G STEA Piper Arrow back from Alicante Muxtamel Fri 22 March - Sun 24 March 2019 - Dave Anderson
Our resident based Piper Arrow G-STEA spent the winter out at an airfield just north of Alicante - Mutxamel, with a warmer climate some more flying over the winter period was object. With some local flying done in Spain and the winter over it was time to bring her home back to DTV, Dave Breden had gone out to Alicante the previous week and I was booked on the "EasyJet Friday morning Benidom Geordie bash" flight to Alicante from Newcastle.The 7am Airbus A319 G-EZDN flight was full, I think I was the only one going south from Alicante and not in a party of a dozen or so drunken Geordies, interesting they were still selling drinks well into the decent and about 15 min from landing. There wasn't much on the ground at Alicante as usual, very much dominated by Ryanair, EasyJet, Vueling and the usual holiday airlines the only highlight was Gulfstream G450 T7- BRG
Dave was waiting to pick me up and it was off to Mutxamel to fuel and prepare the aircraft for the long journey home starting the following day. Mutxamel is home to a lot of helicopters including a number of based Kamov KA-32's, STEA was hangered on the opposite side of the runway and to get to it is look left and right and walk over the runway! With the aircraft ready to go, we had some Tapas in the airport cafe and headed down to Orihuela for the evening, if you ever find yourself here, check out Number5 restaurant, beautiful food. At Muxtamel is a viewing area outside the cafe and looking over the runway and towards the helicopter ramp, some dozen or so mixed types were present but most would be nose on to the viewing area, with airside access and being opposite it was ok for some photo's but not sure if they would allow general access on a normal visit, but I'm sure a drive around would yeild some results. All photo's taken on I phone, click on for a larger image.
Alicante Mutxamel Friday 22nd March 2019
| EC-ZYQ | AeroCopter Futura | Private - stored at the back of the hangar |
| EC-IJR | Agusta A-109 Power E | INAER |
| EC-MEB | Agusta A-109 Power E | INAER |
| EC-MIZ | Agusta A-109 Power E | INAER |
| EC-BVE | Agusta-Bell 47 G-4A | Private - reported as broken up but complete in hangar |
| EC-KRU | Agusta-Bell AB.412 | Helisureste |
| EC-LTN | Air Tractor AT-802 A | Air Tractor Europe |
| EC-MXR | Bell Helicopters 212 | Corporate |
| EC-JBU | Bell Helicopters 407 | Helisureste |
| EC-JBV | Bell Helicopters 407 | Helisureste |
| EC-JSD | Bell Helicopters 407 | Helisureste |
| EC-LXJ | Bell Helicopters 407 | Helisureste |
| EC-HZD | Bell Helicopters 412 | Helisureste |
| EC-KVC | Bell Helicopters 412 EP | Helisureste |
| EC-MUE | Bell Helicopters 412 HP | Corporate |
| EC-INX | CASA 212 400MP | Spanish Ministry of Agriculture - stored no engines |
| EC-ESO | Cessna 152 | Private |
| EC-GAK | Cessna 172 N | Private |
| EC-KHZ | Cessna 172 R | Private |
| F-GVRL | Cessna 172 Cutlass RG | Private |
| EC-JMD | Cessna 421 Golden Eagle | Private - under restoration but looks "dead" |
| D-MDHR | Corvus Aircraft CA21 Phantom | Private |
| D-MCWC | Ikarus Comco C-42 Cyclone | Private |
| EC-JGV | Kamov Ka-32 A | Helisureste |
| EC-JSP | Kamov Ka-32 A | Helisureste |
| EC-JUZ | Kamov Ka-32 A | Helisureste |
| EC-JVA | Kamov Ka-32 A | Helisureste |
| EC-YSO | Murphy Maverick | Private |
| EC-YNE | Neico Lancair 360 | Private |
| EC-IIY | Piper PA-34 Seneca II 200T | Private |
| G-SEFA | Piper PA-38 Tomahawk 112 | Private |
| EC-DME | Reims-Cessna F.152 | Private |
| EC-LCU | Robinson R22 Beta II | European Flyers |
| EC-ZSC | Tecnam P.2002 Sierra | Private |
| EC-LAN | Tecnam P.2002 Sierra | Private |
| EC-XJG | Van's RV-8 | Private |
| EC-XNX | Van's RV-9 A | Private |
| EC-ZND | Zenair CH.601 Zodiac | Private |
Up early on Saturday we dropped off the hire car at the main airport and took a taxi the 25 mins to Mutxamel, the airport doesn't open until 10am but the manager had left the airside access key with the cafe man so we could depart early at 9.30am. The first leg of our journey was a 3hr 15 min flight to Perpignon in France our route took us up the Spanish coast passing Barcelona and Girona, staying at 2500ft we had a great view of the coast all the way up in glorious sunshine and warm weather. Entry to Perpignon was straight forward with a direct approach onto runway 33, after landing we taxied to the fuel tanks and filled up. Then we had to start up and taxy to the far end of the airport to a deserted GA ramp, luckily next to the three old stored aircraft where we were told to cross the bridge to pay landing fees and sort customs for our next leg. There was no signage, no one spoke English and customs weren't bothered, after some time we eventually came across someone that knew what we wanted and took us to the office to pay and take us back to the aircraft. They do not seem geared up for visiting light aircraft at all.
