Airshow Report (yes, an airshow!), Motril, Sunday 20/06/21.
Jun 20, 2021 18:22:33 GMT 1
Beemer, Airbus, and 7 more like this
Post by viscount on Jun 20, 2021 18:22:33 GMT 1
Both beach-front airshows in Andalucía were postponed in 2020 due to Covid. Motril Show was reprogrammed for 20th June 2021 and Torre del Mar for 11th July. Count-down clocks showing days and minutes to the event appeared, but nothing further on either websites.
Around 2 weeks ago Torre del Mar announced that the Beach Festival during the July week leading up to the air display was cancelled as current Covid event rules could not be met. No announcement regarding the air display, but the count-down clock on the website was removed. Oh, well so my local event (25 minutes away) was off, while the Motril site provided no information, just the count-down (then) showing 10 days to go but no mention of the event on the Tourist Board website's 'what's on' diary page. On a whim checked the Motril Air Show website last thing I did before shutting down my sick PC and passing onto a PC repair man; and there was now a list of participants displayed, but no details like times, parking etc. So at 9am Sunday, I set off for the little over an hour drive east to Motril. Not the strongest participant list I've ever seen (that's an understatement), but being airshow starved since August 2019, I couldn't miss out. The early start required as unlike the UK, Spanish sea-front air shows start late morning and finish early afternoon and official beach car parking is at a premium even on a normal summer Sunday.
Got there just in time to still find parking on rough ground behind the beach at Granada Playa, Motril. No sign-posting at all, parking was a free-for-all and chaotic - but the whole event was absolutely free. Lots of people about, however the beach is wide and long. Conscious of Covid spacing I selected a location to the west end of the beach and display-line, well away from display centre. Being in Spain everyone was correctly, obediently (no personal choice exceptions) wearing masks, even on the beach (as still required by law here, except in the beach restaurants) being an outdoor public space. The first aviation related happenings were 3 helicopters. The first to make two passes along the beach around 1130, then landed behind a VIP car park at display centre was 061 Emergency air ambulance Agusta A.109 EC-JKP. Shortly after a Police Eurocopter EC.135 EC-LJZ made two passes along the flight-line then departed west, followed a while after by a Guardia Civil Eurocopter EC.135 HU26-03/09-308 which made several passes and orbits before also landing behind display center.
The weather was fine and clear, with hot sunshine and just a little high cloud, however there was a surprisingly strong, cool wind blowing from the west, more-or-less down the display line. First display aircraft to appear was a diminutive, light-weight Technam P.96 Golf EC-F07 of the Aeroclub Mar Menor. It should have been a pair, but the other aircraft stayed on the ground at Trapiche Airfield, likely due to the wind. The aircraft flew up and down, rapidly in one direction, somewhat slowly in the other, with the sound drowned out by rattling palm trees and crashing waves. It flew off, then after a pause returned with an aircraft I am familiar with at Andalucían displays, EC-YCH a Sadler Vampir - so named as the shape resembles that of the DH Vampire. The pair flew in formation, before the Vampir put in a spirited display despite the wind. Next came a step up in power and speed, and aided by smoke generation, a Cessna 337 Skymaster in USAF grey markings put up a fair show. A new addition to air show scene in Southern Spain. Another short gap, then what was for me the highlight, a French Air Force Rafale put up a really tight, noisy well choreographed display, decorated in an attractive abstract pale blue colour scheme. This was followed by a Spanish Air Force Eurofighter, which offered a higher and wider routine that simply could not stand comparison with the Rafale minutes before. Another short gap then the closing display by a Spanish Air Force Sikorsky S-76 demonstrating at length various ways of completing a rescue mission, one man, two men or using a basket. The S-76 is not a type I associate with the Air-Sea Rescue role, but with a strong wind blowing the electronics held it remarkably steady during some long hovers during the demonstration.
With the show over, the Spanish (I heard no other language being spoken all morning) either got out their picnic coolers on the beach, moved into the Churingiutos (beach restaurants) or formed an instant hand on-horn-gigantic traffic jam, 'controlled' by a policeman pointlessly blowing a whistle at the stationery vehicles. After a wander around to find the landed helicopters, I left an hour later with no difficulty.
A rather 'light weight' programme - but at least it was a full public air display. No shows, likely both due to the wind, were Jorge Macias flying aerobatics in his Laser Z-300 EC-XPQ and Camilo Benito aerobatics in CAP-10 F-GGYB. Missing off the programme altogether were Spanish Airshow 'staples', the always great fun to watch water bomber routine by CL-415, jet aerobatic team formation display and a parachute drop.
AIRCRAFT APPEARING:
After some delay due to a failing PC, photos now added in the post below.
