Gibraltar
Chris Smith & Mark Shevill
I was invited to visit Gibraltar by a friend of the family and FoDTVA member Mark Shevill, who visits the British Crown Dependency up to six times per year. Equal part holiday and equal part spotting trip, at just three and a half miles long by one and a half miles wide, you're never far enough away to miss a movement. Even if in a built up area, you can hear any movements even if you don't see them. It's a spotters paradise as there are a hundred and one spotting spots each as good as the next including the famous road crossing which is due to be replaced by a tunnel at the 27 end, but pedestrians will still be able to cross as they do now, which is good as something that novel should be preserved.
With on average just four scheduled movements per day (usually an easyJet, a couple of Monarch who are the biggest carrier and a BA) plus an average of just one non-airliner movement per day, it is significantly quieter than we are, but with a new easyJet route to Bristol due to start next week, as well as the imminent doubling up of the BA Heathrow route for the peak summer season, and a brand new terminal attracting new airlines including a Royal Air Maroc ATR feeder service which had begun the previous week, it is going only one way. That being said, I was very surprised at the lack of BA/GA as there is a massive amount of wealth here.
Gibraltar International is one of the worlds top ten most dangerous airports, thanks to strong cross winds created by the famous Rock, a short 1,680m (5,511ft) runway and awkward approach / departure procedures to avoid Spanish airspace. Aircraft are strictly limited to two landing attempts before diverting to Málaga. Despite not seeing any go-arounds due to good weather (though the Thursday Monarch most definitely should have!), apparantly it's near enough a 50/50 chance of getting in or not!
Manchester Airport (MAN / EGCC)
We left Richmond at 5pm after I finished work and headed straight to Manchester Airport, checking in to the Crowne Plaza Hotel then having a walk up to the top of the T1 multi-storey car park. Highlights here were the brand new Iraqi 737 and the two A330s, the Saudi MRTT having just been painted by Air Livery, with the Air Europa arriving to take its place in the hangar.
12/04/15
| REG | A/C TYPE | OPERATOR | NOTES |
| A6-EDH | Airbus A380-861 | Emirates | |
| A6-ETI * | Boeing 777-3FXER | Etihad Airways | |
| AP-BHV | Boeing 777-340ER | Pakistan International Airlines | |
| D-ACNP * | Bombardier CL-600 CRJ-900ER | Lufthansa Regional (Eurowings) | |
| D-ACNQ | Bombardier CL-600 CRJ-900ER | Lufthansa Regional (Eurowings) | |
| D-AGWO | Airbus A319-132 | Germanwings | |
| EC-JQQ * | Airbus A330-203 | Air Europa | With Air Livery |
| EC-MCU * | Airbus A320-214 | Vueling Airlines | |
| EI-REJ | ATR-72-201 | Air Contractors | |
| G-CELF | Boeing 737-377 | Jet2.com | Follows me everywhere! |
| G-FDZD | Boeing 737-8K5/W | Thomson Airways | |
| G-LSAB | Boeing 757-27B/W | Jet2.com | |
| G-LSAG | Boeing 757-21B | Jet2.com | |
| G-LSAJ | Boeing 757-236 | Jet2 Holidays | |
| G-LSAN | Boeing 757-2K2/W | Jet2 Holidays | |
| G-TCDB * | Airbus A321-211/S | Thomas Cook Airlines | |
| G-TCDD | Airbus A321-211/S | Thomas Cook Airlines | |
| G-TCDZ | Airbus A321-211 | Thomas Cook Airlines | |
| LZ-TIM * | British Aerospace Avro RJ70 | Hemus Air | |
| M-KATE * | Airbus A319-133X(CJ) | Sophar Property Holding BVI | |
| MRTT032 * | Airbus A330-202MRTT | Airbus Military (for Royal Saudi Air Force) | With Air Livery |
| N915FD | Boeing 757-236/SF | FedEx Express | |
| OY-NCM * | Dornier 328JET-300 | British Airways (Sun Air of Scandinavia) | |
| YI-ASQ * | Boeing 737-81Z/W | Iraqi Airways |
13/04/15
| REG | A/C TYPE | OPERATOR | NOTES |
| B-KQO * | Boeing 777-367ER | Cathay Pacific Airways | |
| CS-DGW * | Cessna 525B CitationJet CJ3 | Valair Private Jets | |
| D-AGWE | Airbus A319-132 | Germanwings | |
