Beja (LPBJ) 2015 MIL

[Bennie]

February 10th visitor: NATO03 from Geilenkirchen.

[Thunderbolt]

February 10th visitor: NATO03 from Geilenkirchen.

NATO03 E3A #LX-N90452

[Vanlion]

February 10th visitor: NATO03 from Geilenkirchen.

except this bird, following was present:
15201 Alpha Jet A PortAF Preserved Main Building
15202 Alpha Jet A Esq103 ASAS c/s
15208 Alpha Jet A PortAF Mx Hangaar ASAS c/s
15211 Alpha Jet A Esq103 Snail c/s
15220 Alpha Jet A PortAF Mx Hangaar ASAS c/s
15225 Alpha Jet A PortAF Mx Hangaar ASAS c/s
15226 Alpha Jet A Esq103
15236 Alpha Jet A Esq103 50.000Horas mark on tail
15244 Alpha Jet A PortAF Mx Hangaar
15250 Alpha Jet A Esq103 ASAS c/s
19312 Alouette 3 Esq552
19376 Alouette 3 Esq552 Spec c/s
14810 P-3C CUP+ Esq601
According to mx personnel, the Esq103 marked Alpha Jet's should be the only operational ones remaining....

[Bennie]

February 23rd visitor: NATO12.

[Thunderbolt]

February 23rd visitor: NATO12.

NATO12 E-3A #LX-N90454

[Bennie]

NATO08 will visit on March 24th.

[Bennie]

June 8th visitor: GAF(0)43.

[ehusmann]

The European Air Transport Training 15 exercise (EATT15) provided a nice opportunity to visit Beja again. Although I had seen the expected participants, I could find no info on actual participants, nor on flying times. So, just picked a date, settled myself near the civil terminal and let the transporters roll by. Not a bad day in the end!

Flying was in two waves. One in the morning with 7 planes and one in the afternoon with 11. The 'Willie Wortel' came by for lunch and the Orions managed to squeeze themselves in between the transport waves. The F-16s were flying from here as well, but I am not sure if they were part of the exercise. Other locals only started flying after the last wave was in, with two Alphas (apparantly that's 40% of the active fleet) coming out to play at 6.

23 Jun 2015 - Beja Airport

Alpha Jet   103Esq          15211, 15236
BAe.146     ETPS            QQ101
CN.235M     ET62            165/62-IT
C.295M      TukiLLv         CC-3
            502Esq          16702
C-27J       46BA            MM62222/46-86
            90TA            2706
            Transporto Esk  08
C-130H      20Sm            CH-10
            501Esq          16805
C-130H-30   334Sqn          G-275
Hercules C5 nb              ZH886
Tp-84       F7              84005
C-160D      LTG63           5017
            LTG61           5053
F-16AM      nb              15103, 15109, 15114
P-3C        601Esq          14809, 14811

Log created with OPAD trip report

Erwin

[p_shadow]

The European Air Transport Training 15 exercise (EATT15) provided a nice opportunity to visit Beja again. Although I had seen the expected participants, I could find no info on actual participants, nor on flying times. So, just picked a date, settled myself near the civil terminal and let the transporters roll by. Not a bad day in the end!

Erwin

Hi Erwin, there was a Spotter's Day last Friday 19th.

You got almost them all, the additions being only two other C-130s: the second Swedish 84007 (flying AM+PM) and the French 5119 (grounded). Also F-16 15104 flying AM+PM (are you sure the one you saw was 15114?). There is also a "new" F-104 at the gate, "2262"/(7143).

But you were lucky too, that BAe was not present on the 19th! I'm not sure it was part of the exercise though, most probably it was bringing test pilot trainees for the Alpha Jet simulator course, as it did a few times recently.

The F-16s were part of the exercise, as well as the Orions (doing ISR). Those two P-3s are also taking part in a Portuguese Navy exercise during this period (including a torpedo launch in the early hours of Saturday the 20th) and also performing 24h SAR alert! Busy days for those crews...

The Alpha Jet fleet is dwindling until an expected retirement in 2018 and flying ops is usually reduced during the hot season. Also, 103Sqn CO is in Brazil making a tour as IP in the Super Tucano. He will also "test" the aircraft's suitability to perform the type of missions FAP's Alpha Jet currently do. Complementarily, one Portuguese student is taking FAB's fighter pilot training course. Unrelated, two FAB C-295 pilots were some of the observers at EATT15.


Cheers!

[ehusmann]

Thanks for the extra info. I wasn't aware of the spotter's day, but wouldn't have been able to join anyway, as Friday I was still in Paris for the Le Bourget airshow. Nice to see though that I didn't miss much. Both extra Hercs weren't new to me, so nothing missed in that respect. But that also means no Spanish were present?

You must be right on the BAe by the way, as it did not park on the EATT ramp, but near the Alouettes. If I remember correctly from a visit a long time ago, that's also where the simulators are.

Good to know the new Staf has arrived, is it placed at the same place as the old one?

Yes, it was 15114, I have it on photo (but the board doesn't let me attach it right now).

Erwin

[p_shadow]

Yes, it was 15114

Thanks, 15104 didn't return to Beja with 15103 Friday afternoon. An aircraft swap then.

The Spanish weren't present and i believe they were absent from the exercise too. The Starfighter is in the same pole as the previous one.

Regarding the BAe and Alpha Jet, the simulator is in Esq103's building which is situated between two of the four large hangars in northern part of the base. ETPS flights to BA11 use to park in the adjacent ramp in previous times but... during EATT Esq103 moved a couple of Alphas to the Alouette's hangar/ramp and has been operating/maintaining the aircraft from there. So if the BAe stoped there it could also have been bringing some spares as there's been some deals between FAP and Qinetiq related to Alpha Jet parts.


Cheers!

[ehusmann]

CAF CC-177 177702 arrived at Beja on the 2nd of October in preparation for exercise Trident Juncture. It probably only dropped off cargo, but I have no information on when it left (or even if it left already).

Erwin

[p_shadow]

Hi Erwin, it must have left, it wasn't present on Saturday 3d during Beja AB's Open House Day. Friday it also stopped at Lisbon, don't know if before or after.

[ehusmann]

And today it seems like it was at Beja again (so 177702), as well as a Herc: 130602.
The C-177 probably will leave again (or has left), the Herc may stay as there should be one for the duration of the exercise.

Edit: misplaced, these did not come back, were rather both at Beja last week. So also the Herc was there last week and left.

Erwin

[Spotter2000]

Today (19/10) five SP F16's and 3 FinAF F18's flew to Beja, all for exercise Trident Juncture. 200 a/c are taking part in this exercise in Portugal, Spain and Italy.