back to Home page trip menu Photo's page 1 page 2 page 3
Milan and Budapest “ the long way back home!!”
Craig McCorsiton/Ian Bowley/Woody/Ian Ellington
Last year a couple of fellow photographers and myself visited the well organized enthusiast day at Milan Malpensa! One of the lads had been a number of years running and always recommends it!! So after last years day on the ramp I’d got the bug for another visit to Milan’s Premier Airport! While I was looking at booking the flights I thought it would be a good time to head over to Budapest to shoot the ex Malev Russian airliners in the museum!! So with that in mind I started looking at low cost operators and seeing how I could do both countries in one weekend. I eventually booked the flights with Easyjet/Wizz and Ryanair as all three carriers had a sale on!!
So it was a very early morning start “on the Sat 20th Sept” up to Newcastle to catch the first Easyjet flight down to Stansted! Nothing of note at Newcastle apart from the usual night stoppers and a Myair A320 with the new VW 4x4 painted on the side!!! Think it was Spanish registerd and operates for Monarch??? And an all white Miniliner FK27 in cargo! And of course G-EZJF B737-700 “which was my taxi down south!!” I was meeting one of the lads at Stansted! “Craig Mccoriston” who was flying in from Prestwick with ryanair! So once he’d landed we then headed off to Heathrow via London on a easybus/underground!! Dave Rose/Aidan and Ian have a good report on Stansted for that day so I wont rabbit on with what was there as they have covered everything!
On arrival at Heathrow we noticed that the arrivals/departures were on 09L/R!! which is a pain normally to get to without a car!!! But now Terminal 5 being open “we just thought by chance” that there might be some spots for photography from there!! We headed up to the drop off zone and stood there for a few hours!!! To be honest im sure it will be good for departures on 09R but we just stayed on the North side as landings were on 09L!! we didn’t get bothered by security “which is a shock for BAA!!!” Normally there on you and moving you on!! “To be fair though” they noticed us but didn’t ask any questions so we were left to take shots!!!!
Heathrow Sat 20/09/2008 12pm-15.45pm
Of interest!
TS-IND A320 Libyan Airlines
N68160 B767-200 Continental Airlines
EZ-A014 B757 Turkmenistan Airlines
SU-GBX B777-200 Egypt Air
VP-BQV A320 Aeroflot
OH-BLF MD90 Blue1 Star Alliance Colors!
VT-VJO A330-200 Kingfisher
F-GSPL B777-200 Air France
CS-DXO Ce560 Citation Excel
PT-MVB A330-200 TAM
TC-JRD A321 Turkish Airlines
Our flight from Luton to Milan Bergamo was at 19.25pm so after nearly four hours at Heathrow we then headed for the underground into London and then again by Easybus up to Luton! I would deffinatly recommend Easybus if anyone’s flying into Gatwick/Luton or stansted as they seem to run every half an hour into/out the centre of London! “And like booking flights” the earlier you book the cheaper the tickets are!! Anything from £2 up to £12 for a single!!
Anyway as I mentioned earlier Dave Rose,Aidan and Ian have covered in detail what was at Luton so I’ll just put in a couple interesting arrivals while waiting for our flight!
Luton Sat 20/09/2008 17.15-19.35pm
G-CDCX Ce750
N405PC Learjet 35 UN titles!!!!
EC- Astra
And EI-CSP B737-800 our flight to Milan.
Milan Bergamo Sat 20/09/2008 22.30pm- 23.40pm
After a real smooth flight and not so smooth landing we headed to pick up the hire car!! Whilst picking up the car a couple of tasty movements arrived and parked ok on the apron, so it was out with the cameras for some night shots!!!
I-EEZD A320 Eurofly
I-LINB A320 Myair Basic Colors!
SE-FJE MD82 Fly Excellent
Milan Malpensa Sun 21/09/2008 09.30am-19.00pm
Once we had our breakfast it was straight onto the A4/A8 motorway to head for Malpensa which takes you north of Milan!! On arrival we headed round to runway 35R where we met up with the boys! Ian Bowley/Woody and Bill and the Guido “The guy that’s does all the arranging for the tour!!” plus 40 or so more shooters/spotters!