| D-AISX | Airbus A321-231 | Lufthansa | |
| G-EZIZ | Airbus A319-111 | easyJet | |
| G-FBJG | Embraer ERJ-175-200STD | Flybe | |
| G-FDZS | Boeing 737-8K5/W | Thomson Airways | |
| G-FDZU | Boeing 737-8K5/W | Thomson Airways | |
| G-FDZX | Boeing 737-8K5/W | Thomson Airways | |
| G-GDFL | Boeing 737-36N/W | Jet2 Holidays | |
| G-GMAB * | British Aerospace 125-1000B | Gama Aviation | |
| G-MLJL | Airbus A330-243 | Thomas Cook Airlines | |
| G-OBYG | Boeing 767-304ER/W | Thomson Airways | |
| G-OBYH | Boeing 767-304ER/W | Thomson Airways | |
| G-OOBB | Boeing 757-28A/W | Thomson Airways | |
| G-OOBE | Boeing 757-28A/W | Thomson Airways | |
| G-OZBR | Airbus A321-231 | Monarch Airlines | |
| G-OZBY | Airbus A320-214 | Monarch Airlines | Our flight |
| G-TAWD | Boeing 737-8K5/W | Thomson Airways | |
| G-TUIC | Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner | Thomson Airways | |
| G-TUIG * | Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner | Thomson Airways | |
| G-VROY | Boeing 747-443 | Virgin Atlantic Airways | |
| G-ZBAE | Airbus A321-231/S | Monarch Airlines | |
| G-ZBAM | Airbus A321-231/S | Monarch Airlines | |
| G-ZBAO | Airbus A321-231/S | Monarch Airlines | |
| M-ISKY | Cessna 550 Citation Bravo | Mysky LLP | |
| M-JACK * | Hawker Beechcraft B200GT Super King Air | Jetstream Aviation | |
| N14102 * | Boeing 757-224/W | United Airlines | |
| N17104 * | Boeing 757-224/W | United Airlines | |
| N184BK | Bombardier BD-100 Challenger 300 | Latium 3 Inc | |
| N348AN | Boeing 767-323ER/W | American Airlines | |
| N757PL * | Gulfstream G-V-SP (G550) | Prime Jet | |
| PH-BXP * | Boeing 737-9K2/W | KLM Royal Dutch Airlines |
17/04/15
| REG | A/C TYPE | OPERATOR | NOTES |
| A6-EDX * | Airbus A380-861 | Emirates | |
| A7-ACE * | Airbus A330-203 | Qatar Airways | |
| D-ABUM * | Boeing 767-31BER/W | Condor | Retro c/s |
| F-GKXV * | Airbus A320-214 | Air France | |
| G-CELI | Boeing 737-377 | Jet2.com | |
| G-EZWF * | Airbus A320-214 | easyJet | |
| G-EZWP | Airbus A320-214/S | easyJet | |
| G-FDZD | Boeing 737-8K5/W | Thomson Airways | |
| G-FDZY | Boeing 737-8K5/W | Thomson Airways | |
| G-GDFJ | Boeing 737-804 | Jet2 Holidays | |
| G-GDFL | Boeing 737-36N/W | Jet2 Holidays | |
| G-OZBL | Airbus A321-231 | Monarch Airlines | |
| G-ZBAD | Airbus A321-231/S | Monarch Airlines | |
| G-ZBAE | Airbus A321-231/S | Monarch Airlines | |
| G-ZBAO | Airbus A321-231/S | Monarch Airlines | |
| N290AY * | Airbus A330-243 | American Airlines | |
| N360LA * | Bombardier BD-700 Global Express | Corporate |
Click here for the Manchester photos.
Noted the two below outbounds from Luton whilst passing to the west of London during our return journey.
| REG | A/C TYPE | OPERATOR | NOTES |
| EI-ENX | Boeing 737-8AS/W | Ryanair | London Luton - Nîmes |
| G-EZDD | Airbus A319-111 | easyJet | London Luton - Bordeaux–Mérignac |
Gibraltar International Airport (GIB / LXGB)
We got lucky weather wise on our approach into Gibraltar, which was a good thing as we were arriving on the 'dangerous' end, which requires a 180° turn around the rock, before a further "hard right" on to finals - all to avoid Spanish airspace. During the final turn we experienced some of the famous wind shear, with a significant sudden drop, but apparantly this was mild compared to usual! After landing, we walked to our hotel, which included crossing the live runway, which is surreal to say the least. When an aircraft is due in or out, an alarm sounds and the gates shut to pedestrians as they take longer to cross, the alarm then goes off again a couple of minutes later and the road is shut off to cars, with stingers then dragged across the road, and a road sweeper checks the runway. This naturally causes traffic caos, and the new tunnel will no doubt be a very welcome asset. Traffic can also back up and block the runway when the Spanish are being tossers at border control, which is located adjacent to the airport terminal.
