Closing Spotting Season 2012

And there it is, the last plane spotting day of 2012, at least for me.
Unfortunately there wasn't any last hour surprise traffic, like an A310 or B767 or something more eye catching than the regular airplanes that we are used to have in this part of the world. Yet the regular traffic together with the sunny weather and the company of fellow spotters was even better than a different traffic movement.

LN-NGD / Boeing 737-8JP/W / Norwegian Air Shuttle

CS-TTQ / Airbus 319-111 / TAP Air Portugal

D-AIZK / Airbus 320-214 / Lufthansa

D-AIZH / Airbus 320-214 / Lufthansa

CS-TRD / De Havilland Canada 8-402 Dash 8 / SATA Air Açores

LN-NGA / Boeing 737-8JP/W / Norwegian Air Shuttle

CS-AIC / Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee C / Aeroclube da Madeira (Air Club)

CS-TNQ / Airbus 320-214 / TAP Air Portugal

LPMA - Tower and apron overview
On the apron from left to right; CS-TTQ, F-HBAO, LN-NGA.

G-EZTG / Airbus 320-214 / easyJet

Air Berlin's Santa Claus Tour 2012

After last year lapse made by Air Berlin, by not sending the Santa Claus Tour 2011 to LPMA / FNC, unexpectedly and after some expectation, finally Madeira Island had the opportunity to see Air Berlin's Christmas 'logo-jet' 2012 version.

Last year's version.
D-ABMC / Boeing 737-86J/W / Air Berlin

This year's version.

D-ABMJ / Boeing 737-86J/W / Air Berlin

Friendly crew waving to the spotters.

And some traffic of this morning.

CS-TJF / Airbus 321-211 / TAP Air Portugal

F-GZHV / Boeing 737-85H / Transavia France

D-ABOL / Boeing 757-330/W / Condor

D-AICL / Airbus 320-214 / Condor 

N228RM / Mooney M-20K 252 / Private

Holidays Czech Airlines, Lufthansa, and Other Traffic

After being away from plane spotting for almost two and half months due to technical problems with my Sigma 50-500, and after repairing the lens, today I went till FNC/LPMA to catch some of the Saturday traffic under a windy, grey and rainy weather. The highlight for me was the A320 from Holidays Czech Airlines and Lufthansa. The later started operations to FNC a few weeks ago but yet a first for me, at least in FNC.

OK-HCB / Holidays Czech Airlines / Airbus 320-214
After checking the registration history I found that I've already photographed this one while it was flying in First Choice fleet with registration G-OOPX / G-OOAX.

D-AIZK / Lufthansa / Airbus 320-214

D-AIZH / Lufthansa / Airbus 320-214

Now the come of the other traffic on this Saturday afternoon.
LN-NOH / Norwegian Air Shuttle / Boeing 737-86N/W

OE-LBD / Austrian Airlines / Airbus 321-211

Nice to see the Austrian Airlines again.

G-EZFZ / easyJet / Airbus 319-111

D-ABDR / Air Berlin / Airbus 320-214

CS-TTD / TAP Air Portugal / Airbus 319-111

Amadeo de Souza Cardoso jet blasting the water off the runway as it starts the takeoff roll.

TUIfly's Logo Jets

On this post I bring to you two of the six TUIfly logo jets. 

After missing them on their first visit to Madeira Island, I had some luck last Tuesday since both the CEWE.de and the ÜBÄRFlieger logo jets returned to FNC / LPMA, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.

D-AHFZ / Boeing 737-8K5(W) / TUIfly

D-AHFR / Boeing 737-8K5(W) / TUIfly

Some photos of other traffic of the day.
CS-TRB / De Havilland Canada DHC-8-200 Dash 8 / SATA Air Açores

CS-TTD / Airbus 319-111 / TAP Air Portugal

D-AHFW / Boeing 737-8K5(W) / TUIfly

LX-WAE / British Aerospace ATP/F (LFD)

BAe ATP Freighter

That's right, today we had the visit of a ATP Freighter from West Air Europe. Also known as West Air Luxembourg, at least judging by their website, this airlines was originally founded in 1962 in Sweden by  Anders Löfberg as West Air. In 1995 West Air changed owners and a year later started to perform flights for the Royal Swedish Mail.

Fast forwarding a few years, to 2002, and it's created the West Air's 'daughter' airline, West Air Luxembourg. According to the airline website, this happened due to the airline expansion to the European continent and the fact that their new base of operations would be set in Luxembourg. The new location in the hearth of Europe would be the best place logistically speaking.

After the history lesson and before the photos I just would like to say that this is not the first time we had an BAe ATP at LPMA. The previous one that was around here was from SATA Air Azores performing the flights LPMA - LPPS - LPMA. Currently the Dash Q200, and sometimes the Q400 that replaced the BAe ATP in SATA's fleet, is flying this route.
LX-WAE / British Aerospace ATP/F (LFD) / West Air Luxembourg

And here's four more photos from other traffic while I was waiting for the ATP.

G-EZBV / Airbus 319-112 / easyJet Wasn't expecting this one at all. Fortunately landed and took-off under a nice sunset light. 

D-ATUD / Boeing 737-8K5/W / TUIfly