MOTRIL SEAFRONT AIR DISPLAY, COSTA TROPICAL, 19th JUNE 2022.

[viscount]

FESTIVAL AÉREO DE MOTRIL XVI, Sunday 19th June 2022.

In Order of appearance:

Regn         Code/markings  Type                Operator
								
  -?-	         -?-	EAV-8B+ Matador 	Spanish Navy, 9 Esc.  (my images are too distant and too much like silhouettes to find any numbers)	
4105		 --     Mig 29A Fulcrum 	Polish Air Force, Sp 1.elt/23.BLT  Special scheme	
T.12B-70	72-17	CASA 212 Aviocar	Spanish Air Force, EdA.721 - drop aircraft for the "Patrulla Papea" parachute display team.	
EC-KEK	        101	CASA CN.235-300  	Salvamento Maritimo	
EC-YCH		        Sadler Vampir		
EC-XPQ		        Laser Z-300     	Jorge Macías, solo aerobatics, "Wiber" sponsor name	
 -?-	        05	Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk Spanish Navy  (MAM says serial is HS.23-05)	
HA.28-19-10068	ET-719	HA.28 Tigre           	Spanish Army	
HT.29-10-10156	ET-810	NH-90 Caiman       	Spanish Army	
EC-IPL		40020   Cessna F.337G   	"Formacíon Quijote"  USAF 40020 'The FAC', Vietnam era colours
EC-MYM		40024   Cessna 337G            	"Formacíon Quijote"  USAF 40024 'Don't Shoot', Vietnam era colours
0007		F-RBAA  Airbus A.400M          	French Air Force, AAET 01.061 Touraine, special unit colours	
HE.25-1  	78-20	Eurocopter EC.120B	Spanish Air Force, "Team Aspa" (regns and codes are as applied to the aircraft)	
HE.25-02	782-02	Eurocopter EC.120B	Spanish Air Force, "Team Aspa"	
HE.25-4 	78-23	Eurocopter EC.120B	Spanish Air Force, "Team Aspa"	
HE.25-7 	78-26	Eurocopter EC.120B	Spanish Air Force, "Team Aspa"	
HE.25-11	782-11	Eurocopter EC.120B	Spanish Air Force, "Team Aspa"	
C.16-53 	11-23	Eurofighter C.16 Tifón	Spanish Air Force, EdA 111

Quite a different line-up to the usual Motril Seafront Air display. A distinct lack of civilian operated solo display or teams, no Spanish AF 'Patrulla Aguilla' team with their CASA 101 Aviojets, no Canadair CL.415 water-bomber even on the list and no historic types (not that many around Spain, unlike at UK seafront displays).

What was offered this year was a much more military orientated line-up, with several aircraft/Air Force combinations very rarely seen at air shows. Prize being a Polish Air Force Mig-29 Fulcrum, along with a French Air Force Airbus A.400M. From home came a Spanish Navy AV-8B Matador and a SH-60B Seahawk helicopter (billed to have been a Bell 212 Gato), the Spanish Air Force with regulars the parachute team 'Patrulla Papea' and a CASA 212 Aviocar, a Eurofighter Tifón and helicopter 'Team Aspa', with the Spanish Army demonstration both a HS.28 Tigre and a NH-90 Caiman - both of these landing after their display routine.

Pre-show, the web site indicated a 12 midday start. I arrived in Motril at 10.30 and parking as I had expected, was chaotic. Where I parked last time in huge field was a helipad this year. Eventually parked a good 30 minute walk from 'display centre', the air display starting at 11:15 with the AV-8B, followed immediately by the Mig-29. I was still some distance away. Unfortunately the Mig-29 was far from impressive with just 4 fast passes, no high-Alpha or undercarriage down pass. Disappointing, for what has always been a rare sight on the Western fringe of Europe. Two types not even on the RIAT list for 2022, yet providing display performances in Southern Spain!

After two of the best items (for me) in under 15 minutes, there followed 35 minutes for the para-drop routine and a couple of fly-bys by their Aviocar. This was followed a similar shape, in the form of 'big brother' CN.235 operated by the Spanish Maritime Rescue service, Salvamento Maritimo. Then came a quieter spell with the lively flown Sadler Vampire ultralight and then aerobatics by a LaserZ-300, Jorge Macías, flying more of a competition style routine than entertainment (not even a staff turn) for a very large crowd spread along a long, wide beach.