Last year saw us go out beside runway 35R for about 2 hrs after a full ramp tour, followed by a real nice lunch in the airport canteen then back out beside the taxiway for runway 35L!! “all for 20 euros!!”
Basically this year’s visit was going to start later as the sun was awkward about mid day! So it was going to be a full ramp tour then head to the thresh hold for runway 35L!! from 13.30-18.30pm!!
Of Interest among the Alitalia aircraft etc were
I-NEOS/I-NEOT/I-NEOU B737-800 Neos
I-ADLS ATR72 Air Dolomiti
EI-DSR/DST A320,s Air One
TS-IEG B737-300 Karthago Airlines
EI-DMR/COI B737-400s Air One
I-LIVL A330-200 Livingston
I-LLAG B767-300 Blue Panorama
VP-BFZ A320 Ural Airlines
I-WEBA/WEBB A320s Volare
G-OMRH Ce550 Citation
9V-SWI B777-300 Singapore Airlines
CN-ROF A321 Atlas Blue
LY-SBQ Saab 2000 Lithuanian Airlines
PT-MSR B767-300 TAM
TC-JCV A310F Turkish Airlines Cargo
RA-85835 TU154M Rossiya
I-AIGG B767-300 Air Italy
OY-MAE B737-500 Sterling
EC-KRD B737-400 Blue Panorama (Basic Futura Colors!)
EI-DIR A330-200 Air One
SU-BME MD83 Air Memphis
F-GMLU MD83 (All White)
I-AIGH B767-200 Air Italy
LY-AZW B737-500 Lithuanian Airlines/Aeroservizi
JY-AYD A320 Royal Jordanian
VP-BKY A320 Aeroflot
I-EEZH/EEZK A320s Eurofly
EC-KDT/KHN A320s Clickair
EC-KKT/KDG A320s Vueling
TS-IMG A320 Tunisair
TS-IOQ B737-600 Tunisair
I-ADJH RJ100 Air Dolomiti
40-AOM Fk100 Montenegro Airlines
EI-DOU/DVT CRJ900s Air One
EI-DKL B757 Blue Panorama
EC-KDY B737-300F Swiftair Cargo
YL-BBX B737-300 Air Baltic
CS-DHE Ce550 Citation
OE-LKA D0328 Air Alps
I-CNDB PC12
OE-LGE DHC8-400 Austrian Arrows
SX-DVI A320 Aegean Airlines
B-18716 B747-400F China Airlines Cargo
PH-AAX A320 Amsterdam Airlines
SP-LIB ERJ170 LOT
SX-BEV MD83 Hellasjet
After a hard afternoon working the cameras! It was back to our hotel for a pizza and a couple of beers! And a good nights kip! In the morning I was heading off home via Budapest while the lads were having a day at Bergamo before going their separate ways home!
Milan Bergamo Mon 22/09/2008 07.00am-08.15am
Having got to the airport in darkness I didn’t notice much that was about apart from
S5-ACC MD83 with titles “the worlds quietest MD80!!!!!!” mmmm??
OM-NGC B737-700 SkyEurope
HI-683SP regd Pa31 Navajo “which is stored over GA area!
SE-KDC regd Yak 52
Four Miniliner Fk27s in store (F-BPUJ, F-WQVF, F-WQVG & HA-FAE)!
And HA-LPO Airbus A320-200 of Wizzair which was my lift to Budapest!
Budapest Mon 22/09/2008 09.45am- 15.25pm
On arrival to Budapest it was straight round to the Museum to shoot all the soviet airliners! Most ex malev!!
Basically you have to get the bus from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 where you pass the museum, but it’s only a short walk back from the Terminal.
After the visit to the museum I then headed to the observation deck on terminal 2 where I was told I couldn’t take my bag up onto the roof and then told I couldn’t take shots up there!!!! After a short frakar I headed back to Terminal 1 “the low cost terminal” where I stayed and took shots with no problems for the rest of my stay! One problem is you shoot through glass “which I normally don’t like to do!!” I also had a quick visit to the GA where a guy from the local FBO took me out to shoot the bizz!!
