Trapiche Airfield, Velez-Málaga, Eastern Costa del Sol Spain

[viscount]

ACTIVITY AT MY ‘LOCAL’, TRAPICHE - A SUMMARY JULY 2024

Trapiche Airfield, Aeropuerto Vélez-Málaga, Axarquia Airport, Aerodromo Leoni Benabú, LEAX – all the same place to the east of Malága City and a little inland of the coast and 10 minutes away from home by car - visits are usually while en route down to Velez-Malaga supermarkets.

For a little over 7 years now, I have watched my local single hard runway (30/12) general aviation field get busier and busier. This is mainly due to two of the four main resident flying school/aero club concerns more than trebling their fleets and activity in that time.

Largest concern is One Air.es, offering right-through pilot training (ab initio to A.320 co-pilot’s seat), with aircraft, maintenance and school facilities at both Trapiche and at Malaga Airport. Their fleet in July 2024 comprises:
8 x Diamond DA.20C-1: EC-JOV, EC-LIC, EC-LTE, EC-MQT, EC-MRQ, EC-NAS, EC-NFV, EC-NKV. While another, EC-KUX was w/o 10/10/23.
2 x Diamond DA.40NG: EC-LRF, EC-MHQ
8 x Tecnam P.2008JC: EC-NYU, EC-NYV, EC-OAT, EC-OIQ, EC-OIR, EC-OIS, EC-OIX, plus one – most are now in service.
4 x Cirrus SR.20: EC-KKH, EC-LVJ, EC-NGE, EC-NLH
3 x Diamond DA.42: EC-MFV, EC-MVA, EC-NNU
1 x Tecnam P.2006T Premium: EC-OEY – although another EC-OAR did appear briefly in 2023, it is no longer on the Spanish register.
Making a current fleet of 22 singles and 4 twins – which agrees with the latest revision of the company web-site.

Aerodynamic Flight Academy, have in the past year expanded with 6 further aircraft, all retaining their previous national registration, but have acquired the Aerodynamics logo. In 2020 the company moved into purpose built facilities at Trapiche, and not only offer right-through tuition, but a whole host of other airline training courses for flight attendants and ground staff. Currently in July 2024 are operating:
2 x Piper Cherokee 161: EC-NNI, EC-NNJ (operated as G-CETE and G-OOFT until 12/20)
9 x Cessna 172 (various sub-marks): EC-HYA, EC-MYJ, EC-MYK, EC-MYL, D-EESC, D-EKJJ, D-EKQQ, D-EMWA, HA-KLB.
2 x Cessna 172RG Cutlass RG: EC-ICY, HA-OLI
2 x Beech 76 Duchess: EC-KTO, HA-PMG
Making a current active fleet of 15 aircraft, 13 singles and 2 twins. While I’ve not noted Cessna F150G EC-GZF active in the past 12 months, and neither Cessna 172RG EC-NHI nor Beech 76s EC-MYI and EC-INC for a few years. All are still on the Spanish Civil Register though. They also have a Navajo Chieftain 350, G-CGID in external store for the past 6 years (C of A expired 5/20) but is still UK registered.

The based Aero Club, and airfield operator is the Real Aeroclub de Málaga (translates as Royal Aero Club of Málaga) with 2 x Piper Cherokee 161s EC-JQS and EC-JUY and Bellanca 8KCAB Decathlon EC-NSJ (which arrived in 2022 as SE-KLJ). A member’s group had several CASA 1-131 bi-planes, but after serious accidents I’ve not seen one flying for a couple of years.

The other flying school is World Aviation. They offer both fixed and rotary wing tuition – however seem to bring in aircraft when required from elsewhere. I’ve noted Piper Cherokee Arrow EC-IQV this year and Diamond DA.40 EC-JKE in 2023 and 2024. All white Guimbal training helicopters F-HGHG in 2019 & 2020, EC-NPI in 2022 and EC-NSO 2024. Robinson R.44s F-HCSD, with EC-JPR in 2020, 2022 and 2023 and smart Eurocopter EC.130B4 EC-MTG in 2023 and 2024.

Also, I see a number of autogyros. Always one at a time over a period of weeks and in 4 years I’ve identified 10 different machines, some performing circuits at Trapiche, some flying over – they may well be with Autogirofun, who operate off a strip at Villanueva de Trabuco, around a 30 minute drive away.

In addition, there are a fair number of privately owned aircraft, but are only rarely seen active and a trickle of visitors, mostly non-Spanish registered that come, sit for a few days, then depart. Often none at all, although quite a few during May. Feast or famine.

I’ll now illustrate a few of the flying school regulars along with recent arrivals, some of the visitors and interesting low overflights over my casa.

