Planes and stuff

 After last week's Condor special livery, another Condor for the Photo of the Week, this time in blue...` Fits really nice against the blue and green of Madeira. A320 D-AICI, arriving from Munich Just out of curiosity, another shot of D-AICI, more than 10 years ago, with another kind of blue livery, and already with Condor (/Thomas Cook) titles...15.Jan.2015 (and D-AIAD on the back):

 Not the best photo of the day but, don't get B753 with Condor/Thomas Cook hybrid livery that many times, these days.... Also, first pic I publish of this reg. on the blog... D-ABOB departing from runway 05, to Dusseldorf...

As already expected, Thomas Cook went down...unfurtunatelly they didn't managed to get the required funding and shut down the operations... Regarding the airlines of the group, Thomas Cook UK was also shutdown and Thomas Cook Scandinavia has suspended operations...some still say there's a probability that the Scandinavian airline will resume activity...I guess we'll have to wait and see... Condor, a major airline flying to Madeira, for now as kept flying, and annouced it was seeking a government-backed bridging loan to preserve liquidity after the collapse of associated tour operator Thomas Cook...let's hope that works out... Regarding Thomas Cook Balearics..it looks like it's still flying also, for now... Thomas Cook UK A321 G-TCDM on final to runway 05, September 2018: Thomas Cook Balearics A320 EC-MTJ on final to runway 05, April 2018: Thomas Cook Scandinavia A321 OK-TVA landing on runway 23, back in November 2011 Thomas Cook with the "r...

Last Tuesday we got the info that something unusual could came for some training so, as I had the time, went to the airport to try my luck. Wouldn't be a missed trip anyway as I still hadn't got any Smartwings and Norwegian B737MAX nor had got any Novair this season.... The expected traffic for the training didn't came after all and the weather/light wasn't that good, specially near the lunch time but tryed to get some decend pics for the record... Unfortunatelly...Norwegian decided not to bring the MAX on that day so, still missing that one... Anyway, one can notice the renewall of the fleets as, from the traffic I got that morning, many were NEO or MAX ... Smartwings OK-SWF arriving from Warsow Novair A321NEO SE-RKB, arriving from Gothenburg This season, Novair has been coming with both A321NEO's, Recently, the other A321NEO (SE-RKA) had an incident ..Check HERE So, I guess we won't be seeing it around here anytime soon...this SmartLynx ...

Thomas Cook Scandinavia OY-VKB and Cimber OY-MRG Back to 2010, a pic I hadn't published yet, with a couple of Scandinavian planes: Thomas Cook Scandinavia A321 OY-VKB and Cimber Sterling B738 OY-MRG taxiiing on the back, Loved the Cimber Sterling livery with that retro look...unfortunatelly, was another one that went down a couple of years after this shot, in 2012. OY-MRG is currently flying with Southwest Airlines as N7836A

Another batch of pics from the day of the visit of the Portugal Spotters at Madeira: The arrival and departure of Travel Service B738 OK-TVS... landing on runway 05 tails on the apron, not as blue as it used to be on monday mornings--- Meanwhile, the runway changed and the take-off was from runway 23

Long time waited, finally got, this week, the Thomas Cook "I Love Cook's Club" special livery. With the sun coming on and off, was lucky enought to make a few shots with a bit of sun shinning on the plane while on short final to runway 05, from Manchester. A321 G-TCDV...the main color reminds me of a plane still on primary, but it looks nice. Taxiing to runway 05, on the flight back to Manchester

Thomas Cook UK A321 G-TCDM on final to runway 05, from Manchester An unexpected catch, this morning, on a quick stop at the cargo terminal zone. Haven't caught many Thomas Cook UK planes lately so, any of it would be nice.. Turned out it was carrying ILoveMCR titles...nothing to extravagant but still, a diferent touch on the regular livery...

Back to last month, from the same day of Easyjet's Berlin livery (OE-IZQ, check HERE ), the departure of Condor's A321 D-AIAD, from runway 23

From the day we got Brussels Smurfs (check HERE), a shot that ilustrates how nice it is this spotting location. The "rampas" This is 1 of 2 local roads behind the airport, with public access and a great view, (on the afternoon, for photographing) over Madeira's airport apron, runway 05 landing's or runway 23 take-off's Google Maps :  32.692648, -16.782913

Yeah...I know it's a corny title... ;) Anyway, just as Thomas Cook Uk resumed its flights to Madeira I tought of getting this one. After all, allways liked Monarch's livery (specially on the A321) and (in my opinion) this hybrid livery looks a lot better than the regular Thomas Cook one.... Despite the good weather a few km from the airport, at LPMA it was dark and raining... Didn't managed to get the landing but, still managed a quick touch&go of my own for its departure... G-TCVB (former Monarch's G-ZBAE) pushing back to ruway 05 Departure with the beacons :) Not too shiny but still, hardly ever get them, so it's nice enough :)

This summer season, Thomas Cook started using a Thomas Cook Balearic A320 for one of its flights from Germany to Madeira. It's definitely something diferent around here, a Thomas Cook with spanish registration :) EC-MTJ on final to runway 05 After getting it for the first time with the cell phone, while gettting out of my plane, now some "decent" shots of it :) entering the stand with one of the hilights of the day on the back, Brussels "Smurfs" special livery, for the first time at Madeira. Check HERE

The last couple of days the sun's been shining at Madeira but, for now, an Aigle Azur shot from a rainy day... A320 F-HFUL departing from runway 23, back to France. Down on the apron, a Thomas Cook Belgium that stayed overnight due to crew rest time. The passengers were flown out of Madeira by a Condor 321 that came to Madeira on purpose.

Yesterday morning started as a dull day so, decided to try out some pannings on runway 05 take-offs... 2 out of 3 planes it's not bad (at least for me...), even if only 1 shot per plane turned out ok on these 1/25 pannings: Thomas Cook Belgium A320 OO-TCH, departing to Brussels Monarch A321 G-OZBG

Back from August 2015, a pic I hadn't published of Condor's special livery D-AICC, landing on runway 23:

Already said more than once that I love when runway 23 is in use...last monday was one of those days... When planes take off on the right spot, not too early, you can get some really nice background... SAS B737 LN-RNW taking off from runway 23, with a colorful apron on the back with Transavia, Luxair, British Airways and Thomas Cook Belgium....

Lately, flights from Brussels have been coming from other Belgium airports, while BRU is closed so, remembered to publish the landing of OO-TCT, from Thomas Cook Belgium, arriving from Brussels, back in February.... End of the afternoon...1/60 shot....

For many spotters (if not all...) it's interesting to follow the life of planes...their registrations, airlines, countries, etc... Last September photographed a Thomas Cook Belgium A320 with a registration that I had never seen, despite the old colors...OO-TCX Landing on runway 05 After some checking, realised that it was indeed a common visitor around here..with another registration and titles of another Thomas Cook Group airline: D-AICI, from german Condor... Here, with german registration and Condor titles earlier in 2015 (January) starting the taxi to runway 05 whit another Condor (A321 D-AIAD) on the back, already with new colors and sharklets

This one stayed at Madeira for a few days... Dassault Falcon 2000LX PH-CTH during night-stop Monday morning, rush-hour with Easyjet's A320 G-EZWP holding short of runway 05 while Thomas Cook Scandinavia A321 OY-TCF lands on that runway

On a rainy day, nothing better than retrieve some memories on the sunny days... One that I still hadn't publish on the blog, despite is back from 2009 (June, 12th): Thomas Cook Belgium OO-TCI with the Mega Mindy special livery landing at runway 05 with that fantastic afternoon light....