Of interest
N601JM CL601 Challenger
OO-DLQ B757-200F DHL
M-ISSY Hawker 750XP
N1329G Ce525 Citationjet
HA-LKC B737-800 Travel Service Hungary
B-2491 B767-300 Hainan Airlines
HA-YFE Be400 Beechjet
HA-SIT PA31T Cheyanne
HA-FAN/FAI EMB120 Brasilia’s
LN-NOD B737-800 Norwegian Airlines
ER-SFA Saab 2000 Moldovan Airlines
D-ABGI A319 Air Berlin
HA-BGI Mil Mi-2
EC-JVB Learjet 60
LJ-1 Learjet 35 Finnish Air Force
HA-LCE TU154 ex Malev stored round Maintenance + one stored as a fire trainer! Middle of Airfield!
HA-LAO Let410 Turbolet Arago
EI-GBA B767-200 KrasAir
HA-LRA Yack 40 ex Linair/stored
Kozlekedesi Museum
HA-LIQ Lisunov Li-2 Malev 1960 colors!
HA-MHI Antonov AN-2
04(Red) Ilyushin IL-14 (Ex Soviet A/F was due to be painted into Malev colors 2000 as HA-MAL??
HA-MOG Ilyushin IL-18 Malev 1980/90s colors (Air Cargo Titles!!)
HA-MOA Ilyushin IL-18 Malev 1970s Colors
HA-BCB Mil Mi-2 ex Hungary Air Ambulance
HA-YLR Yakovlev YK40 Flight Inspection Service Titles/Linair Colors!
HA-LCG Tupolev TU154B2 Current Malev Colors!
HA-LBE Tupolev TU134 Malev 1980/90s Colors!
After several hours in terminal 1 it was then down to check in for my Wizzair flight to Brussels Chalaroi! Once checked in and through security I sat and waited for my flight to arrive as the next couple of flights didn’t give me much time for delays etc!!!! anyway the Wizz Airbus HA-LPO “again!!!” arrived and departed on time so I knew I would be ok for my flight to Dublin from Brussels!!
Brussels Charleroi Mon 22/09/2008 17.25pm- 19.00pm
The main reason for going home via Charleroi “was obviously I could do it with Ryanair” but there was meant to be 2 SkyTech Mil 26 Helicopters there!! On arrival it was then I’d noticed that they were both parked over the other side of the airport so not to good for shots as didn’t have enough time to get round there!!
Of interest
several Ryanair B737-800s Including my flight to Dublin on EI-DAI and EI-DLO with “ bye bye easyjet” titles on it!
HA-LPO Airbus A320 Wizzair
RA-06032/06041 Mil Mi-26s SkyTech
OO-reg Falcon 2000
20+ tins!
So! The next flight was the one which would determine weather I would be back to Dublin in time to pick up the Newcastle flight!! I only had an hour from landing at Dublin to departing to Newcastle!!! Thankfully it turned up early and left on time!!!! Good old ryanair!!! As a safe guard id booked the same flights for the Tuesday night as well!! “At £6 each sector” there was nothing to loose!!
Dublin Mon 22/09/2008 19.35pm-20.55pm
On arrival at Dublin it was a very brief walk down the long terminal and back to the departure gate! Nothing to note as it was dark so just watched the ryanairs come and go with the odd cargo flights MNG/TNT Airbus A300 and a couple of bizz movements! Then it was onboard EI-DPG B737-800 to Newcastle!
Newcastle Mon 22/09/2008 21-50pm
After a aircraft carrier landing!!!! nothing of note in the toon apart from the white Miniliner Fk27 in cargo “again” and a Falcon 50/900?? and possibly a challenger at Samson’s ramp!! To dark!
In all a great weekend away and although it was a long way round to come home I think it was well worth the effort to shoot some nice old Russian aircraft and helicopters!!!!
Regards
Ian Ellington
back to Home page trip menu Photo's page 1 page 2 page 3