During a recent spotters trip, I visited Istres. Do note spot 5 is hard to reach nowadays. It already had been, but now they when I drove half way the 5mph "road"
, I entered some kind of oil drilling place (so it looked). All sort of signs saying explosion hazard, black soil, weird machines parked along the tracks and security cars coming towards me from all sides.
It appreared I entered a danger zone were about two months ago an oil pipe cracked and contaminated an area of about six football pitches wide! These guys are in the process of cleaning this area, but never ever experienced any other people (than themselves) driving around in this area. Thanks to print out version of the Scramble airfield guide they now also have a better understanding of all the tracks running around this area so they can prevent people from entering this area via roads they never knew off. How convenient! But, I must say they were very friendly and helped me out finding another “road” linking to the existing ones that are now blocked. This made me able to reach the abandoned farm near the Northern approach end.
So be aware!
8 October 2009
(202) Mirage 3B preserved at 25 RGA
(234) Mirage 3B1 preserved on base
01 Mirage 50N stored on base
Visitors:
1x ATL2 FN
(0759)/JDG EC.135 Gendarmerie
HA.28-03/ET-703/F-ZKBB EC.665HAP FAMET/Eurocopter exercising NW-area
Locals:
5455/VT +1 AS.555UN EH05.067
737/93-CI +3 C-135FR GRV02.093
377/F-ZVMO C.212-300 CEV
578/AH PC-7 EPNER
64/- Mirage 2000-5F CEV
106/MN TBM.700 CEV
Mirage 2000N EC03.004 :
320/125-CD, 340/125-AA, 342/125-BE, 354/125-BJ, 357/125-CO, 360/125-CB, 371/125-BD
The following morning was also spent at Istres, but this time on the eastern end near the taxi way. I was amazed to see how good one could reach this place and with the right winds can photograph onto the taxiway! Unfortunately the winds changed overnight which excluded this part of the taxi way from being used, as all aircraft came to a halt at an exit before the one in front of me. However, take-off shots are not too bad from here. 400mm for a tanker and about 500-600mm for fighter jets (or 400mm and slightly cropping). Today saw two nice helicopters from the CEV of which the AS.350 did use the taxi way for hovering towards the Northern approach end. Lack of guts at that time prevented me from running towards the fence and taking the pic, but it turned out to be quite a relaxed spot with base security waiving to me as they passed by later on during the day. How bizar!
9 October
Visitors:
1x C-160R nn
158/62-IM CN.235M-100 ET01.062
.../F-ZWTH NH.90TTH Hellenic Army/Eurocopter crossing
(4055)?/ABB SA.342M EHADT/CEV?
94/ABZ TBM.700A EAAT
Any help with the Gazelle is appreciated!
Locals:
2851/F-ZLAI AS.350U2 CEV
(6116)/F-ZLAG SA.365N CEV
51/330-AS Mirage 2000-5F CEV
64/- Mirage 2000-5F CEV
529/115-OC Mirage 2000B CEV
673/- Mirage 2000D CEV
14 S. Etendard M CEV
474/93-CE C-135FR GRV02.093
737/93-CI +3 C-135FR GRV02.093
The images will be posted
here.
Cheers,
