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Short holiday to Northern Spain and Southern France & Airbus A380 Factory tour 30 Aug - 4 Sept  Geoff Hyde

A thirst for the sun led to a short family trip to Northern Spain and Southern France. It would have been rude not to combine a holiday with some spotting and so a tour of the A380 production line at Toulouse was included. The trip was planned from Barcelona over the Pyrenees (terrific views) to Toulouse and then back to Barcelona. Departure was Saturday 30 August from Leeds/Bradford on Jet2 Boeing 737 G-CELF

Leeds/Bradford  30 August 2008

G-RJXK ERJ-135 BMI Regional
G-MAJW Jetstream 41 Eastern Airways
G-CELB B737 Jet 2
G-CELD B737 Jet 2
G-CELG B737 Jet 2
G-BOVK PA-28 Private
G-HELM AS350 Private
G-OWAN Cessna 210D Private
G-TRAN Beech 76 Private
EI-DAR B737 Ryanair
G-DHJZ A320 Thomas Cook
G-THOO B737 Thompsonfly

Barcelona was reached at 17.00. The car was collected and the overnight hotel located. Taxi-ing in provided the following

Barcelona  30 August 2008

RA-64022 TU-204 KMV
G-EZIS A319 Easyjet
G-EZJY B737 Easyjet
LZ-WZA A320 Wizz Air

Sunday through to Tuesday evening was spent travelling northwards to Toulouse. However, the light fields at Sabadell (Barcelona), Alp and Luchon were visited but with limited success due mainly to time constraints and security fences at Sabedlla.

Sabedlla  31 August 2008

EC-FOQ AS 350 Private
EC-DXD Bolkow B0-105 Private
EC-BNE Cessna 172H Private
EC-HYS Cessna 172K Private
EC-JSN Cessna 172R Private
EC-KHL Cessna 172R Private
EC-CVG Cessna 177RG Private
EC-KAH Diamond DS-20 Private
EC-IFP PA-28 Private
EC-EYV Piper Seneca Private
EC-GNN Robinson R22 Private
EC-GVF Robinson R22 Private
EC-PAC Casa 127 Gate Guard
A.10C-111 Hispano HA-220D  
C.12-26 F-4C  
E.15-48 T-33A  

ALP  31 August 2008

EC-HTH Glaser-Dirks DG-400 Private
G-SOOM Glaser-Dirks DG-500 Private
F-CFBX Grob G103 Twin Astir Private
EC-IVQ Grob G104 Speed Astir Private
EC-HRF MS 893A Rallye Private
D-3501/BY Schempp-Hirth Duo Discus Private
F-CEGT/A13 Schleicher ASW15B Private
EC-HLL Schleicher KA 7 Private
EC-ISO Technam P92 Echo Private

LUCHON   2 September 2008

31-IM Achaiah Private
F-BKBE PA-18 Private
F-BRVP Robin DR 340 Private
F-GBIM Robin DR 400 Private

Toulouse  3 September 2008

Wednesday morning allowed some time to view some of the A320,A330 and A340 outside but since my last visit there has been considerable new buildings and alterations to the roads that it has become difficult to locate some of the airframes and confirm registrations. After the tour the heat haze prevented further attempts and a visit to the main terminal was abandoned due to the fact that we had to drive back to Barcelona that afternoon.

The A330 and A340 tours are no longer. So it was left to take the A380 tour. From the outset I would say that its not a “spotters tour”. It lasts for 1 hour 45 minutes and only about the last 20 minutes is spent actually looking at a A380 on the production line. The tour costs 14 Euros and I was on one of the English speaking tours.

After arrival at the tour car park you book in and proceed to the obligatory shop.

The tour starts in a room which contains a mock up of one of the test flight telemetry stations. A commentary is given along with video shots of the first flight. This takes about 30 minutes. Onto the coach to be driven to one end of the A380 complex and then back to the other end, which you do anyway by car to get to the tour centre. Excitement mounts as you now proceed through the security gates to park outside a production hangar – there are in fact two. Into the hangar, but before they let you loose to see the production line there is a further explanation of where the bits are produced and how they all get to Toulouse to be joined up. At last, into a lift and up to the viewing gantry to look at three A380’s on the line. That’s it.  Back on the coach to return to the tour centre.

There are more hangars which contain A380’s but you at not let loose near them. There maybe one or two parked in front.

To sum up the tour I would say for 14 euros you will see three on the line and a couple more parked outside, which can be seen from the public road but maybe arse on so you may not  be able to get the reg. From the viewing gallery take a good pair of bins or scope and you can read off some of the ATR’s.