13/04/15
| REG | A/C TYPE | OPERATOR | NOTES |
| G-EZGD | Airbus A319-111 | easyJet | |
| G-MRJK | Airbus A320-214 | Monarch Airlines | |
| M-FINK * | British Aerospace 125-1000B | Corporate | |
| XX956/BE * | Sepecat Jaguar GR1 | Royal Air Force | Preserved |
A major Royal Navy base lies to the south west, though you wouldn't know it as there is little other than a Navy flag to identify it. It has just had an upgrade as if Scotland had voted for independence last year, Gibraltar is the only place big enough to house the Trident Nuclear Submarines (the Spanish would have loved that!!). On our first day we found either HMS Albion or Bulwark in, alas no Helicopters on the back though!!
14/04/15
| REG | A/C TYPE | OPERATOR | NOTES |
| G-EUUI | Airbus A320-232 | British Airways | |
| G-EZFG | Airbus A319-111 | easyJet | |
| G-OZBW | Airbus A320-214 | Monarch Airlines |
15/04/15
| REG | A/C TYPE | OPERATOR | NOTES |
| D-ITRA * | Cessna 525 CitationJet CJ1 | Corporate | |
| G-EUYS * | Airbus A320-232 | British Airways | |
| G-EZDF | Airbus A319-111 | easyJet | |
| G-OZBW | Airbus A320-214 | Monarch Airlines | |
| G-OZBY | Airbus A320-214 | Monarch Airlines |
16/04/15
Finally the RAF turned up! Gibraltar International is primarily an RAF base and all signage is marked RAF Gibraltar, it would have felt like something was missing if I hadn't noted a single military movement all week at an airbase!
| REG | A/C TYPE | OPERATOR | NOTES |
| 9H-VFD * | Bombardier CL-600 Challenger 605 | VistaJet | |
| CN-COI * | ATR-72-600 | Royal Air Maroc Express | |
| G-EUUP | Airbus A320-232 | British Airways | |
| G-EZAJ | Airbus A319-111 | easyJet | |
| G-ZBAH | Airbus A320-214 | Monarch Airlines | |
| ZZ174 * | Boeing C-17A Globemaster III | Royal Air Force - 99 Squadron |
We got to the airport viewing terrace (a spectacular terrace split into three sections - airside, airside business lounge and landside - UK take note!!!) to find the C-17A running it's engines, although it didn't depart for at least an hour. When it did go, it orbited the rock before a spectacular overshoot, before heading off in the direction of Portugal (whereas civil Gibraltar traffic is allowed through Spanish airspace above a certain height, military is not permitted at all, meaning the weekly C-17A flight has to go up the Portugese coast, at an extra cost of £9,000 per flight!).
17/04/15
| REG | A/C TYPE | OPERATOR | NOTES |
| G-EZDJ | Airbus A319-111 | easyJet | New c/s |
| G-OZBY | Airbus A320-214 | Monarch Airlines | Our flight |
OTT
Finally noted some overflights whilst sat waiting to depart.
17/04/15
| REG | A/C TYPE | OPERATOR | NOTES |
| CN-ROE * | Boeing 737-8B6/W | Royal Air Maroc | Casablanca Int'l - Barcelona |
| CN-ROU | Boeing 737-8B6/W | Royal Air Maroc | Casablanca Int'l - Nice |
| EC-JAZ * | Airbus A319-111 | Iberia | Madrid - Casablanca Int'l |
| EC-LVB | Airbus A320-214 | Vueling Airlines | Tenerife North - Barcelona |
| EC-LZD * | Airbus A320-214/S | Evelop Airlines | Tenerife South - Valencia |
| G-EZFR | Airbus A319-111 | easyJet | Berlin Schönefeld - Marrakesh Menara |
| G-EZTA | Airbus A320-214 | easyJet | Marrakesh Menara - Milan Malpensa |
As always thanks for reading if you got this far, and a big thanks to Mark for inviting me! To summarise it's well worth a visit, Gibraltar have left the rest of the UK behind - it is exactly what many people imagine the UK should be like, and you come away with a massive sense of patriotism. I would encourage every Brit to visit at least once!
Click here for a selection of Gibraltar International photos or visit my website for the full set.