Log Brazil trip 22/09-05/10 Part III
We arrived 2 hours late into Confins airport in Belo Horizonte after our Ocean Air flight was delayed. Belo Horizonte is served by 2 airports, Confins the main one is around 35 km North of the city and is only reached by road transport. The airport is served by all the main airlines such as TAM, GOL, Varig and Ocean Air. It has a crescent shaped terminal with an observation level at the top with good views out. There is only one long runway. GOL have hangers in the far corner visible when you exit the airport by road and between that and the terminal is the cargo terminal. Past the other end of the terminal is the fire station which has an all white B737 parked outside of it (ex Vasp, no markings at all). BH Confins 27/09;
Only logged TAM A320's PR-MBA/MHH
Stayed in the city at the Quality Hotel Alfonso Pena, £60 for a twin, nice hotel, buffet breakfast inc, taxi from CNF cost 84 BRL (abt £24) but between 4 was more bearable. We picked a city hotel as we wanted to go to Pampulha airport first in the following morning.
BH Pampulha 28/09;
Enjoyed our time here. Airport doesn't look much when driving up to it and infact the terminal is quite small. It has an observation deck upstairs which although has a glass window is still great for pictures (there are a few in my gallery ). Total are based here with their ATR's. On reflection it may have been better if we got here first thing and we'd probably got most of the fleet but we had a bit of a lie in and saw only 4. Air Minas (E120) and Trip (ATR) also serve the airport but is is quite quiet for airliner traffic. However, GA and military traffic more than make up for the airliner gaps. Across the other side of the airport are 4 or 5 hangers, 1 of which is Total's, 1 is a Police hanger, the rest are GA hangers. Terminal side to the left is the military area. We saw several transport and trainer movements. There are also another 5/6 hangers to the right of the terminal for GA aircrfat, mainly biz jets. These are not visible from the terminal, we found them after getting a hanger visit to Chamone's on the other side of the field and looked back across.
6100 LJ55 FAB2281/2285 EM110 FABPT-TTL ATR42 TotalPT-LYM BE90PT-OZK BE200PR-RHF PA31PT-LSP BE90PP-WRV BE400PT-MAM EM121PR-TTE/G ATR TotalPT-OSR BE200PT-MSA EM1211PT-OIU BE90PT-LFO EM820PT-EJY EM820PT-WLK BE200PP-EMG EM110 PolicePT-LGW LJ35PT-OOT BE90N-5052 BL206 NavyN-5054 BL206 NavyPR-MCE BE200PT-LEA LJ35PR-CTB Cit EncPT-LJQ Cit550PT-DXB PA31PT-OTQ CitPT-JKT CE310PT-LDD EM110PT-LJK LJ35PT-MEP CE208PT-ORC Cit560PR-CAN CitJetPT-ODC Cit501PR-WYW FA50PR-XGT BE90PP-EJO BE350PT-WGS BE200PP-BMG Cit5506704 EM145 Awacs FABPT-HZO AS350PT-WUM Cit XPT-SGM EM110PT-LPN Cit 550PR-OFT GlxyPT-LHT LJ35PT-MFE ATR Total
taxi then back to Confins but can't remember the cost exactly, about 60BRL i think.
BH Confins 28/09;
Was not overly busy, so after logging what we needed, we discovered a bar that had happy hour from 5-7 pm so had a break from number crunching before our flight to Rio.
PR-GIA B738 GOLPT-MZS A320 TAMPR-GOD B73G GOLPP-SMA B737 (Vasp-the all white one with no markings)
Flew to Rio DJ onOcean Air FK100 PR-OAL.
Rio DJ 28/09;
Logged only the 2 while taxi-ing in;
CS-TOE A330 TAPPT-SSK B733 Web Jet
Stayed at the Guanabara Palace Htl in the city centre, £62 for a twin, nice hotel too, buffet breakfast inc. One of the buses between Santos Dumont and Galeao goes past the hotel en route so transport to the airports is cheap. It is only about 5-10 mins max from SDU and from the hotel roof you can see stuff landing (in fact they fly overhead before banking sharply round and can be read off under the wings!!) You can also see the end of the runway and aircraft taxing out are readable too. We decided to pop down to SDU each moring to see if any new biz jets had arrived and weren't disappointed.
