AEROTRANSTORNADOS Nº54

Barrô, Águeda
Continued presence of FIAT G.91R/4 5403, noted on the 1th July 2019.

Beja (BA11)
Noted from September 2019, as another adition to the gate guard collection, Alphajet A FAP nº15229 (c/n 0091; wxWGAF 40+91).

Bragança (castle)
The tower of the castle of Bragança, houses a small military museum that includes a single aviation relic, the tail fin and most part of the propeller of an Aeronáutica Militar aircraft. The photo and the notes near by it, refer to a crash landed Potez 25A2, AM no.9, that occurred somewere near the city on the 21st July 1932.  
However I was called to reason by friend of mine that this is actually part of a Avro 504, the vertical tail plane and a broken propeller. Why the two are together it’s a mistery to me ... any thoughts?

Bragança (airfield)
Confirmed presence of Lockheed T-33A FAP no.1922 (USAF s/n 56-1624, c/n 9974).

Chaves (airfield)
The Aero Club de Chaves maintains at it’s car park entrance the Lockheed T-33AN no.1952 (c/n T33-278; RCAF 21228) noted on 14 November 2019.

Famalicão 
At the local Museu da Guerra Colonial, noted the presence of SE.3160 Alouette III FAP no.19314 (s/n 1621), on loan from the Museu do Ar. l/n 14Sept2019

Horta de Numão
Still current the FIAT G.91R/3 30+80, noted on the 1th July 2019.

Maceda (AM1)
Noted during a visit on the 31stJanuary2019
Gate Guard – A-7P nº15504
Esquadra 501 C-130’s 16805 + 16806-
SAR Alert – Esquadra 552 SE.3160 nº 19376 + 19401
Museu do Ar a/c – Piper Cub nº 3208, MH Broussard nº3301, Chipmunk nº1305, Auster D.5 nº 3548, T-6G nº1769 (being rebuilt), FTB-337G nº 13710, T-37C nº2427, G.91R/3 nº5452, T-38A nº2608, C-212 nº16503, TA-7P nº15545, Alphajet nº15246 Alouette II A13.

Mirandela 
Displayed in a garden next to the local building of INATEL, since 21.9.1999, is Cessna T-37C FAP no.2422 (c/n 40747; s/n 62-5947) in Asas de Portugal c/s, l/n 13 November 2019.

Monte Real (BA5)
29June2019 – Força Aérea Portuguesa’s 67th anniversary air show included,
Gate Guards: ‘15150’ F-16A, 15524 A-7P, 5301 F-86F (old gate)
Static display (base collection): 5347 F-86F, 5454 G.91R/3, 1918 T-33A, 2609 T-38A, 15521 A-7P,
Static display: 15104 F-16AM, 19608 EH-101, 1316 DHC1, 14113 TB.30, 19401 SE.3160, 29701 AW119Kx, 16706 C-295M, 16801 C-130H-30
Maintenance hangars contained: 15102, 15105, 15106, 15115, 15119, 15131, 15132, 15133, and 15142. 
Note that with F-16AM 15105, on main hangar, was the trophies Silver Tiger and Tiger Spirit, won by Esquadra 301 Jaguares on display!
Air display sequence:
. QRA F-16A’s 15107, 15112 (simulating  a sortie in pursuit of a inidentified a/c);
. C-295M 16703 landed to transport the Army’s Falcões Negros parachute team:
. the two QRA F-16’s arrived escorting the unidentified a/c [C-295M (16707) with the FAP Chief of Staff and party] ;
. Falcões Negros demo (carrying the national Flag and FAP Flag);
. flyby of Falcon 50 17402 escorted by the 2 QRA F-16’s
. Yakstars display (a/c SP-YAH/Fernando Marinho, SP-YAL/Jorge Fachadas)
. C-295M demo
. Marche Vert demo, CAP 232 a/c CN-ABT/1, CN-ABR/2, CN-ABW/3, CN-ABV/4, CN-ABQ/5, CN-ABU/6, CN-ABP/7, [reserve a/c CN-ABX/9 , support a/c CN-235 CN-AMB]
. helicopter flyby with AW119Kx 29702, SE.3160 19376, EH-101 19608
. EH-101 demo (19608)
. Ejercito del Aire - Team ASPA display : HE.25-3/78-22, HE.25-7/78-26, HE.25-4/78-23, HE.25-11/782-11, HE.25-6/78-25 [reserve a/c HE.25-1/78-20]
. C-130H demo (a/c 16805)
. TB.30 demo (a/c 14103, 14111, 14114, 14118)
. F-16 flyby/demo (a/c 15101, 15108, 15110, 15118)

