Planes and stuff

Today would by Niki Lauda, F1 pilot and aviation entrepeneur (and also pilot) birthday... A memory back to 2004 of Lauda Air B737 OE-LNJ arriving to runway 05 (August, 23rd)

  Was cheking some info on Sunclass planes and remembered to go back in time on my archives, to check some of Sunclass "grandpa" MyTravel shots I had taken... An interesting one, back from February 2007...MyTravel A320 OY-VKS arriving at the stand with a couple First Choice Airways (gone into Thomson Airways and now TUI Airways), another MyTravel, an Austrian (also gone...) and TAP's A320 CS-TNG (stored since December 2020...) Also, the handling company that is working on the FCA (TRIAM) is also gone... Things do change a lot in time and now more than ever on these last years, things are due to change...let's hope for the best for all the people and companies related with aviation and traveling...

Niki Lauda died yesterday... I guess no presentations are needed for the amazing man... The only of its airlines that hasn't (still) been around here was the most recent Lauda Motion... A few shots to remember... Lauda Air B737 OE-LNO, back in 2004 One of the few airlines that ever flew the Embraer to Madeira...Embraer ERJ-190LR OE-IHD (a registration now used by one of Lauda Motion's A320...This Embraer is now flying as HB-JVL at Helvetic) A321 OE-LES, June 2016 A320 OE-LER, April 2013

For this post, a pic back from 2004 (May, 3rd)... A Lauda Air B734 lining up on runway 05: Made it's first flight in 1993, left Lauda Air in 2005 (according to Airfleets was stored in 2003 but...that should be a mistake or at least it wasn't stored until 2005, once I got it flying in 2004... Currently in ASL Airlines, after a few changes during these last years...

Back to 2008 (August, 18th) a pic that I still hadn't published in the blog: Which's the only airline in the pic that's still operating? ;) First Choice A320 G-OOPX (now operating for SmartWings as OK-HCB) departing from 05 with a Lauda Air holding short off runway 05. In the back XL (UK) and TAP are in the apron....and I guess no doubts on which is the airline still operating... :)

For no reason, I choose this pic for this Week's Photo. It's a gonner and honestly, I think that Austrian livery looks a lot better than this one... A few years from now, I'll probably be feeling some nostalgy regarding this livery but, not yet.... Lauda Air OE-LNO, taxiing to the apron at FNC/LPMA Madeira Airport...

Last Monday, I managed to get OE-LNS, the first B737-800 in full Austrian livery! It was the first time it came to Madeira with this livery, which, by the way looks really nice and way better than the old Lauda livery. Had to run like hell to get it and arrived at the terminal's balcony just as it was entering the stand... The shadowed "www" in the backgound of the "Austrian.com" gives a nice touch to the engine... Was already outside the terminal when I noticed that the Cimber Sterling was also arriving, which is allways a nice catch, so went back to the balcony. This livery is really nice and nostalgic.... ...and a bit of a wider open shot so you can see the other new stuff of the day... Did you see it? No clue of what I'm talking about? Well, it's the new "Follow Me" car....hehe! It's the first time I see it.... Looks real nice!

Well, looks like I'm a little bit nostalgic so here's another shot that I just found: It was taken 2006 and it was lost deep down on my photo folders...;) Can you tell me how many of those airlines still exist or maintain its name and colors? ... Stuff does change...and it was only 3 years ago...