10:36 Super Puma HD.21-7 of the SAR made an approach on rwy 03R and continued to fly around over the bay for the next half hour or so.
10:38 F18 46-17 landed on the 03R. It taxied to a shelter on the south side of the base where it arrived 10:47.
11:04 Casa C235 D4-06 (SAR) landed on 03R.
12:04 the C235 taxies to the 03R, followed by Casa C295 35-42. Both take off at 12:11 and 12:13 respectively.
Remark: the expected 707 tanker did not show up (is said to land every Friday around 12).
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Last edited by paul-760 on 25 Jun 2015, 22:14, edited 1 time in total.
Coast guard 102 passed along Maspalomas beach as late as 19:30.
Monday 11-05-2015
Military activity as Gando AB:
9:40 From the highway an F18 was visible outside its shelter. It did not take off and when I arrivd at the 'spotters hill' overlooking the base 5 minutes later, it had disappearded.
It seems it was intended to fly the morning mission but suffered a technical falure.
11:30 the same F18 (46-10) started up again and rolled out of the shelter. Tests were performed and later it taxied to the runway.
Checking continued at the head of rwy 03R for 3 minutes or so. Finally at 11:57 it took off and climed vertically to above the clouds.
@dditional info 17th May: I was informed that no regular F18 flying was scheduled for the entire week of my stay (possibly because exercise Sirio was held at the same time, somewhere on the main land) so this F18 might have been the only one that took off from Gando this week.
Also seen: C295 35-42 dep 10:14 from 03L (!).
SAR Super Puma landed 11:01 on 03R.
Coast guard 102 EC-KEL landed 11:12 on 03L.
SAR C235 T.19B.05 dep 11:47 from 03R.
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Last edited by paul-760 on 17 May 2015, 18:56, edited 2 times in total.
Wednesday 13-05-2015 (no) military activity at Gando AB:
F18 46-12 was outside the shelter when I arrived c.10:00. Tanking finished 10:40 but nothing happened.
Then F18 46-10 rolled out of the adjacent shelter; also tanked and then even started up for 15 minutes or so.
Both stood there in the open air until I left at 13:30.... not having seen any jet flying (grrrrrr).
I noted another F18 (46-03) that was towed to the nothern part of the base.
Around noon SAR C235 T.19B.05 took off from rwy 03R. The 12 o'clock SAR departure seems to take place every day.
Also the coast guard seems to fly to a more or less fixed schedule, landing around 11 and departing around 13:00 again. Today I noted 103 landing on the 03L. The coast guard (Salvamento maritimo) have their own hangar on the civil part of the airfield south of the departure/arrivals building.
16:07 Spanish airforce Boeing 707 T.17.3 (47-03) taxied from the northern part of the base via the head of the 03R and departed from the 03L at 16:12. This classic aircraft still has its old thin engines that produce a nice smoke trail during take off (like the AWACS at Geilenkirchen). The 47-03 has a white livery with a red stripe and is marked 'Fuerza aerea espanola'. Also grey examples are said to be flying. The 707 only comes to Gando on Friday afternoon. It is not a tanker but appears to be configured for cargo and/or passengers.
Does anybode knows what is carries? Does it supply the Canary base from the spanish main land, maybe?
16:49 Coast guard C235 departed and headed to the south side of the island.
Earlier today I noted the coast guard flying low past Puerto de Mogan.
Hello Paul,
The b707 you have steen is the last Operational One in Spanish inventory.
The t17-02 is std at torrejon missing One engine while the other two ( the Grey ones) are std at Getafe. One of they Grey ones is missing all Engines the other One all Engines AND ITS tail. All were seen by me today.
Thursday 25 June
In the evening on MIL apron: Herc 31-50 (camo livery) and C295 35-43.
At 2000 hours four F18s took off for an evening exercise: the first group consisted 46-15 and 46-20; the second 46-01 and 46-10. A fifth was visible in its shelter (and stayed there).
Probably due to the evening flying, tomorrow they will start later than normally, at 1100 hours.
EDIT: the Herc is a tanker. Later I heard it also flew a mission to refuel the F18s mentioned above.
In the morning on the MIL apron:
Tanker-Herc 31-50.
C295 35-43.
C235 D.4-06 (SAR).
Super Puma HD.21-8 (SAR).
Inside the SAR hangar another C235 was being repaired.
Inside the hangar of building H7 (the light coloured hangar with the round roof in front of the civil airport, which is the head quarters of 462 squadron):
Mirage F1 14-07 (seems to be complete, radar was being repaired)
F5 464-48 (no landing gear)
These aircraft are being restored for an upcoming anniversary of 462 squadron.
Inside the maintenance hanger of building H6 (the most southern hangar, also with a round roof):
F18s 46-01, 46-13 and 46-23.
Later 46-01 was towed to the apron between H6 and H7.
There is also a small old hanger between H6 and H7, near the old round tower at the sea side, where the aircraft's electronic systems are repaired. There was at least one F18 inside.
Shelter area on the far south of the premisses:
QRA-shelter with 2 F18s.
10 regular shelters with at least the following F18s: 46-05, 46-09, 46-10, 46-11, 46-15 and 46-20.
Flying operations:
10:20L Super Puma aborded take-off
10:40L C235 D.4-06 take-off
11:04L take-off Tanker Herc
11:12L take-off 5 F18s in two formations:
46-09, 46-10 and 46-15 (callsign Hornet 35)
46-11 and 46-20 (callsign Hornet 39)
c.12:00L C235 returned to base
12:38L Hornet 35 formation returned to base, tactical approach at low altitude on runway 03R and a break above the MIL apron. The Tanker-Herc followed immediately behind at 12:46L.
14:32L Hornet 39 formation returned to base.
15:53L take-off Tanker-Herc. It probably departed to Madrid because the Boeing 707 did not show up this Friday afternoon. If it's broken personnel and equipment is flown between Madrid and Gran Canaria with the Herc or the C295.
Last edited by paul-760 on 28 Jun 2015, 18:29, edited 1 time in total.
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