Seen here on 10/10/2024 during a short visit in the evening:
Flying:
EC135 HE.26-03 / ET-181
EC135 HE.26-04 / ET-182
EC 135 HE.26-27 / ET-191
CH-47F HT.17-28A / ET-428
Stored from front to back:
CH-47D HT.17-19
CH-47D HT.17-02
UH-1H (HU.10-24) ET-261
CH-47D HT.17-09
CH-47D HT.17-12
CH-47D HT.17-05
CH-47D HT.17-16
CH-47D HT.17-10
CH-47D HT.17-0? the number after the 0 seems to be gone
CH-47D HT.17-19
CH-47D HT.17-02
CH-47D HT.17-09
CH-47D HT.17-12
CH-47D HT.17-05
CH-47D HT.17-16
CH-47D HT.17-10
CH-47D HT.17-03 (The last two are carried on the spine)
UH-1H HU.1(0)B-24 / ET-261
UH-1H HU.10-23
UH-1H HU.10-46 (According to EMOOS, this is actually HU.10-44)
UH-1H HU.10B-48
Bo 105ATH HA.15-39
Bo 105ATH HA.15-43
Bo 105ATH HA.15-44
There was at least one more Bo 105 CAB and another UH-1
Hi Colin,
Tuesday 8.10 Bo.105ATH (HA.15-45)/ET-314 'FAMET HA.15 1980-2017' was parked at right angles in front of the three Bolkows you note. We didn't check if it was still there on Friday though (keen to get down to Cuatro Vientos before the rain).
Freeman & Brian
We visited this place briefly on Sunday afternoon (13th Oct) and most of Monday (14th Oct). We logged the following:
Storage row:
Bo-105s: same as already reported, including the traveling exhibit ET-314 (marked "FAMET HU.15 1980-2017")
Chinooks: same as already reported
Hueys: Besides the already mentioned ET-261 in between the Chinooks we read these serials for the row of three Hueys: (HU.10-)23, 46 and 46. The two times "46" can be explained by the remark from EMOOS that HU.10-44 is fitted with an old tailboom of HU.10-46. In addition, in front of the three Hueys was another one. This was a cab only, with "30" on the nose. HU.10-60/ET-230 is also a traveling exhibit which lives here, and we believe it was this frame.
Note: The Hueys show a conflict with pervious messages where 48 was read. Three of us independently read 2x 46 (one was very easy to read, the second one was more of a challenge) and 48 is reported preserved in a museum at Belorado since aug19 (and GE images show a Huey still there in Jun24).
Active helicopters:
AS332: ET-509
CH-47: ET-420, 422, 424, 425, 426, 427, 428 and 433
EC135: ET-180, 182, 184, 186, 187, 189 and yellow examples ET-196, 197 and 198
This includes the choppers which spend the weekend at Cuatro Vientos from Friday evening onwards. Some notes:
CH-47s ET-424 and ET-428 arrived back at Colmenar on Mon afternoon around 3 pm if memory serves me right.
EC135s ET-187 and ET-189 arrived shortly after the Chinooks.
EC135 ET-196 arrived just after 9 am at Cuatro Vientos as crew ferry and left with ET-197 around 10 am to Colmenar. Both departed again from Colmenar around 11:30 am and adsb suggests they flew to Valencia.
Adding the preserved helicopters which we also saw:
Gate: Al.3, 2x Bo105, UH-1H and AB206A-1. Codes read only and correct as per EMOOS.
Behind the gate at what usually is described as the base museum: Bo105 (ET-160), OH-13S ("ET-102") and OH-58A (ET-115). Nothing read of course, codes from EMOOS.
And in front of the last buildings on base before the parking lot from where one can walk to the tarmac viewing point was another OH-58A (ET-118). Code again from EMOOS.
Bo-105:
- Have you photos of the HA.15-39/ET-308 and HA.15-44/ET-313?, they both were located at Almagro some months ago.
- HA.15-43/ET-312. Can you confirm it?. It was last August as I/A at the "Escuela de Ingeniería Industrial y Aeroespacial" (Toledo).
Huey:
- HU.10B-48/ET-222. Can you confirm it?. It is preserved at the "Museo de la Radiocomunicación Inocencio Bocanegra" (Belorado, Burgos). I think you are mistaken with the "other" HU.10B-46 (the ET-220).
Hi Paco,
Good questions.
w.r.t. the Bolkows, several of us read the serials as Colin noted and were, perhaps, as surprised as you are. I didn't take photos, but the aircraft looked to be in the same positions as the 3 shown on the 6.24 G.E. image.
As a local, are you able to confirm that photographing into the base is now allowed? I'm interested to know if attitudes have changed as we witnessed a local being encouraged to take photos through the fence at Albacete Airbus, by an employee, earlier that week.
Thank you,
Freeman
Usually I record all of my sightings with a camera. However, I am seriously uncomfortable pointing a camera at base infrastructure in Spain so have no pictures to corroborate the sightings. Happily, Eric and Freeman appear to have confirmed the veracity of the Bo105s. I could easily have mistaken the serial of the UH-1, these thing happen especially the manner they are grouped together. Hopefully the appearance of the "new" Bo105s will encourage others to venture up to check for themselves, and hopefully post the results.
Got a long shot too:
On 10/10, in the evening, about an hour before sunset, we passed from Colmenar towards Torrejon. Upon leaving Colmenar, the first parking on the left after the base had a truck with what looked to be an AS332 or AS532 loaded om it, completely wrapped in white foil. Obviously no serial was seen, but any clue which one that could have been and why it is being transported this way? Has there been an incident with one of these helicopters recently?
