MALAGA AIRPORT (AGP), Wednesday 2nd August 2023.
Aug 2, 2023 23:59:24 GMT 1
evoant, ian531, and 6 more like this
Post by viscount on Aug 2, 2023 23:59:24 GMT 1
MALAGA AIRPORT (AGP)
Wednesday, 2nd August 2023. 14:45 to 17:30 local.
Wednesday, 2nd August 2023. 14:45 to 17:30 local.
Had to travel around Malaga for an appointment in Fuengirola. The appointment took far longer than expected and after a Spanish cafe lunch, did not get to the Airport until 14:45 which is a bad time as siesta for hottest part of the day slows the pace of traffic greatly. With arrivals and departures at the inland end, I settled down to watch activity from the raised ground between runways. Highlight of the afternoon arrived 10 minutes after I did, the 'Riyadh' schemed Saudia Boeing 787. Apart from a Brussels A.320 in 'Star Alliance' and Vueling's now ageing 'Disney' Airbus A.320 plus few other Spanish with advertising panels no really noticeable further special schemes, with on the negative side, 2 total 'polar bears' even without any operator titles (I thought it was 3 three until I examined my images and discovered one must have made an extremely late 'go around' call so was seen on late finals twice! Biz-jets were reasonably active.
After I had been there an hour, with a gentle exact cross-wind, ATC changed the active end. Not good as this left me in entirely the wrong place for arrivals, and in a distant location for departures, although on the sunny side. I waited and waited for the Saudia to depart, but it was still on gate when I departed (it left quarter of an hour later). Car temperature in the heat-sink of the airport was 44º, reducing to 38º once in mountains on the way home - without air conditioning that has, for the second time this summer failed! A recharge the first time cost €160, I shudder to think what a search for a leak, fixing it and a second recharge will cost.
Despite the high temperatures, heat haze shimmer was not a great problem. For much of time I used a Tamron 70-300mm zoom which has been in the cupboard for many years. Delighted with the bright sharpness of the images. Towards the end, put my usual Canon 100-400mm Mk.1 'white' lens back on and 2 out every 3 shots the focus is weak and images unsatisfactory. Don't know if there is a 'fix' - mind you both camera body and big lens have served me well for a great number of years.
Less of the waffle, on with the pictures. Only one of any great interest, but I did shoot a fair number of decent images on a very bright, clear day, of the routine Malaga airliners and mostly fairly common biz-jets. So scroll on for the best of the bunch (and a few too many, perhaps?):
As I arrived at the raised waste land between the runways, Lufthansa Airbus A.320neo D-AINX was waiting departure
This was followed by British Airways Embraer ERJ-195 G-LCYM, which just sat there, and sat there, until taxying back down the runway and headed for the 'out-parked' stands to the north side of the terminal, not to be seen again during the afternoon. One set of unhappy passengers bound for London City aboard no doubt (seems to be the travel theme of this summer).
Nearly missed the arrival behind me of this fancy 'Riyadh' schemed Saudia Boeing 787/9 Dreamliner HZ-ARB. Waited to get a better shot on departure but I eventually gave up and departed 1730, the aircraft departed just 15 minutes later (some hour and quarter late). Can't win them all!
PH-EAE Dornier 328PROP of EASPair departing. Presumably the current aircraft involved in humanitarian refugee boat spotting duties for the EU.
First Air X Charter Challenger 850 of the afternoon departing, 9H-BOO.
OneAir Diamond Star DA.42 EC-MVA. Although I see these aircraft at the Trapiche Airport on my side of Malaga, One Air's twins are based at Malaga Airport.
Swiss 'panda eyes' Airbus A.320neo HB-JDE landing
Helity's Agusta AW.139 EC-MLK inbound for a landing 2/3rds of the way down the departures runway.
Following the change of ends, PH-HSC Boeing 737/8 of Transavia departing from what had been the arrivals runway.
TAP Air Portugal Embraer ERJ-195 CS-TPV departing for Lisbon.
Embraer ERJ-135BJ Legacy 650 D-AHOI had earlier arrived and after a fairly quick turn-around departed.
Certainly the most colourful 'standard' schemed aircraft by far of the afternoon was G-NSEY Embraer ERJ-195 of Aurigny Airlines.
A familiar aircraft to Liverpool eyes, Citation 560 XLS G-SHUI, another biz-et that arrived and departed in the time I was there.
9H-AMK Airbus A.320, one of the two 'polar bears' seen. Flying for Avion Express, f&t Riga. If you have read my comments at the top, this illustrates the lack of 'crispness' from my Canon lens and the lack of warping heat haze despite the hot day.
N447ME Boeing 737-39A N444ME of Wells Fargo Bank Northwest, also illustrates the issue with my Canon lens and the lack of heat haze on this across the airfield shot.
Only operators seen with Boeing 737MAX aircraft were Norwegian and Ryanair. Ryanair's EI-IFX departing.
Not the best composed shot I've taken of Vueling's 'Disney' themed bill-board scheme. Airbus A.320 EC-MLE.
Again illustrating the lack of heat-haze despite the high temperatures is this Boeing 737/8 of Air Europa Express EC-MQP
Falcon 7X PH-GWS of Exxaero departing, another biz-jet that arrived and departed while I was there.
OO-SNQ Airbus A.320 of Brussels Airlines in 'Star Alliance' colours.
Continuing the theme of biz-jets that both arrived and departed, NetJets Europe Phenom CS-PHL.
...and another aircraft that both arrived and departed, Global 9H-VJT of VistaJet
While I am used to seeing Iberia's stretched CRJ-1000 at Malaga (indeed I've flown on one MAD-AGP) I've not so often seen their substantially shorter CRJ-200s, this one is EC-MNB as usual with joint Iberia Regional and Air Nostrum titles.
Having seen one, a second one appeared not long after, CRJ-200 EC-NHU.
The other 'polar bear' of the afternoon was Airbus A.320 LY-MAL, here seen departing. Operated by GetJet, it was flying for Vueling, f&t Barcelona. Earlier, on arrival, it made a very late 'go-around' call on its first approach.
SP-ZSZ Challenger 300 departing, with a very wing-tip position for the underwing registration.
Having illustrated Ryanair's Boeing 737MAX aircraft earlier, here is Norwegian's SE-RTC, complete with portrait fin.
Second Air X Charter Challenger 850 was 9H-CLG.
Confirmation that the pair of water-bomber Canadair CL.415s are back at Malaga for the summer season. Unusually, I've not seen them training/checking out conditions during June or July at my local reservoir, Lake Viñuela. Through fact, rather than jest now referred to by the locals as Puddle Viñuela!. The lake is only at 12% capacity at present, with the water level now below the outlet pipes, having not refilled during the winter due to the extreme lack of rainfall here.
ADDED LATER: At 11:20 the following morning as I was working with FR24 to produce a list of aircraft seen, a CL-415 zoomed overhead low in the Lake Viñuela circuit. Rushed out with camera, only to find the SD card was still in my PC from downloading the Malaga images. Win some loose some.
