29 de dezembro de 2012

Closing Spotting Season 2012

And there it is, the last plane spotting day of 2012, at least for me.
Unfortunately there wasn't any last hour surprise traffic, like an A310 or B767 or something more eye catching than the regular airplanes that we are used to have in this part of the world. Yet the regular traffic together with the sunny weather and the company of fellow spotters was even better than a different traffic movement.

LN-NGD / Boeing 737-8JP/W / Norwegian Air Shuttle

CS-TTQ / Airbus 319-111 / TAP Air Portugal

D-AIZK / Airbus 320-214 / Lufthansa

D-AIZH / Airbus 320-214 / Lufthansa

CS-TRD / De Havilland Canada 8-402 Dash 8 / SATA Air Açores

LN-NGA / Boeing 737-8JP/W / Norwegian Air Shuttle

CS-AIC / Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee C / Aeroclube da Madeira (Air Club)

CS-TNQ / Airbus 320-214 / TAP Air Portugal

LPMA - Tower and apron overview
On the apron from left to right; CS-TTQ, F-HBAO, LN-NGA.

G-EZTG / Airbus 320-214 / easyJet



27 de dezembro de 2012

Air Berlin's Santa Claus Tour 2012


After last year lapse made by Air Berlin, by not sending the Santa Claus Tour 2011 to LPMA / FNC, unexpectedly and after some expectation, finally Madeira Island had the opportunity to see Air Berlin's Christmas 'logo-jet' 2012 version.

Last year's version.
D-ABMC / Boeing 737-86J/W / Air Berlin
This year's version.
D-ABMJ / Boeing 737-86J/W / Air Berlin
Friendly crew waving to the spotters.

And some traffic of this morning.
CS-TJF / Airbus 321-211 / TAP Air Portugal

F-GZHV / Boeing 737-85H / Transavia France

D-ABOL / Boeing 757-330/W / Condor
D-AICL / Airbus 320-214 / Condor 
N228RM / Mooney M-20K 252 / Private

3 de novembro de 2012

Holidays Czech Airlines, Lufthansa, and Other Traffic

After being away from plane spotting for almost two and half months due to technical problems with my Sigma 50-500, and after repairing the lens, today I went till FNC/LPMA to catch some of the Saturday traffic under a windy, grey and rainy weather. The highlight for me was the A320 from Holidays Czech Airlines and Lufthansa. The later started operations to FNC a few weeks ago but yet a first for me, at least in FNC.

OK-HCB / Holidays Czech Airlines / Airbus 320-214
After checking the registration history I found that I've already photographed this one while it was flying in First Choice fleet with registration G-OOPX / G-OOAX.

D-AIZK / Lufthansa / Airbus 320-214

D-AIZH / Lufthansa / Airbus 320-214

Now the come of the other traffic on this Saturday afternoon.
LN-NOH / Norwegian Air Shuttle / Boeing 737-86N/W

OE-LBD / Austrian Airlines / Airbus 321-211
Nice to see the Austrian Airlines again.

G-EZFZ / easyJet / Airbus 319-111

D-ABDR / Air Berlin / Airbus 320-214

CS-TTD / TAP Air Portugal / Airbus 319-111
Amadeo de Souza Cardoso jet blasting the water off the runway as it starts the takeoff roll.

30 de julho de 2012

FNC - OPO - ORY


''Closed for vacations''.
Unfortunately this next month the blog won't be updated due to my vacations at Paris. But if I catch something interesting around here (aviation related), I assure that it will be published here.
My flight to Paris was last Saturday 28th and it was performed by Transavia's F-GZHB which turned to be my first flight on a B738.For this reason here's a report of my flight from Madeira Island(FNC) to Paris Orly(ORY) with a stop at Porto(OPO).

I arrived at the airport around one hour and twenty five minutes before the ETD and made the check-in where I asked for a seat at the window.
After the check-in a few tours around the terminal and a visit to the balcony, to watch the arrival of the airplane that would take me till ORY, it was time to board.
I arrive to the airplane and I see seat 2F and I ask my self what is that, not that the seats were bad but because it was the first row of seats on the starboard side, so you are facing a bulkhead the all trip, but well at least it was at the window.

View from my seat a few minutes before departure.
Porto Santo Island after our departure from FNC and now heading to OPO.
 One of the many cloudy views FNC-OPO
About one hour and forty minutes after our departure we arrive to OPO, where the smog didn't allowed a better view of the landscape. Notice Douro River and the Arrábida Bridge.
After landing at OPO we taxied till the stand. Everyone that were coming to OPO left the airplane, the other passengers remained in the aircraft. And before the passengers, that were traveling from OPO to ORY boarded the airplane, the hand luggage was verified by the crew.

Some bizjets parked at OPO
One of the many Ryanair's.
Everyone aboard and time for the last leg of the flight OPO-ORY, another hour and forty five minutes of flight.
A cumulonimbus cloud at the distance, probably over Spain.
Entering France with a view of Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie.
View over the Loire river. 
And now time for the approach to Orly Airport.
View of an area dedicated to RC cars and airplanes.
It's confirmed it's Paris, Eiffel Tower in the center of the frame.
There's no photos of the landing, but here's two of the taxi till the gate.
A B744 from Corsairfly (F-HSEA) and a CRJ1 from Britair (F-GRJN)
And Orly control tower.
Overall it was a great flight which was even greater due to the airplane being a B738. Very comfortable and in my opinion wiyh a bit more soundproofing cabin than the A319/A320. A bit awkward was the arming mechanism of the door escape slides, but every maker makes it the way it thinks it's better.
And there's the report, till next month.