacations (actually it was in easter day....beats going to church, for sure...)

Carrying on with the spirit of this week's photo, it's a good time to share a couple of pics of another old bird from Museu del Aire.
Aerofenix is also restoring to flight state one of these birds, an ex-PoAF T-6G (1635).

This type has also some special meaning to me, specially due to its connection to one of my first "mentors" regarding aviation: Capt. João Vidal, that flew these at Portuguese colonial wars and had a special interest in it.

There are some planes that allways have been on a special place of my imagination since I can remember.
Many of them I'm pretty sure I'll only see them in photographs or videos...
But very recently I had the oportunity to be near some of those beauties...some (the protected ones) were looking great, some (the ones on the outside...) weren't looking that good but, it was still a great oportunity to finally be side by side and apreciate the details on those old birds....

I'll be sharing from time to time some pics.
For today, the Catalina...
Allways had an interest in hidros and the Catalina has a pretty amazing look, and some great stories, since the times of WWII....

The display of the Spanish Air Force aerobatic team, the "Patrulla Águila" was one of the most expected for me and I certainly didn't get disapointed with their exibition.

Already had had a glimpse of their display on the friday trainings but the weather was quite crappy and they were backlit...

On Sunday, the weather and light were just perfect.
Ended up shooting a lot to these guys.
So, here's Part1 of their display....

Finally I get these online...

It's the photos I managed to took from the Spanish Air Force A310 that brought the Kings of Spain to the visit to our Archipelago.
They stayed a couple of days at Madeira and then came to Porto Santo, for a quick visit and lunch, before leaving.

Was expecting this one as I had missed the day they made the trainings at Madeira and never had photographed a military A310...

Very short final to runway 36...




Some local ocasional spotters...

Cleared for take off...

Yesterday was the big miss of the month (and probably the year) for me.
There was an A310 from Ejercito del Aire (Spanish Air Force) training some touch & Go's here at Madeira.

It should be related with the visit of the Kings of Spain, in the end of the month.
Maybe they'll be coming with that plane...anyway I won't be around then so even if they come in the A310 I'll miss it again....

Jorge Abreu managed to get it and has already a couple of pics online:
http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.php?id=860347

and ilustrating the spotting report at our (Madeira Spotters) webpage, HERE.