Then followed the Spanish Navy Seahawk helicopter and the pair from the Spanish Army, which completed their routine by landing behind the beach, sending up an extremely large and dense cloud of dust - which fortunately quickly cleared to the east over the town in a moderate breeze along the south facing beach from the west. The pair of Cessna 337s put up a good routine, making a fair amount of noise in the process. The French Air Force A.400M was certainly put through it paces, showing great agility for a large aeroplane. It may have been just the angle I was watching from, but several of the turns put the aircraft at over 90 degrees in the turn. Surprisingly quiet too, for an aircraft that has a reputation (I thought) for being noisy. The five EC.120 helicopters displayed with their usual precision. After a delay, the show ended with a Spanish Eurofighter Tifón giving possibly the best solo Typhoon display I've seen. The flying display ending at 14:40.

On a south (ie directly into the sun) facing beach, on a very hot day with no clouds, and the sun's glare being dispersed and magnified through hazy, dusty air a wretched day for the photographer! I have had to carefully select the images I wish to share, many being silhouetted by the bright light. I'm not pleased with the results, but will use them anyhow as a record of a Spanish Seafront Air Display. Motril is a little over an hour away for me, my local show, just 25 minutes down the road at Torre del Mar on the Costa del Sol, still has not announced a date for 2022 yet, even though we are now running well into the summer months!

[viscount]

FESTIVAL AÉREO DE MOTRIL, SOUTHERN SPAIN, Sunday 19th June 2022.

A type that has not flown in the UK for some time, but is still in front line service is Spain is the AV-8B Matador (alias Harrier). I was still a little distant as the Harrier did a long hover sequence. I'd forgotten just how the Harrier would 'burn coal' while in the hover and especially when powering itself out of the hover. The bright dispersed sunline making the image a silhouette can be seen to effect in these early images from the afternoon.





The Polish Mig-29B 4105 made only a limited number of fast passes. The special markings can be seen on the wing centre section. A rare type in West Europe. I even wonder if this will be my last time to watch a Mig-29 being displayed. It seems many years since I went to RAF Valley to watch some West German ones honing their skills after a systems rework to NATO standards.



The Patrulla Papea sent down 6 parachutists in all. Here two work together as a stack, along with their unit flag.





The aircraft the 'Patrulla Papea' jumped from was a CASA.212 Aviocar, unit code 72-17, wearing registration T.12B-70.





CN.235 EC-KEK/101 working for the rescue service Salvamento Maritimo in a somewhat Coast Guard look-alike colour scheme.





The Sadler Vampir EC-YCH is based at Trapiche and is a regular at the South Spanish coast air displays. It may not fly fast, especially into wind, but the pilot fair throws it around the sky.



Jorge Macías is a renowned Spanish Aerobatic Champion flying his "Wiber" supported Laser Z-300 EC-XPQ



Spanish Navy (Armada) Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk, coded '05'.



Spanish Army HA.28 Tiger attack helicopter





Spanish Army NH-90 Caiman helicopter. Looks rather like its main competitor, the Merlin.







'Formacíon Quijote' were good fun to watch, a pair of Cessna 337G Super Skymasters painted to represent USAF 'Forward Air Controllers' aircraft in the Vietnam years







The French Airbus A.400M in anniversary colours with "Touraine, 75 years 1954-2019" motif on the tail. The C/no 0007 is displayed on the upper fin, with unusually the whole call-sign F-RBAA on the rear fuselage, rather than just the last two, along with the unit number.







Spanish Air Force helicopter team 'Patrulla Aspa' operate with 5 Eurocopter EC.120B. The team work hard, and the 'moves' well applauded and appreciated by the Spanish crowd. The use of smoke while ascending gives rise to special effects as other helicopters are hidden and reappear. Gives good effect on photos too. Some have the unit code and registration applied in an amended fashion, as illustrated by HE.25-11 code 782-11 and not illustrated but also by HE.25-02, code 782-02.





The Spanish Air FOrce Eurofighter C.16 Tifón, C.16-53 coded 11-23 flew an excellent routine









In a huge ball of dust the pair of Spanish Army helicopters landed on vacant land behind the beach for public inspection. The Bomberos were on hand to dampen down the ground to prevent so much dust being disturbed on departure. The nearly impossible to read registration details from the tails could be seen at close quarters.


My apologies to those around 22:00 to 22:30 on Sunday night got multiple versions of this long image post jamming up 'recent posts' facility. All sorted now back to just the final version. Seems somehow I was posting from edit, rather than changing the previous post using edit. I'll take a different route to captioning a bulk transfer of images in the future. Again, my apologies for those affected.