162147 C-2A Greyhound	163839 Beech UC-12M	3X-GDP AN-26	9G-TOP DC-8 63CF	A6-HLG Boeing 737-300F	A9C-BHR Gulfstream 450
D-AALD Boeing 777-FZN	EY-537 Boeing 737-4B7	G-FRAD Falcon 20	G-GSSA Boeing 747-47UF	G-JPSZ Falcon 900EX Easy	HZ-SNF Boeing 727-277F
N707CK Boeing 747-246F	N872SJ DC-8 71F	RA-64032 Tupelov TU-204-100S	TC-ACD Airbus A300-200F

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A recent visit to my 'local airport' at Bahrain (BAH) was to coincide with the period leading up to the first F1 race of the season, at Bahrain on Sunday 14th March. Although it is difficult to see one good 'arrival day' for this event, with most freight/biz visitors spread out over a week or so, it still turned out to be a very good day. Even the weather played ball, with great visibility and little sandy/haziness which is quite common in the Middle East (especially in the summer). First to arrive of course, are the team's cars and equipment, with Atlas and Jade B747's involved in this, visiting earlier in the week. Then of course come the biz-jets, bringing in the drivers, team executive's and other VIP's etc. Those present today and identified included...

EC-IFS Global Express Gestair

G-JPSZ Falcon 900EX Sorven Aviation (Arrived with Sir Frank Williams from Doha)

G-REYS CL604 Greyscape Ltd (Ron Dennis, McLaren boss)

HB-ZJF Bo105S Red Bull/Skymedia AG

M-SVGN Cessna 680 Vocalion

N46BE Cessna 525A Niros Aviation Inc

N999BE Falcon 7X Formula One Management Ltd (Bernie Ecclestone)

VP-CJD Do328-310JET Easy Aviation (Gerhard Berger)

9H-XRS Global Express Comlux Aviation (Malta) Ltd (Michael Schumacher)

Other 'biz' included a big surprise... Cobham Falcon 20E G-FRAD, which arrived as FRA74 (surely not on a jolly for the grand prix?!). The Kingfisher executive A319 VT-VJM had been and gone, and was due back after the race, Air Berlin A320 D-ADBC arrived later with journalists, while Gulfstream's D-ADCB & OE-IIS were due on Sat 13th. Also today, with the Bahrain Royal Flight... 'old' Gulfstream 4 A9C-BAH was crew training while 'new' Gulfstream 450 A9C-BHR arrived. Obviously the Royal Flight are still using BAH, prior to moving down to the 'King's Airport' at Sakhir AB, while we still await the arrival of the 'new' B767-400 A9C-HMH, which has been getting fitted-out for quite a while now!

The significant biz-jet presence for the grand prix, was however,  to be outdone by cargo aircraft, which provided today's highlights. BAH has a massive DHL facility, which creates a lot of cargo aircraft movements (although ironically non in DHL colours!). Among the routes flown to/from here, points in Afghanistan and Iraq account for a lot of flights. As well as the based SNAS Merlin 4 A9C-DHB and B727-200F's HZ-SNA to HZ-SNF (all of which were painted all white a few years back and (for some reason) have retained their Saudi registrations), other regulars are the DC-8-63F's of Johnsons Air, which have operated out of here for DHL for several years now. These have included 9G-FAB, 9G-LIL, 9G-RAC, 9G-SIM & 9G-TOP, although more recently the number of flights operated by these classics here may have reduced slightly, with 'just' a couple a day on average now, including 9G-TOP today. Until 2008, another DC-8-63F operator could be seen... Heavylift International used A6-HLA to A6-HLC alongside Johnsons', so that on some days, up to five DC-8's could be seen arriving during the day! That would take some beating these days! However, since the Heavylift DC-8's left the 'scene' here, a B737-300F has been acquired... A6-HLG is ex N308AW, and still in ex US Airways colours after freighter conversion. It was delivered last June via Prestwick, is now a frequent visitor here, and is said to be joined by another in the fleet soon.