Perpignon Saturday 23rd March 2019
| EP-TAB | Airbus A320 231 | ATA Airlines (Iran) | Stored |
| 5A-ONE | Airbus A340 213 | Libyan Directorate Civil Aviation | Stored |
| 5T-CLP | Boeing 727 294 | Air Mauritaine | Stored |
| 9H-LBI | Boeing 737-36N | Corporate | all white |
| SX-LWB | Boeing 737-36N | Lumiwings | all white |
| F-GZTP | Boeing 737 71B | ASL Airlines France | |
| T7-IBX | Boeing 737-7Q8 | Corporate | all whire |
| N2726D | Cessna 170 B | Private | |
| F-HEVE | Douglas MD87 | Tunisair Express | Stored all white |
| EC-KSF | Douglas MD87 | IMD Airways | Stored all white |
| F-HELA | Embraer ERJ-145 EU | Corporate | |
| F-HDPP | Extra 300L | Private | |
| D-EZIG | Extra 300LC | Private | |
| F-GGOB | Grob G.115 A | Private | |
| HB-ZYZ | Guimbal G-2 Cabri | Swiss Helicopter | |
| F-GYLR | Mudry CAP-10 B | Private | |
| F-HRAL | Mudry CAP-231EX | Private | |
| F-GIJO | Piper PA-28 Cherokee E 180 | Private | |
| F-BUOJ | Piper PA-28 Cherokee 180 | Private | |
| F-GEOQ | Piper PA-28 Arrow III R-201 | Private | |
| EC-BJR | Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche B 160 | Private | |
| F-GCJE | Piper PA-44 Seminole 180 | Private | |
| N138CM | Piper PA-46 Meridian M500 500TP | Private | |
| F-GBQI | Reims-Cessna F.172 N | Private | |
| F-GSBD | Robin DR.400 Regent 180 | Private | |
| F-BXRJ | Robin HR.200 Club 100 | Private | |
| F-HCFA | Socata TB-10 Tobago | Private | |
| F-HECN | Socata TB-20 Trinidad | Private | |
| F-GKUF | Socata TB-9 Tampico Club | Private | |
| F-HNVA | Tecnam P.2006 T | Private |
Stored aircraft
Departing at 2pm and climbing to 4500ft we headed in a straight line for a 3 hour 30 minute flight to Jersey, our final destination fro the day, the route took us up past Toulouse and Nantes coasting out at Dinard, the flight was smooth and the weather clear and blue all the way. Landing on runway 09 at Jersey and parking at the flying club, they have an excellent club house here with a cafe on the second floor with a balcony looking out over the taxiway and threshold of runway 27, all movements can be seen and easy to photograph, they even have an arrival/departures screen with all movements on not only airliners but including light aircraft . There was not much of interest here, the aeroclub have added three new Tecnam's to the fleet and a couple of bizz were parked up. So it was off to the Hotel de France and an evening in St Hellier.
Jersey Sunday 23rd March 2019
| G-ISLM | Aerospatiale ATR 72 212A | Blue Islands |
| G-REXA | Beech B200GT King Air 250 | RVL Aviation |
| N9880Q | Cessna 172 M | Private |
| N622RC | Cirrus Design SR-22T | Private |
| G-JACM | Tecnam P.2008 JC | The Channel Islands Aero Club |
| G-JACN | Tecnam P.2008 JC | The Channel Islands Aero Club |
| G-JACL | Tecnam P.2010 | Private |
After a lie in on Sunday morning it was time to head home, leaving at 1130 for a 2 hour 30 minute sector, again into beautiful weather heading up over the Isle of White towards Brize Norton and a glancing view of the B52's at Fairford before turning towards East Midlands and then a straight line back to Durham arriving at a windy cold afternoon and the aircraft now tucked up in Hangar 1.