One of the fields that was near was Alverca. Here maintainance is done for many Herculesses over the globe and there is a lot of stored material to be seen. Unfortunately, the spot looking out on the Hercules platform was closed off. Did get to see this one, a China Eastern Embraer:
The next day cointained a short stop at Sintra. Here are based the Epsilons of the AFP and the national Museo do Ar is also at this field. We passed Sintra quite late and the museum was saved to be seen some other day.
As gate guard, Sintra has both a C-37 in ASAS de Portugal c/s as a T-38. On the other side of the base is a platform where the museum's reserves are.
A few days later I went numbercrunching. It started early in the morning at Cascais, our place of stay and so reasonably also our first stop. Cascais is a small municipal airport that facilitates general aviation and some business planes. Furthermore it is the home base of a few helicopter operators of which one flies Kamovs. Unfortunately, those were inside.
Next stop Alverca, this time a more extensive round.
In storage stood very clear and open a P-3, a DC-4 and a DC-6. A few G-91s could be read but they lay all in pieces. Even an AAC-1 was present, but also cut through half. Amidst the inrecognisable debris stood a few C-337s. It looked like almost all C-37s they ever had in service were put to rest there, but they could only be seen from the front or the back, as how they lay side by side, thus not readable.
Alverca's Gate Guard
The national Museo do Ar used to be also here at Alverca, but only a fraction remains. The museum moved to Sintra a few years back. Inside were mostly small aircraft, a C-337, one or two allouettes and some WWII material.
A few blocks away, on the property of some business on the other side of Alverca's own train, this derelict C-37 was to be found.
Then I left for Ota, BA2. There I could read the gate guard, a F-84, registered 801 I believe, could be read. Unfortunatly, photos were not allowed. Then went for a trip around the base were I could read a stored P-3. After 10 or more kilometers on the dirt agricultural rouds I went on to Monte Real.
Monte Real houses a lot of well-preserved aircraft. At the main gate the aircraft below could be seen. Photographing was no problem at all. There was a hill on top of which could be photographed over the fence.
A bit further down the road near the base chapel a F-86 is preserved on a pole. Whilst photographing, the morning wave came sailing in. I rushed to the runway and read 3 of the 4 F-16s. Unfortunately the photo oppertunities were limited.
After the F-16s landed I went through to Tancos. Tancos has no based aircraft, but a C212 is preserved on a pole. From what I had learned at Ota, it is sometimes better not to ask. The entrance of the base was guarded by some young lad who I greeted 'Bao Tarde', and I quickly made some pictures and went back to the car. Some more senior military man came running outside, but by that time I was already nearly seated and leaving.
The last stop of the day was Montijo, which is located on a peninsula. This is the home to 501, the transport squadron. Unfortunatly the heatwaves were overwhelming. I tried to also read some from Barreiro, on the other side of the bay. From here the helicopter platform and the transport aircraft near the hangars could be clearly seen. I think that in the early morning or the evening this can be easily done, but now there were too many heatwaves.
Then I spent the rest of the day at Portella, which has, by the way, a terrific spottersplace. Portella has a T-38 as gate guard. The photo of the HiFly A340 is taken with no more than 40mm!
After a few days I cleared some time to finally visit the museum at Sintra. The collection is outstanding but packed all very dense.
Outside were 3 more aircraft, also in outstanding condition. The platform could not be walked, and photos were only possible from the terrace of the museums restaurant. This resulted in the Neptune, facing the restaurant straight, could not be photographed. Fortunately I found a place outside the base from which this could be done.
One of the last days of my holiday I planned for seeing the morning wave at Talavera la Real, a Spanish F-5 base, and the afternoon at Beja, home to the Portugese P-3s and Alpha Jets. Not much luck at Talavera la Real though, they didn't fly whole day.
At Beja, a field known for its bad spotting places, there wasn't very much luck either. The P-3s didn't fly as well. Fortunately the rest did.
On the way back a quick stop at Evora for the Sotip CV440 that has been standing there for quite some years now.
Meanwhile, my Epsilon count was still zero, so the following day I planned a quick stop at Sintra, where I luckily found 2 to be outside and read.
And so the next day it was time to go home. Waiting for our flight we passed the hours at the runway. I had the idea that they flew differently from my last visit, I think a taxiway might be closed off and the aircraft turned on to the runway one exit late.
Hope you enjoyed
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