Aditional movements: a couple of F-16’s flew in the morning a training mission, a/c 15101 and 15108. Also the 3 Yak-52 from Yakstars Aerobatic Team performed a practice run before the airshow  (a/c’s SP-YEL/Cerveira Pinto, SP-YEL/Jorge Fachadas, SP-YAH/Fernando Marinho).
Aditionaly: ‘15100’ F-16A n/n (temporary exhibition in Viseu); fuselage and wings of 5320 F-86 noted in hangar near Gate.

Palhais, Trancoso
Still present here is the FIAT G.91R/3 5474 on the 1th July 2019.

Vila  Real (airfield)
Current noted on the 1th July 2019, FIAT G.91R/3 5470, and again on the 13th November.

Viseu (airfield)
The FIAT G.91R/4 5408 was restored to a new life, a FAP/Museu do Ar team restored it in June. Noted 1 July 2019.

Viseu (city)
Força Aérea Portuguesa commemorated it’s 67th anniversary in the city of Viseu, thus many events were held here all during the week before the 1st of July. The official ceremony parade and air display took place on the actual day, and included passages of several aircraft formations, first a four ship formation (F-16’s – 15107/QRA, 15112/QRA, 15141 lead a/c, 15101), after a three ship formation lead by a C-130H with a C-295M and a C-295MPA as wing planes , after another time the 4 F-16’s in a diamond formation, ending with a seven ship formation with the C-130H (leader) + 2 C-295’s + 4 F-16’s.   
The exhibition of FAP activities took place at the local Multiusos pavilion from 27th ? June, and included the following a/c: ‘15100’ F-16A (dep. BA5 on the 21th June), 15247 Alphajet A, SE.3160 19377 plus  Blanik 12101.
Museu do Ar SE.3130 Alouette II (A13, exBAF), was displayed in the locar Ice Palace shopping center.

Elsewere…

Touring through the central part of Galicia (Spain), on the 7th September 2019, picked up a few a/c, some operational and some wrecks&relics,
Vigo (airport) - Local resident w&r Cessna Ce421B EC-CDD (s/n 421B-0348) in one of the roundabouts.
Noted on tarmac: EC-JET Sikorsky S-76C of Guarda Costas “Pesca 2” (s/n 76-0578); EC-IGM Eurocopter AS365N3 of Aduanas/Agencia Tributaria, plus Bombardier CRJ-1000 reg.9H-MOX of Binter Canarias.
Santiago de Compostela (airport)
Local w&r at the entrance of the military section of the airport is SA-330J Puma HD.19-08 (c/n1307).
Noted on the military taxiway: Eurocopter EC-135T2 HU.26-07/ET-195 UME (s/n 0557); and Grupo 43 Canadair CL-215T’s UD.13-25/43-25/1119 and UD.13-30/43-30/1125, this last departed shortly after (noted North from Santiago, flying over the highway in the direction of a Coruña airport).
Noted also: Aer Lingus A320-200 EI-DEN.

Later on, on the 15th November, in Salvaterra do Miño – still present at SEGANOSA[http://www.seganosa.com/], the MiG-17 that has been noted here since 1998. The aircraft is painted in the livery of the Soviet AF, wearing the nº31. According to EMOOS the aircraft is exBulgarian AF nº31 (c/n 1194, Bulgarian "triangle number" 21-7207). Aircraft visible from the outside but if asked one can go inside and take better pictures.
Post on Pássaro de Ferro.

Thanks to: André Carvalho; Fábio Acuña; Pedro “Pugachev”; SEGANOSA; Manuel Pacheco; Andy Marden;

AEROTRANSTORNADOS Nº49

AEROTRANSTORNADOS Nº49

Alcafozes
Confirmed presence of Cessna T-37C nº 2423, at Nossa Senhora do Loreto chapel groundings (l/n 2.7.2017).

Alcochete, Carreira de Tiro de Alcochete (CTA)
Noted from 26 to 28 April 2017, operating here in training operations with the GNR special forces, two SE.3160 Alouette III from Esquadra 552nos. 19302 and 19401, in preparation for the forthcoming state visit of Pope Francis.

