Click an image for a larger picture

After an hour or so back at the runway 26 photospot, following breakfast, only C-17A 06-6156 ‘Travis’ was photographed arriving before I headed off, back to Hermeskeil, in time for the place opening at 10am. Unfortunately, the schizer weather was back, though slightly better than Thursday, so decided to shoot the best stuff anyway, before moving on to the other two museums.

First thing seen on arrival at Hermeskeil is Concorde replica ‘F-WTSA/G-SST’, placed next to the car park and entrance, in use as ‘Café Concorde’ (fitted with 150 ex Lufthansa B747 seats!). As good as this place is, they still couldn’t obtain a real Concorde, but this certainly is a good effort, with a lot of work gone into it. Opened in 1973, most of the aircraft here arrived in the eighties and early nineties, with the ‘big stuff’ landing at nearby Saarbrucken before being roaded in. Most impressive and certainly my highlight here is classic VC-10 G-ARVF of UAE Government. As with Lufthansa Super Connie D-ALIN here, the cabin and cockpit of the Victor Charles can be seen through perspex from inside the doorway, so at least giving some view of the interiors. Other classic British airliners here are Dan Air Comet 4C G-BDIW and Lufthansa Viscount 814 D-ANAM, while Soviet-built airliners are Interflug Tu-134A DDR-SCK and IL-18W DDR-STH, unmarked An-26T ex 52+08 & DDR-SBB (in a Aero Carribean-style colourscheme) and Polish AF IL-14P 3076. Other transports present are Noratlas D-ACUT (ex German AF, in Elbeflug colours), C-47A painted back into RJAF markings as 111 (ex USAF & N62443), Royal Navy Sea Devon C20 XJ348/37 (G-NAVY), German AF Pembroke C54’s 54+21 & 54+24 (with the latter in ‘RAF’ colours with no serial) and DFVLR Dornier 28D-1 D-IFMP. Also, a recent arrival is Royal Navy Jetstream T2 XX476/CU-561 (marked with ‘Fly Navy, 100 Years of Naval Aviation’), with the fuselage still on the transport trailer in the storage compound on the Thursday, then out in the museum grounds being readied for display by today. Finally, a couple of transports inside are An-2R HA-ANA and Casa 352L D-CIAD.

Of the other stuff here, in addition to huge Aeroflot Mil-6A RA-21133, which is the only aircraft to have flown in (after a 19 hour flight from Russia), a few of the many fighters include… RAF Harrier GR3 XZ998 (special tail marks), 54Sq Jaguar GR3A XX955/GK, Tornado GR1 prototype XX948/P (P06) and Lightning F2A XN782/H. This is restored in 92Sq markings (from Gutersloh) and strangely fitted with a F6 belly tank with cannons. In addition, the USAF have provided three Phantoms here, with F-4C’s 63-7421/SA of 182TFS TX ANG ‘Texas’ and 63-7583 of 171FIS MI ANG ‘Michigan’, and RF-4C 68-0587/SW of 16TRS from Shaw, while a nice ‘Euro fighter’ is Swedish AF recce Viggen 37974/64 of F21.

From Hermeskeil, it was straight on to the first of the two Auto & Technik museums, at Speyer. These two places certainly have some amazing aircraft present, but are very different ‘experience’ when it comes to aircraft museums. Being very family orientated, with most aircraft mounted high on poles (and some like playgrounds with slides coming out of them), they present a different ‘challenge’ to aircraft photographers. In fact, especially with Speyer, a lot of the aircraft are best photographed from outside the museum, as being mounted so high, you can end up being too close and underneath the aircraft for decent shots. For those interested in getting inside, most of the larger aircraft are open, with cockpits protected behind perspex, and some cabins having complete or representative seating sections displayed. In addition to the aircraft, as the name suggests, there are also many rare and unusual vehicles etc to see at the two museums, aswell as an Imax 3D theatre.

Getting to Speyer, the weather had thankfully cleared, with the rest of the day being very nice and warm. Highlight here has to be the ADB An-22 UR-64460, which landed at the Speyer airfield right next to the museum, at the end of 1999. Other classics here include Air Inter DC-3C F-BFGX, French AF Noratlas 154, Cimber Air VFW-614 OY-TOR, Air Inter Mercure 100 F-BTTB (02), An-26 ex 52+04 German AF (painted in a civil-style colourscheme) and Lufthansa B747-200 D-ABYM (from which you can walk out onto the wing). Quite recent arrival, German AF C-160D 50+99 is still parked outside of the main museum area, but presumably this is still a temporary location. Finally, highlight indoors is no doubt the Russian ‘spce shuttle’ copy. Prototype Buran ‘CCCP3501002’ was an atmospheric test vehicle, which lead to one unmaned spaceflight in 1988, before the program was cancelled in 1993. Another ‘proud achievement’ comrades!