Of the other cargo movements today, these included G-GSSA B747-400F Global Supply Systems, operating BAW3453 from Zaragoza (and only photographed as it was four hours late), D-ALCD MD-11F Lufthansa Cargo: DLH8468 from Frankfurt (which then goes onto Sharjah). This is a recent new service here, with the MD-11F's previously used on a Leipzig-BAH-Singapore service... now operated by Aero Logic B777-200F's, with D-AALD seen today as BOX530. Next up, and probably the highlight of the cargo scene at the moment, was Aviastar-TU Cargo Tu-204-100C RA-64032. Also operating for DHL (for a few months now), today's flight was TUP303 from Baghdad. This aircraft replaced RA-64021, which operated here until January. Star movement for today though was Trast Aero An-26 3X-GDP as GIW2602, which made a couple of visits over the week operating grand prix cargo flights. This was the first known An-26 movement here (though who knows!). A more frequent visitor is ACT Cargo, with A300-200F's operating BAW8554 from Karachi... today's being TC-ACD.

Finally on the cargo scene, Kalitta Air B747's have been very frequent visitors for the past few years, with several flights a day operating regular cargo flights as well as flights for the US military. Today had B747-200SF N707CK on the regular CKS343 from Liege (with N746CK due in later from Newark). Another US Military charter provided another classic, and highlight for the day, with National Airlines DC-8-71F N872SJ operating as 'Reach 734'. National Airlines is the old Murray Air, and probably have one of the smartest DC-8 scheme's flying today. These, alongside Southern Air B747's and World MD-11's have been operating frequent Reach flights into BAH recently. Also with the US Military today, two US Navy C-2A 'COD' flights inbound were 162147/45 and 162148/52, with 'VRC-40 Det III, COMCARAIRWING Seven, USS Dwight D Eisenhower' markings. While it appears there is a 'new' UC-12M based with HQ CMEF... 163839, which is last reported as based at NAS Norfolk.

Finally, on the airline scene from the region, in addition to the regular Jazeera A320, Oman Air B737-800, Qatar A321, Air India Express B737-800 and Saudia MD-90, today also had Iraqi Airways B737-400 EY-537 (leased from East Air) as IAW141 from Najaf. Also scheduled today, but not seen, was the Armavia CRJ service which has been going for a few months now, and was originally in mid-afternoon, but is now due at 0745 (too early for me!). Iran Air currently use a Fokker 100 on their service due at 0950, although going back to 2008 this was operated by Iran Airtours Tu-154's! They also use A300 and B727 aircraft on other services into BAH. Also to mention, is Spirit of Manila Airlines, who commenced a twice-weekly service from Clark Airport (near Manila) on Sat 19th December using an MD-83. This service has also been timetabled on a Thursday (in at 1400 as a B757), though it's thought only the service on a Saturday actually commenced, and even this has now been 'suspended'.

With the local airlines, Bahrain Air have two A319's and seven A320's, the latest being A9C-BAP delivered last July. Troubled Gulf Air meanwhile, have up to A9C-AH now with their A320's (and another seven due). Their latest A330, A9C-KJ (delivered last year), will be joined by more this year, while the A340 fleet is being reduced with A9C-LB & A9C-LC already gone, in December, sold for parts/scrap at Sanford, Florida (to be followed by A9C-LD & A9C-LE this year?). Finally, the controversial ERJ-170LR's have arrived on lease (as mentioned in the Bahrain Airshow report), with A9C-MA and A9C-MB arriving together at BAH on 5th March, and said to be joined by another two around July. Interestingly, PT-TQE that was only on demo at the airshow, then returned to Brazil, and became A9C-MB prior to delivery proper. So far these are being used on routes including Athens, Larnaca & Muscat ('with the baggage following later'!).

With this being the first full report from BAH, I should also mention some photography/spotting information... while it is possible, as with anywhere in the Middle East, a lot of discretion and caution should be taken if visible by the police/security, as well as local's, who may well not understand or tolerate it. There are no safe area's in the terminal for this, which leaves around the perimeter... landing shots can be taken from both ends of the runway (30/12, with '30 the most commonly used runway), again, with extreme caution as there are regular security patrols (including by unmarked vehicles). At the '30 end there is a small public park area next to the perimeter fence, which looks an ideal place to stop, and may be fine if just discreetly writing numbers down. Taking photographs though would certainly attract unwanted attention! Moving a bit further back, to the waterfront area's at either end of the runway, can be safer, but still visible by security patrol's if not careful. If anyone would like further information, contact via Dave.

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