Planes and stuff

 An overview at Madeira Airport (FNC/LPMA), with a TAP A320 landing on runway 23 and a TAP Express Embraer holding short off runway 23, on taxyway Bravo Despite the general bad quality of the pic, trought the window, it was quite a beautiful day and an amazingly calm sea where even the airport columns were reflecting...

 No próximo domingo, dia 31 de dezembro, aproveitando os últimos voos de treino do ano, um avião C-295M sobrevoará o Arquipélago da Madeira, enquanto outro C-295M percorrerá as ilhas do grupo central e oriental do Arquipélago dos Açores. Também em Portugal continental, dois caças F-16M cruzarão os céus. Tratam-se de voos previstos para treinar e manter as capacidades dos nossos militares, necessárias à execução das missões operacionais. Através destas missões, a Força Aérea deseja a todos um feliz 2024 ao mesmo tempo que expressa o seu compromisso contínuo em proteger e servir Portugal, 24h por dia, durante todo o ano. Os locais e horários exatos dos voos podem ser encontrados nas imagens em anexo. Por razões meteorológicas e operacionais, os voos podem ser sujeitos a alterações. Fonte: Força Aérea Portuguesa Adaptação: Blog Planes&Stuff... Imagens: Força Aérea Portuguesa

Departing from Madeira, with a nice view of the island, possible due to the fact that it went south quite a bit, after take-off, probably due to traffic separation. In the original size it's visible Pico do Areeiro radar and the wind towers of Paúl da Serra...

For today, some images of Madeira's natural pools of Porto Moniz...well worth the visit, if you are coming to Madeira...if not...well...maybe it's time to consider that ;)     Helder has a youtube channel with plenty of aerial views of Portugal...check it HERE

This Week, the highlighted photo won't be regarding planes. It's a landscape of my beautiful island: Madeira. I'm not much of landscaper but around here you can find some really nice spots for the landscapers, for the ones looking for a bit of adrenaline with mountain and water sports and also for those looking just to relax... Balcões...as beautifull as ever Last week, the news went crazy about the fires raging here in Madeira but, things have returned to normal and opposite for what it might have sounded, the all island didn't burn all the way...there are isssues to be resolved but that will be affecting the locals and very little or none on the visitors... Check the Visit Madeira youtube channel, HERE

Faz hoje 3 anos que ocorreu a terrível tempestade que ficou conhecida na Madeira pelo "20 de Fevereiro"... 3 Anos que podem até já ser algum tempo mas, que sinceramente não sei se foi tempo suficiente para mudar alguma coisa (ou se o que mudou, mudou para melhor...) Gostaria de pensar que sim, que as mentes e atitudes melhoraram que algo foi aprendido mas, infelizmente, tenho a sensação que não, mesmo que as consequências disso apenas venham a sentir-se novamente de forma tão terrível, quando a Natureza assim o quiser...

Here's a fantastic video made by Mathieu Hervé, a French tourist that visited us last September... A must see, specially if you're thinking about visiting us... Enjoy! MADEIRA ISLANDS // SEPT. 2012 from mat H. on Vimeo .

Have you met Madeira? Are you a canyoning fan? Even if you're not, definitely worths to have a look...

Passaram-se 2 anos desde o 20 de Fevereiro...

Yesterday the snow kept falling all day long in the higher peaks of Madeira (and also in some lower locations where snow  is quite unusual)... By the end of the afternoon, a lot of people was caught in surprise with the intensity of the snow fall and was unable the return back, so Emergency services had to go to the rescue of the people (almost 70 cars had to be abandoned in the middle of the snow....) Fortunatelly everything went ok and no casualties are reported... This morning took some shots from São Martinho and Pico dos Barcelos, on the upper Funchal... The view from the front of my daughter's kindergarden... A lot more white than usual...

For the first time, the Photo of the Week is not aircraft related... I guess no explanations needed.... Just a word of friendship and support for all that lost their related or belongings in this fatidical weekend.... Donations for the victims can be made to the BANIF account: International Transfers through IBAN: PT50.0038.0040.50070070771.11 (code Swift BNIFPTPL ) You can check the Banks page on this HERE ---------- //---------- Após a tragédia que se abateu sobre a Madeira, o Banif disponibilizou uma conta de solidariedade para com as vítimas do temporal da Madeira. Assim, pode realizar a sua contribuição para a " Conta Solidariedade para com as vítimas da Madeira " através de: Depósito na conta nº 00 / 50070070 Transferência Bancária utilizando o NIB: 0038.0040.50070070771.11 Transferências Internacionais através do IBAN: PT50.0038.0040.50070070771.11 (código Swift BNIFPTPL ) Ver página do Banco AQUI

Last 25th June, Binter made an importante marketing operation around here: It baptized one of its ATR-72 after our island: "Madeira". The plane: EC-KGJ , oposite to what some press said is not a new plane (it's not old...but it's not brand new and it's not even new on the airline...) The plane was received on arrival with a salute bath, from the Airport's Fire Department. The first time I saw a "bath" on a propeller plane...nice effect on the propeller blades... A salute from the F/O to the Madeira Spotters Arriving at the stand Alpha 5. Exceptionally was parked by side. Ususally it parks by nose in (as every other plane) and pushes back reversing engines... Preparing the things... As you can see, by the door, it's operated by Naysa, also in red, on the back, the alert for the position of the flight recorders... aka Black Boxes. Ready for the cerimony. Hum...will that cargo door remain open?? Unveiling the plane's name...and yes, the cargo do...