RIO DJ SDU 29/09;
PP-JQM CitXPR-BZE PC12PR-IMO L410PT-WLO LJ31PT-YSD AS365PT-SHR EM110PT-ODL Cit550N-5038 BL206 Navy2307/2324/2328/2338 EMM110 FABPP-VOZ B733 RG6052 HS125 FABPR-MBI A319 TAMPR-GID B73G GOLPT-WYU Cit XL
Rio DJ GIG 29/09;
PR-LGK B757F Varig LogPT-MEX CE208PR-LTA HS125PP-LBF/BLR/BLS B727 Fly (stored)UN-B6701 B767 Kazakstan Gov CC-CRG B767 Lan2525/2550 EM145 FABPP-VBF DC3 Varig (at the entrance to the hangers which we tried to get around but refused)2462/2463 C130 FAB2471/2472/2477 C130 FAB (stored)7201 P3 FABN659UA B763 UACX-PUB B763 PlunaCS-TOF A330 TAPPR-GOM B73G GOLPR-GOK B738 GOLHP-1528CMP B73G Copa
The Copa is due at 2055 and the last thing we decided to wait for.
Rio DJ SDU 30/09;
PT-GKI EM110 (stored)PT-CDD RC690 (stored-anybody able to confirm reg??)PT-WHE BE400PR-LRJ LJPT-WYC FA2000PT-MPL BE400PR-GQG Cit
Rio DJ GIG 30/09;
N66056 B764 COLV-AZU B735 ARN359AA B763 AAPT-MZB A320 TAMPR-LGG B757 Varig Log2467 C130 FAB2006/2011/2016 EM120 FAB2402/2404 B707 FAB165093 Gulf4N657UA B763 UACC-CWG B763 LanPR-GTP B738 GOLD2-TEA B743 TAAG (pity it wasn't a 777)PT-MES CE208F-GISD B744 AFPT-WMA 125CC-CPL A319 Lan (very nice too)EC-KCL A340 IBLV-AYI B735 AR2580 EM145 FABCS-TOI A330 TAP
Flew to Sao Paolo GRU on Varig B767 PP-VPV
Sao Paolo GRU 30/09;
D-AIGT A343 LHN67158 B767 COLV-BDV B735 ARCX-BOO B737 PlunaPT-MQK F100 TAMPT-MZW A320 TAMPT-MVD/G/L A330 TAMPR-MAZ A320 TAMPR-OAM F100 Ocean
Back over to Congonhas for 3 nights at the Ibis.
Sao Paolo CGH 30/09;
2116 B737 FAB
Sao Paolo CGH 01/10;
From our room on the 11th floor of the Ibis you get a really good view of most of the airport. Across from the runways are 4/5 hangers and aircraft are easily readable inside (at night too if hanger lights are on). Almost below the hotel is the military terminal where the visiting transport aircraft park. We did however get a bit frustrated by all the other GA aircraft and helicopters coming out from places we couldn't see so decided to explore later in the day. Going past the terminal there are a lot more hangers, many of which used to belong to Vasp. From my database and online information available there are about 6 B737's and 2 A300's of Vasp stored here. From the terminal it is hard to imagine where but after walking round the perimiter wall it is easy to see how. We saw quiet a few Vasp tails but couldn't get anywhere to get a decent view of the aircraft. Both A300 tails are visible above the wall and you can see enough of 3 B737's to count. Carrying on past Vasp and Tam hangers you come to the end of the road but look out onto to Liders hangers and helipad-one mystery solved. There is a large helipad built on stilts,at the back of the Lider hanger, quiet impressive really. Anyway, still no views of the biz hangers so we kept walking, round the end of the runway to the other side (long walk by the way). Still no views though thanks to the wall all around the airport. However after nearly giving up hope we stumbled on a garden centre (Tatuake or something like that). Anyway, at the very bottom corner of the garden centre is a raised mound which overlooks the airfield and gives great views of the biz hangers. We wouldn't of seen the Interbrasil Em120's from anywhere else and you get a reasonable view of Vasp A300 PP-SNN and 737 PP-SOT. We went there twice, first time no one bothered us, the second time the security guard said we need permission so we were escorted to the main building and spoke to the manageress who let us stay, didn't want us taking pictures but okay spotting. We were supervised throughout then but the guard was very friendly and we gave him a tip.