30 miles to the East of Speyer is Sinsheim, the other Auto & Technik museum. Again, all aircraft are mounted high on poles, and it’s a case of quality not quantity, with more real classics present. Highlight has to be another Russian copy, with Aeroflot Tu-144 CCCP-77112 of course the only example preserved in the West. Not using the name ‘Russian Concorde’ (as its not worthy), this failed copy is still no doubt an impressive aircraft, and probably the only chance to ever get inside one, following its arrival here in October 2000. Also displayed on the main roof here in ‘take off’ position, is Air France Concorde F-BVFB. This is the second Air France example displayed outside of France (the other being F-BVFA at the Smithsonian Dulles), and arrived here after landing at nearby Baden-Baden in June 2003.

Others present outside are Malev Tu-134A HA-LBH (which operated the last Malev 134 service in July 88), CSA IL-18E OK-PAI, ex Polish AF IL-14P 0833 (painted in ‘Bulgarian Air Transport’ colours), Air France Viscount 708 F-BGNU, C-47A painted as ‘Lufthansa D-CADE’ (the Spanish writing in the cockpit gives a clue to the real identity, being last operated by the Spanish AF as T.3-62 from 1966-1977), Securite Civile CL-215 F-ZBBH, Pembroke C54 D-CAKE (ex German AF 54+02) and German AF Canberra B2 99+36. BTW, the Lufthansa B747-200 tail fin on the roof here marked as ‘YM’ is thought to be from D-ABYQ (scrapped at Hahn), with the real D-ABYM at Speyer.

Also outside is ex German AF Mig-21SPS 2233, which was previously pole-mounted and painted in a camo scheme. Now, its tucked out the way at the back of a car park, painted in an Indian AF-style scheme? Similarly, ex German AF Mig-23ML 2027 was previously pole-mounted in a camo scheme. It was then taken down, stripped to bare metal, before being pole mounted again in a vertical position next to the road outside the museum (certainly different!). Nearby, over the same road in the museum storage compound is the nose section of RAF Nimrod R1 XW665. This former 51Sq Waddington aircraft arrived here last September and hasn’t moved since, though will of course be set up for display somewhere in the museum eventually. Finally, of the aircraft inside, mostly hung from the ceiling, highlights for me are unmarked Dove 7 D-IKER (ex G-ARUE and 194 Irish Air Corps), An-2T HA-ANB (painted as ‘Soviet AF 03 red’) and Aeroflot Ka-26D CCCP-26001.

After seeing some very nice night shots taken here, i decided to stay at the Hotel-Sinsheim located right next to the museum. This is a hotel of very high standard and certainly not cheap, but it does offer a great view of the Concorde & 144 at night, well light by floodlights. From the top floor doorway, leading out onto the external staircase, a great night shot can be taken (despite the 747 fin!). After settling in, I then headed out with the tripod to shoot them from different angles, with the Malev 134 and Mig-23 also great for night shots. Then, as well as the aircraft, the XK also got some attention with the camera!

DAY 4 SUNDAY 3RD JUNE

Today's plan of going back into the museum first thing, to shoot the aircraft with the sun on the other side, was quickly forgotten, as on waking the schizer weather was back again. Unbelievable! As the rain fell, I checked out and headed off, straight to Karlsruhe Baden-Baden airport. This would be where I would catch a flight up to Hamburg, after returning the hire car... covering 500 miles in three days had cost 200 Euros in fuel, with the ‘Cats’ legs stretched up to 280kmh (unlimited autobahn of course) before my bottle went! Thanks for the memories!

Now with a few hours to spare, after arriving I had a quick look around this small regional airport, still with signs of the Canadian AF presence, with the grass-topped shelters. Then after getting a few landing shots, with Ryanair B737-800’s EI-EBK ‘City of Nykoping’ and EI-ENA ‘Costa Daurada’ (yes, its another one of their ‘bases’), as well as Challenger 300 OE-HAP, I checked in for Air Berlin flight AB6685 to Hamburg. Operated by Dash 8-400 D-ABQB, departure was at 1430, landing just over an hour later at 1535.

With the next three nights stay at Wittmund, this was quite a drive, so not hanging around (I would have time for some photography at HAM on return), i collected the hire car (a Golf Plus… what the heck!) and headed straight off. The drive would take me right past Bremen airport, being around half way to Wittmund, so was going to have a break there, and spend some time on their very nice observation deck on top of the terminal (which features VFW-614 D-ASAX). Two issues though… the weather was schizer, and the deck was closed! Only just closed as well, apparently for around a month for some work. So, apart from a few shots at Baden-Baden, this had turned into another ‘travel day’, as I got back in the car and headed off, straight to Wittmund.

Accommodation for the next three nights then, was the Hof-van-Hannover guest house. Certainly cheap and convenient, being probably the closest digs to the airbase, around a mile from the end of the runway. Fingers crossed for a few days of decent weather and plenty of Phantom flying!..

Part 2 to follow.

Back to  Home Page  Trip Menu