[viscount]

TRAPICHE AIRFIELD, COSTA DEL SOL - 2024

The majority of these photos are from the edge of a field beside the apron and runway also used by One Air for car parking. The 1m tall sagging chain link fence has just been replaced, fortunately with 1·5m stiff metal fencing, not the 2m+ stuff as at the likes of Dundee and Caernarfon, so photography is not hindered. The spot is now marked on Google Maps as a 'photography viewpoint'. It must be the around the closest public access to beside an active runway that I've ever encountered, the main users seem to be students from the flight schools taking mobile phone photos of their friends flying. As runway 12 (the most often in-use end) has a displaced landing threshold, the viewing point is at both rotation/lift-off point and at touchdown on the white bars. When on 30 ops still the lift-off point for take-offs and is close to landed aircraft turning onto the apron. Great for photography, especially in the early morning.

ONE AIR







Diamond DA.20 Stars, EC-LIC in June, EC-MQT in July and EC-MRQ in March. With a fleet of 10, the most regularly seen type active at Trapiche.









EC-NYU in March, EC-OAT in June, with EC-OIR and EC-OIX in July - the more recent deliveries have a scheme that closer matches the Diamond aircraft in the fleet.



EC-KKH Cirrus SR.20, one of 4 in the fleet in May.



EC-MVA one of three Diamond DA-42 Twin Stars in the fleet for twin rating work, July



EC-OEY Tecnam P.2006T, July. So far, just the sole twin Tecnam in the fleet

AERODYNAMICS FLIGHT ACADEMY





EC-HYA Cessna 172N in April and EC-MYL Cessna 172N, June - 'MYL easily identified as the fin does not match the rest of the EC- fleet.



HA-KLB Cessna F172M, July. First noted in May and regularly active since.



D-EKJJ Cessna F172K one of four German registered aircraft acquired Spring 2024, all flying in their former colours with the addition of the Aerodynamic pale blue logo on the fin.



HA-OLI Cessna 172RG Cutlass RG. First noticed August 2023, for some while I thought it was Cessna EC-ICY which was repainted in 'house' colours during 2022 and was noted outside during the winter, until I spotted both outside together during May 2024 in identical schemes.





EC-KTO Beech 76 Duchess, in April and HA-PMG Beech 76 Duchess, first noticed during November 2023. Added-in a week later, the fleet is now 3, with HA-JMN first noted in late July 2024.

WORLD AVIATION



EC-NSO Guimbal Cabri G2, November 2023



EC-IQV PA-28R Cherokee Arrow 180, December 2023



EC-JKE Diamond DA.40, April



Eurocopter EC.130B4 EC-MTG in it's own dust cloud, June

REAL AEROCLUB DE MÁLAGA



In addition to their pair of Cherokee 161s EC-JQS and EC-JUY, for aerobatic work the Aero Club have this Bellanca 8KCAB Decathlon EC-NSJ, which for a while after delivery spring 2021 flew as SE-KLJ.

OTHER RESIDENTS

There are a fair number of privately owned aircraft, however with visits of around 45 minutes once a week, it is sheer luck if I see them as they appear and disappear into the hangars very quickly.



EC-HD8 an ELA-10 Eclipse autogyro seen flying circuits in February, but not since. Someone has had fun applying decals. The Autogyros have their own small hangar unit at Trapiche, although I suspect are operated by a company, Autogirofun, who also have a flying field at Villanueva de Trabuco a town around 35 minutes drive away.



EC-XEN a Sonex, March



EC-ZVU something registered as a 'FK-9 mark IV', November 2023



EC-XUC Piper J.3-L4 Cub, March. This was formerly, somewhat confusingly painted as EC-IOO in an inventive US Navy blue scheme with D-day style stripes and 'AIRSHIP' on top of the wing.

VISITORS TO TRAPICHE



N900FZ TBM-900 with interesting art-work and logos, January



G-STEA PA-28R Cherokee Arrow 200, March



N721EM Mooney M.20TM Acclaim, March



A really good day in early May with a host of visitors, but all parked far too close together! F-GBQB Cessna 182P Skylane, unidentifiable Cirrus SR.22gTS, F-GENB SOCOTA TB-20 Trinidad, unidentified Tecnam P.92? and ···OCZ (or OGZ) Tecnam P.96?. I'm not too worried by the missing details.





Another good day in late May with freshly re-located, stored Navajo Chieftain G-CGID, N850LH TBM-850, Z3-DAS Mooney M.20J and an aircraft I've seen a couple of times before N697SR Cirrus SR.22gTS.



G-OALD SOCATA TB-20 Trinidad, June. Not so many visitors seen during in June and July.