Around 2 weeks ago Torre del Mar announced that the Beach Festival during the July week leading up to the air display was cancelled as current Covid event rules could not be met. No announcement regarding the air display, but the count-down clock on the website was removed. Oh, well so my local event (25 minutes away) was off, while the Motril site provided no information, just the count-down (then) showing 10 days to go but no mention of the event on the Tourist Board website's 'what's on' diary page. On a whim checked the Motril Air Show website last thing I did before shutting down my sick PC and passing onto a PC repair man; and there was now a list of participants displayed, but no details like times, parking etc. So at 9am Sunday, I set off for the little over an hour drive east to Motril. Not the strongest participant list I've ever seen (that's an understatement), but being airshow starved since August 2019, I couldn't miss out. The early start required as unlike the UK, Spanish sea-front air shows start late morning and finish early afternoon and official beach car parking is at a premium even on a normal summer Sunday.
MOTRIL AIR SHOW, SUNDAY, 20th JUNE 2021
Got there just in time to still find parking on rough ground behind the beach at Granada Playa, Motril. No sign-posting at all, parking was a free-for-all and chaotic - but the whole event was absolutely free. Lots of people about, however the beach is wide and long. Conscious of Covid spacing I selected a location to the west end of the beach and display-line, well away from display centre. Being in Spain everyone was correctly, obediently (no personal choice exceptions) wearing masks, even on the beach (as still required by law here, except in the beach restaurants) being an outdoor public space. The first aviation related happenings were 3 helicopters. The first to make two passes along the beach around 1130, then landed behind a VIP car park at display centre was 061 Emergency air ambulance Agusta A.109 EC-JKP. Shortly after a Police Eurocopter EC.135 EC-LJZ made two passes along the flight-line then departed west, followed a while after by a Guardia Civil Eurocopter EC.135 HU26-03/09-308 which made several passes and orbits before also landing behind display center.
The weather was fine and clear, with hot sunshine and just a little high cloud, however there was a surprisingly strong, cool wind blowing from the west, more-or-less down the display line. First display aircraft to appear was a diminutive, light-weight Technam P.96 Golf EC-F07 of the Aeroclub Mar Menor. It should have been a pair, but the other aircraft stayed on the ground at Trapiche Airfield, likely due to the wind. The aircraft flew up and down, rapidly in one direction, somewhat slowly in the other, with the sound drowned out by rattling palm trees and crashing waves. It flew off, then after a pause returned with an aircraft I am familiar with at Andalucían displays, EC-YCH a Sadler Vampir - so named as the shape resembles that of the DH Vampire. The pair flew in formation, before the Vampir put in a spirited display despite the wind. Next came a step up in power and speed, and aided by smoke generation, a Cessna 337 Skymaster in USAF grey markings put up a fair show. A new addition to air show scene in Southern Spain. Another short gap, then what was for me the highlight, a French Air Force Rafale put up a really tight, noisy well choreographed display, decorated in an attractive abstract pale blue colour scheme. This was followed by a Spanish Air Force Eurofighter, which offered a higher and wider routine that simply could not stand comparison with the Rafale minutes before. Another short gap then the closing display by a Spanish Air Force Sikorsky S-76 demonstrating at length various ways of completing a rescue mission, one man, two men or using a basket. The S-76 is not a type I associate with the Air-Sea Rescue role, but with a strong wind blowing the electronics held it remarkably steady during some long hovers during the demonstration.
With the show over, the Spanish (I heard no other language being spoken all morning) either got out their picnic coolers on the beach, moved into the Churingiutos (beach restaurants) or formed an instant hand on-horn-gigantic traffic jam, 'controlled' by a policeman pointlessly blowing a whistle at the stationery vehicles. After a wander around to find the landed helicopters, I left an hour later with no difficulty.
A rather 'light weight' programme - but at least it was a full public air display. No shows, likely both due to the wind, were Jorge Macias flying aerobatics in his Laser Z-300 EC-XPQ and Camilo Benito aerobatics in CAP-10 F-GGYB. Missing off the programme altogether were Spanish Airshow 'staples', the always great fun to watch water bomber routine by CL-415, jet aerobatic team formation display and a parachute drop.
AIRCRAFT APPEARING:
EC-JKP Agusta A.109 061 emergency ambulance several passes & landed behind beach
EC-LJZ Eurocopter EC.135 Policia several passes & departed
HU.26-03/09:308 Eurocopter EC.135 Guardia Civil several passes & landed behind beach
EC-F07 Technam P.96 Golf Aeroclub Mar Menor Patrulla Garra
EC-YCH Sadler Vampir
EC-MYM/40024 Cessna 337G Skymaster Jose Luis Olias USAF markings, all grey
/4:GR Dassault Rafale C Armee de L'Aire Solo display, special blue scheme (operated out of Malaga Airport)
C.16-56/11:56 Euroflighter Tifon Ejercito del Aire Solo display, standard grey (numbers 10007 also on the fin)
HE.24-7/78:07 Sikorsky S-76 Spirit Ejercito del Aire Air Sea Rescue display
After some delay due to a failing PC, photos now added in the post below.