PT-OGE/F/Q CE208PT-VAQ EM820PR-OAC FK50 OceanPR-MHJ A320 TAM PR-GOU B73G GOLPP-SOT B737 Vasp (stored)PT-WKF PC12PT-XFG Cit 650PR-HAV EC120PT-OLW BE90PT-EUX EM8208735 Puma FABPT-WHC BE400PR-EDF BE350PR-YBL A109PR-MHC A320 TAMPT-YEM A109PR-DOG PC12N902AG CL6PR-MAU CE2082004 EM120 FABPR-OPP 125PT-LHJ BE90PR-WRI FA900PT-WKQ Cit550PP-EOJ AS350PT-LOT LJ35PR-MAE A320 TAM PT-OJG Cit550PR-OTA LJ45PT-LHV RC690PP-ISB/C EM120 Interbrasil (stored)PR-BER BE390PT-LER BE90PR-MOZ BE350PT-OIF BE90PT-OTC 125PP-MDB Cit XLPR-ITN Cit 650PR-SPO CitJet3PR-ARA CitJetPT-WJF BE90PP-SNN A300 Vasp (stored)PR-MAB A320 TamPR-ONE LJ40PT-YJJ AS3506545 EM110 FABPT-ACC LJ352581 EM135 FABPT-WST MU2PT-HYB AS350PT-WZN CE208PR-LFT Cit XL
Sao Paolo CGH 02/10;
PT-LHB 125PT-ODC CitPT-HVU BL206PR-TIN BE90PR-RMA BE90PR-TCA BE90PR-ACT BE200PT-OOY BE90PT-FGB BE350PP-SAM PC12PT-XFS LJ60PT-LZP LJ35N900WK FA900N906WK FA900PR-RHH BE90PT-LSJ LJ35PT-LKS Cit550PR-ORE Lgcy6050 125 FABPR-ACK RC690PR-LFT CiT XLPR-EBD CitJet3PR-JRR BE390PR-AVM LJ31PT-OCC BE90PR-MIT BL430PT-OMZ BE90PP-SMG/U B737 Vasp (stored)PR-MZL A320 TAMPT-MCC EM121PR-CAM A109PR-SFA LJ40PP-EIF CitJet
Sao Paolo GRU 02/10;
N127GG G5F-GIUC B744F AF EC-GLE A340 IBPR-LGD M11F RGPT-MRA F100 TAMCS-TOC A340 TAPN381VP citPT-MSI MD11 TAMPP-VMT DC10 RGCC-CEB B763 LanCP-2484 B737 Aero SurHB-JMA A340 LXPH-BQM B777 KLN747AE G550PP-WRJ R44PR-OAX FK50 OceanPR-SKI DC8 SkymasterPT-WUS B707 SkymasterPP-VTC B767 RGLV-BBN B735 ARZS-SLE A340 SAAN471TA A319 Taca PeruEC-GQK A340IBA6-EWB B777 EKD-ABVA B744 LHLV-BIM B735 ARD-AIGN A340 LHCX-BON B737 PlunaN382AN B763 AAPP-MTA DC10 MTACC-COD A320 LanCC-CDM B763 lanN76156 B767 COF-GLZL A340 AFN76054 B764 COXA-JBC B763 AMX
Nice to get the Emirates 777, they only started to GRU on 01/10.
Thats it for part III, final installment in a few days. Cheers
Kev Stokes