INFOCA (Servicio de Extinción de Incendios Forestales de Andalucía), TRAINING/FAMILIARISATION FLIGHTS

These are shots taken from my patio, my own personal air display a couple of times each year - but fortunately in 7 years so far only twice witnessed active fire-fighting duty. As there is higher land between me and Lake Viñuela, I cannot see them low over the water, the aircraft always pass overhead on the down-wind leg whatever the wind direction, while the pilot's familiarise themselves with the ever-changing level of the reservoir. Great to watch.





A pair of Air Tractor AT-802As appeared together on 5th July the pilots familiarising themselves with the lake level and surrounds. First time I've seen them training, indeed have only once before seen them over the lake, which was during a serious mountain forest fire in 2022. One of the pair was EC-MCV/AA-41.









While the other was Chilean registered CC-DFO/AA-40. With that pair of oversized 'boots' they so look like the cartoon character in 'Toy Story'.





The pair of Canadair CL.215Ts have returned to Malaga Airport for the summer 'fire season' duty. I missed them over the lake in 2023, possibly due to the lack of water as levels dropped as low as 7% of full. On 17th July code 43-24/1118 appeared for around 4 circuits.



D-HAFR a Bell 205A-1. WFP on side, and remnants on the underside. 'United Nations Humanitarian Air Service' on door in pale blue. A well cropped photo, flying over fairly high in late June, so en route somewhere - possibly on fire-fighting stand-by somewhere to the east of me?

[ronturner]

Thanks. Always interesting.

[viscount]

TRAPICHE AIRFIELD, SOUTHERN SPAIN.

Following on from the major post above, for the first time in several years, managed to catch the SOCATA Rallye banner-towing, not once, but twice in the same day. Always a bit heart-in-mouth watching the banner pick-up. On the early afternoon flight took five attempts to pick-up the banner, did it on the second try late-afternoon. Takes a few images, but thought I would take you through the precision flying involved.



Rallye 235 EC-MEP of Aero Publicidad.es. Most of the wire and hook are held in the cockpit during ground manoeuvring to prevent accidental fouling of the tail surfaces.



With the wire and hook now trailing, a routine take-off and into a right-hand circuit



Standard circuit, then down low and level along the right-hand side of the runway



Dip down despite already being low, power-on, pull-up sharply, this time a miss and the banner wire is left suspended above the ground on two poles.



Round again, low and level along the line of runway edge.



Another miss. The pull-up is quite dramatic.



This time the hook has caught the loop in the towing wire and power remains on to counter the sudden drag as the snatched banner lifts off the ground. Busy hands in the cockpit making rapid changes of input simultaneously on both yoke and throttle, while also extending the leading edge slats.



Off and away to the SE, so difficult to make out what exactly is being advertised as it flies away to make passes along the beaches of the Eastern Costa del Sol.



While all the above was going on, other traffic was around as well, including this Robinson R.44 EC-HTQ (in gold on the boom) with titles Bell & Ross and David Tejeiro - a Robbo I've seen before and may well be based.



EC-OIQ another of the batch of 5 new Tecnam P.2008JCs for One Air seen.



While the breeze was not quite straight down the centre-line, not the most dignified landing (one that goes down as a 'learning curve') by a student in One Air's Diamond DA.42 Twin Star EC-MVA.

Aerodynamic's confused me by departing, apparently into the circuit Beech 76 Duchess HA-PMG - but what subsequently landed was HA-JMN in the same company scheme; I was not ready, so missed the photo, yet another expansion to their training fleet.

[Beemer]

The banner reads,

"TONIGHT VINTAGE CULTURE @ MOVENTO"

I am sure it may mean something to you Brian.

[viscount]

Thanks Brian for mirror image reading the banner, but it doesn't mean anything to me - presumably a band and a club venue somewhere along the coast.

Wednesday 14th, I had two different Air Tractors making three practice approaches each to my local lake. They flew a tighter circuit pattern, so were mostly between me and the sun - however did get photos. One EC-LON/AA80 the other CC-DKZ/AA81

The day before I had an all-white gyrocopter pass in the distance. Following day, it was parked in the visitor's area at Trapiche with the body covered in white plastic. Very unsporting! However, the banner towing Rallye was at work again - using a different, older aircraft EC-CEB.









EC-LON/AA80 and CC-DKZ/AA81, both Air Tractor AT-802As operated on behalf of INFOCA, when I first heard/saw them, thought it would be the same pair as a couple of weeks before, but they were different aircraft.



Although seen during previous summers, first time this year I've spotted Rallye, EC-CEB banner towing.



D-EKQQ Cessna F.172M, new with Aerodynamics wearing their pale blue company logo



D-EESC Cessna F.172M, also new with Aerodynamics. Hot day but not a great deal of heat haze. The 4th new German registered aircraft, D-EMWA I have not seen active, so may well be the first to appear in 'company' colours.



EC-OIR another of the 5 new Tecnam P.2008JCs with One Air



One Air's sole Tecnam P.2006, EC-OEY on a touch and go.