9M-AHP  (F-WWDE) A320 Air Asia  
F-GKXF A320 Air France  
F-WWDI A320 Juneyao  
F-WWIQ A320 Kingfisher  
VT-DNU A320 Kingfisher  
F-WWDK A320 Shenzhen Airlines  
PR-MHY (F-WWDG) A320 TAM  
F-WWKM A330 JAI  
F-WWYF A330 TAM  
F-WWTK A340 Kingfisher  
F-WWTL A340 Kingfisher  
VH-OQA A380 QANTAS  
F-WQNA ATR-42    
F-GIXJ B737 Europe Air Post  
     
     
AIRBUS FACTORY     C/Number
F-WWSX A380 QANTAS 26
F-WWSN A380 Emirates 17
F-WWXL A380 Airbus 2
     
F-WWSP A380 Singapore Airlines 19
F-WWSQ A380 Singapore Airlines 21
F-WW A380 Singapore Airlines 34

After the tour it was back to Barcelona via Carcassone and Perpignan where the following were seen.

Carcassone – 3 September 2008

EI-DHF B737 Ryanair
F-ZBAZ 01 DHC CS2F Securitie Civile
F-ZBMA /24 Grumman TS-2A Securitie Civile

Perpignon – 3 September 2008

5N-BFA DC-9 Stored
5T-CLP B727 Stored
N359PA B727 Stored
F-GCGQ B727 Stored
F-GGGR B727 Stored
EI-DCP B737 Ryanair
HB-VNA Cessna 560 Corporate
F-BPEX Cessna F.150H Private
F-GBJX Cessna F.152 Private
F-BMLS Cessna F.172E Private
F-GBQI Cessna F.172N Private
F-ZBGE Cessna F.406 French Customs
D-GEWF Diamond DA 42 Private
F-GLJN MS 880B Private
F-BUOJ PA-28 Private
F-BXOB PA-28 Private
F-GESN PA-28 Private
F-GGBQ PA-28 Private
F-GJLR PA-28 Private
F-GSTQ PA-28 Private
F-BSJR Robin DR.300 Private
F-GKVY TB-9 Private

Thursday 4 September was departure day from Barcelona and after check-in the following were seen

Barcelona  4 September 2008

D-IPOD Cessna 525 Corporate
EC-HVQ Cessna 525 Corporate
EC-ISS Cessna 525 Corporate
D-IDMH Cessna 525A Corporate
N100JS Cessna 525B Corporate
D-ISEC Cessna 550 Corporate
EC-JTH Cessna 550 Corporate
EC-ISQ Cessna 560 Corporate
EC-JZK Cessna 560 Corporate
EC-KPE Cessna 560 Corporate
N930JG Falcon 50 Corporate
HB-INJ Global Express Corporate
EC-JNY HS-125-800 Corporate
EC-HRH HS-125-900 Corporate
EC-KRN IAI Galaxy G200 Corporate
EC-JVM Learjet 60 Corporate
   
EC-HUZ B717 Aerolineas Baleares
YL-BBP B737 Air Baltic
D-ABDK A320 Air Berlin
EC-HGO B737 Air Europa
EC-IDA B737 Air Europa
EC-ISE B737 Air Europa
EC-IXE B737 Air Europa
EC-JBJ B737 Air Europa
F-GTAM A321 Air France
F-GOHD ERJ-135 Air France
F-GPXI F-100 Air France
EC-IVH CRj-200 Air Nostrum
PH-DMW Dash 8 Air Nostrum
I-BIMB A319 Alitalia
I-DAWQ MD82 Alitalia
G_BPED B757 British Airways
G-CPEO B757 British Airways
G-LGTI B7737 British Airways
EC-GRE A320 ClickAir
EC-GRF A320 ClickAir
EC-GRG A320 ClickAir
EC-GRH A320 ClickAir
EC-HSF A320 ClickAir
EC-ICS A320 ClickAir
EC-ICT A320 ClickAir
EC-KDT A320 ClickAir
EC-KDX A320 ClickAir
EC-KLU A320 ClickAir
OO-DLY A300 DHL
G-EZBB A319 Easyjet
G-EZIX A319 Easyjet
HB-JZM A319 Easyjet
A6-EFC A310 Emirates Cargo
G-MSJF B737 Flyglobespan
EC-JSS B737 Futura
D-AGWG A319 Germanwings
EC-HYI Falcon 2000 Gestair
EC-JXA A319 Iberia
EC-JXJ A319 Iberia
EC-KBX A319 Iberia
EC-HSF A320 Iberia
EC-IEG A320 Iberia
EC-JNI A320 Iberia
EC-JSK A320 Iberia
EC-IJN A321 Iberia
B-2422 B7747 Jade Cargo
G-CELC B737 Jet2
D-ACSB CRJ700 Lufthansa
CS-TPK ERJ-145 Portugalia
CS-TPA F-100 Portugalia
EC-HRP A320 Spanair
EC-IEJ A320 Spanair
EC-IVG A320 Spanair
EC-KOX A320 Spanair
EC-KFR B717 Spanair
EC-KRO B717 Spanair
EC-FTS MD-83 Spanair
EC-GCV MD-83 Spanair
EC-GRK  MD-87 Spanair
EC-KET MD-87 Spanair
HB-IOD A321 Swiss International
CS-TTH A319 TAP
YR-BGF B737 TAROM
EC-IDG ATR-42 Top Fly
UR-GAQ B737 Ukraine International
EC-IZD A320 Vueling Airlines
EI-DOE A320 Windjet
LZ-WZA A320 Wizz Air

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