The log below is from 3 days spent earlier this week at Dabolim, the movements were slow with only up to 10 different military aircraft active each day, but several of them flew more than once with the MiG29s flying 3 or sometimes 4 times a day each.
I used an area between spots 2 and 3 from the Scramble Airfield guide (take the small white road in the middle of them identified on Google Maps as Aircraft Viewing Point) and walked up the hill which is fantastic for approach shots onto 26. However, in the mornings they always used 08 so getting serials was a matter of patience and chance for the MiG29s whereas the P8s, Dornier’s and Helis all were easy to get from the photographs when launching that way. Arrivals on 08 if they roll to the end were readable until around 10am when the heat wobble started to make a difference at that distance. They swapped to 26 operations around 1400ish each day.
The civil airliners are all gone by 08:30 and they don’t return until 12:30 which gives a 4 hour golden time for the military to have the airfield for themselves. They still fly after 12:30 but obviously have to take their turn amongst the civil airliner movements thereafter.
There are 2 IL38s (IN303, IN306) stored on the ramp just past the terminal which are easily visible from the spot I used. A look on Google Maps shows a 3rd one (IN305) preserved on the grass on the southern side opposite the terminal, but when I flew out I found that it had gone. Given that IN306 had been expected to go to the museum I wonder whether 305 has now actually gone there instead? I visited the museum in 2011 so didn’t bother on this occasion so cant confirm.
The units for the log below are all taken from the Scramble airfield notes, and the exact types are taken from the logging database I use. The sightings are duplicated for any aircraft seen on multiple days just to give a feel for what could be seen on any given day. The only aircraft noted with a DAB tail-code was P8 IN328.
15-Jan-24, Mon GOI - Goa, India
CG779 HAL/Dornier Do 228 101 Indian Coast Guard
IN303 Ilyushin IL-38 SD Indian Navy INAS 315, stored
IN306 Ilyushin IL-38 SD Indian Navy INAS 315, stored
IN329 Boeing P-8I Neptune Indian Navy INAS 316
IN330 Boeing P-8I Neptune Indian Navy INAS 316
IN678 Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29 KUB Indian Navy INAS 303
IN722 Kamov Ka-31 Indian Navy INAS 339
IN725 Kamov Ka-31 Indian Navy INAS 339
IN743 HAL Dhruv Mk.III Indian Navy INAS 323
IN744 HAL Dhruv Mk.III Indian Navy INAS 323
IN801 Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29 K Indian Navy INAS 303
IN802 Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29 K Indian Navy INAS 303
IN805 Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29 K Indian Navy INAS 303
17-Jan-24, Wed GOI - Goa, India
CG822 HAL Chetak HAL.316B Indian Coast Guard
IN230 HAL/Dornier Do 228 201 Indian Navy INAS 310
IN236 HAL/Dornier Do 228 201 Indian Navy INAS 310
IN327 Boeing P-8I Neptune Indian Navy INAS 312
IN329 Boeing P-8I Neptune Indian Navy INAS 316
IN722 Kamov Ka-31 Indian Navy INAS 339
IN725 Kamov Ka-31 Indian Navy INAS 339
IN743 HAL Dhruv Mk.III Indian Navy INAS 323
IN744 HAL Dhruv Mk.III Indian Navy INAS 323
IN820 Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29 K Indian Navy INAS 303
IN821 Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29 K Indian Navy INAS 303
18-Jan-24, Thu GOI - Goa, India
CG779 HAL/Dornier Do 228 101 Indian Coast Guard
IN059 HAL Kiran HJT-16 Mk.1 Indian Navy preserved by mil buildings opposite terminal (see note below)
IN236 HAL/Dornier Do 228 201 Indian Navy INAS 310
IN258 HAL/Dornier Do 228 201 Indian Navy INAS 318
IN328 Boeing P-8I Neptune Indian Navy INAS 316, DAB
IN331 Boeing P-8I Neptune Indian Navy INAS 316
IN462 HAL Chetak HAL.316B Indian Navy INAS 321
IN724 Kamov Ka-31 Indian Navy INAS 339
IN801 Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29 K Indian Navy INAS 303
IN818 Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29 K Indian Navy INAS 303
IN820 Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29 K Indian Navy INAS 303
IN821 Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29 K Indian Navy INAS 303
IN822 Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29 K Indian Navy INAS 303
IN??? Glider Indian Navy in hangar with P8
IN??? Glider Indian Navy in hangar with P8
IN??? Glider Indian Navy in hangar with P8
The preserved Kiran can be seen from the terminal, look to the 11 o’clock position. The serial comes from photos taken on the takeoff run but a fence in front of it means getting it in focus is tricky. I’m 100% is either IN059 or 053, with 99% sure of it being 059. A check of my database shows that 053 should be in the museum and the Scramble database shows that 053 has (or had) a red tail which this one did not. I was without my telescope but from the terminal it may be possible to confirm it 100%, would love to have that confirmation if anyone can.
The 3 Gliders were parked in one of the P8 hangars (which also held a P8) and were a surprise to see, I only noticed them on the take off run and by that time we were already 500ft+ so failed to catch a photo of them. The assumption is that they have an Indian Navy serial but I don’t know for sure.
One last comment about the location I used on the slope by the 26 approach – I was there from 8am to approx. 3pm on the Monday and Wednesday, the Thursday I left earlier to catch my 15:20 flight. On the Wednesday I was aware of some MiG29 flying so went back for photos in the nice light but after 5pm I was disturbed by 7 local children from a nearby slum area aged I think between 12 to 14. At first they were friendly but wanted to hold the camera and have their photo taken, but very quickly it degenerated into demands for money. They took my water bottle and started to spray water at me when I refused their money demands and thereafter they decided that throwing stones at me was great fun. I’ve not experienced stone throwing in India before and the Goa people are not at all like that, just these slum area kids. The bottom line is that I would recommend anyone not to go there during school holidays or outside of school timings.
Hope thats of interest
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