Alverca (DGMFA) 
In late April, early May 2017, a couple of SA-330 Puma’s were noted as “road runners”, somewhere between Beja and Lisboa. As is turns out, they moved from storage at Beja (BA1), to Alverca (DGMFA), in mid-May, a photo confirmed the presence of at least 7 aircraft stored at Alverca. These should be the last three operational SA-330 nos. 19502 (1002); 19503 (1009), 19504 (1004)[identified from photos on the road] ; and 19513 (1270) [special c/s]; the rest of the aircraft at Beja were nos. 19505 (1011) ; 19506 (1019) ; 19508 (1040) ; 19509 ( 1046) ; 19511 (1059).  

Alverca (city) 
Still not displayed  on the previous plinth, but still a continued presence at Escola Secundária Gago Coutinho is Cessna T-37C FAP no.02412 (s/n 62-5936, c/n 40736). L/n 9 July 2017.

Castelo Branco (city/airfield)
Noted on the 2nd July 2017, during the commemorations of the 65th Anniversary, of the Força Aérea Portuguesa.
Static display in the city of Castelo Branco were, F-16A ‘15100’, SE.3160 9379 and Alphajet A 15209.
Static display at the airfield included C-130H 16806 (70501 flight hours c/s); SE.3160 19401 + 19376 (special c/s); DHC-1 Chipmunk’s 1306, 1319, 1335, 1339; TB-30 Epsilon’s 11404, 11405, 11406, 11407, 11411. Later joined by C-295M 16705, and Embraer KC-390 reg. PT-ZNJ.
Airdisplay/demos included: flyby F-16’s 15110, 15118; formation of KC-390 PT-ZNJ and F-16’s 15110, 15118; KC-390 flight demo; formation of C-295M 16701, C-130H 16803 (faded UN mks.), P-3C 14808; flight formation of P-3C 14808 and Alphajets 15206, 15250 (Asas de Portugal c/s); flyby of P-3C 14808; SAR demo of SE.3160 19376; cargo drop by C-130H 16803; Asas de Portugal demo with Alphajets 15206, 15250; TB-30 Epsilon’s flight formation demo (all except 11411); SE.3160 19376 suspended cargo demo; DHC-1 Chipmunk 4 a/c flight formation demo; Ejercito del Aire Team Aquila  display [79-40 (4), 79-06 (3), 79-08 (2), 79-29 (PE), 79-34(7), 79-38 (5), 79-28 (PE)]; formation flight and flyby’s by F-16AM/BM’s 15108, 15110, 15114 (QRA a/c), 15118, 15119, 15131(QRA a/c).

Horta, Faial
Operating at Horta on the 30th June, was FAP’s C-295M 16704, from Esquadra 502.

Lajes, Base Aérea nº4 (BA4)
Continued presence of both FIAT G.91R/4’s, 5418 displayed in front of Radio Lajes (l/n 27/6/2017), and ‘5414´stored inside Aero Clube da Ilha Terceira (ACIT) hangar.
Noted on the 25th June operating here, USAF’s KC-135R 59-1516/1516 126ARS, and USN’s P-8A Bu168437/437 VP-5.

Leixões (harbor)
Noted at the Leixões harbour on the 19th and 20th May 2017, Portugues Navy’s Super Lynx Mk.95 nº19202, on the flightdeck of NRP Bartolomeu Dias [F333]. Although not wearing any of the traditional Flight logos painted on the upper nose of the helicopter, it was said to be of the Red Bull Flight.

Lisboa (airport)
Noted on the 22nd June 2017, C-295M 16712 of Esq.502.

Maceda, Aerodromo de Manobra nº1 (AM1)
Operating as part of the 15 Wing Belgian AF detachment, between the 20th April to 20th May, were noted, on the 13th May 2017, the following a/c,
Lockheed C-130H nos. CH-04, CH-08*, CH-10*, CH-12.
[*] carrying several mks/zaps such as “2014-18”, GAF LTG-61, and EATC. 
Also noted, support aircraft CH-11, arr./dep. on the same day back to Belgium.
All the aircraft were noted on several occasions during the detachment, at Tancos, UALE (exBA3), in joint missions with the paratroopers of the Exército Português.
On the 20th May, all of the C-130’s except for one (no.?), departed in the morning back to Belgium. 

On the afternoon of the 20th May, until late in the night, the Museu do Ar Ovar section was open, as part of the “Museums at Night” event, with Museu do Ar Sintra and Alverca also participating.
Apart from the A-7P 15504 gate guard, were noted,
Outside – 5452 FIAT G.91R/3, 16503 C-212 Aviocar, 15246 Alphajet A, 2608 Northrop T-38A, 2427 Cessna T-37C.
Inside – 3548 Auster D.5/160, 15545 LTV TA-7P, 13710 FTP-337G, 3301 MH Broussard, 3208 Piper Cub, and also Alouette II A13 (ex Belgian Army). Noteworthy also T-6G no. 1769 undergoing maintenance, possibly to be rebuilt for static display! 

Esquadra 552 “Zangões” SE.3160 Alouette III nº 19349, was noted also station there for SAR duties.


Monte Real, Base Aérea nº5 (BA5)
During the 12th – 13th May, Portugal received the visit of HH Pope Francis, being the visit solely centered in Fátima (SE of Monte Real), the FAP support operations were based at BA5. Related movements were,

Esquadra 501 C-130H 16806 w/ 70501 flight hours tail markings, carried the papal vehicles. Noted on the 11th, and back on the 13th, for the trip back.

Esquadra 751 EH-101 – 19604, 19605, 19611.
All departed on the 13th, 19605 and 19611 arrived on the 11th, and 19604 arrived on the 12th carrying the President of the Republic.
19605 carried the Pope to the vicinity of Fátima, followed by the 19604 with the President, and the 19611 with the Prime Minister, landing all on the improvised helipad, the parking lot of the local football stadium.

Esquadra 552 SE.3160 Alouette III’s – 19302, 19401, 19312. 
All arrived on the 11th and departed on the 13th. The 19312 was equipped with a side mounted camera for TV coverage, and the other two Alouette III’s carried the GNR special forces which flew as close armed support to all the Pope’s movements.

Based in BA11, Beja, Lockheed P-3C CUP+ 14808, flew on both days as command and control aircraft over all the area between Monte Real and Fátima.

Esquadra 201 was assigned to the visit, flying the escort flights and CAP during the cerimonies. Aircraft involved were, 15103, 15115, 15119, and 15135.

Airbus A321 Alitalia eg. EI-IXH arr. 12th carrying the Pope.
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ei-ixh#d5ec0bd

Airbus A320 TAP Air Portugal reg. CS-TNV “Grão Vasco”, carried the Pope back to Rome on the 13th. Reserve aircraft was CS-TNU “Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro”.

Other aircraft involved, based in several locations in the Fátima industrial complex,
CS-HHE Agusta Westland A109E Inaer/INEM (EMS)
CS-HMJ/H7 Aerospatiale A350B3 Ecureuil  EMA/SNBPC
CS-HMO/H8 Aerospatiale A350B3 Ecureuil  EMA/SNBPC
CS-HMI/H9 Aerospatiale A350B3 Ecureuil  EMA/SNBPC
plus
I-BBFI Agusta Westland AW169 (Pope’s EMS helicopter) based at the Colégio de São Miguel, moved to the stadium, nearer to the sanctuary, during cerimonies.


Porto (city)
This year’s commemoration of the 10th June, Portugal Day [Day of Portugal, Camões, and the Portuguese Communities], took place at the city of Porto, with the static display of the armed forces at the center of the city, in Praça da Liberdade and Avenida dos Aliados. The Força Aérea Portuguesa had displayed there, F-16A ‘15100’, Alphajet A 15209, and SE.3160 Alouette III 9379. All arrived on the 5th June and departed on the 11th.
The military parade, took place on the 10th, at Avenida do Brasil, by the ocean front, and the fly over included, a formation with 1xC-130H plus 2xC-295M’s, 4x F-16’s, and 4xAlphajets. Tails: C-130H 16806; C-295M 16702, 16705; Alphajet A’s 15250, 15236, 15206, 15226; F-16AM 15135, 15114, 15110, 15115.



Thanks to: André Carvalho, António Pita, Jorge Martins, José Luís Lopes, Luís “Tamagoshi” de Pádua Gonçalves; Luís Neves, Miguel Machado, Óscar Rodrigues, Sérgio Couto, Manuel Pacheco, Sandra Costa, Eng. Vasco Morão.