My request to Col Abrantes had been granted, and I had written permission to visit the four main operating bases of the Força Aérea Portuguesa, covering a straight four-day period. Starting with Sintra, located North of Lisbon, then South to Montijo, heading East across the Alentejo for Beja and finishing at Monte-real up on the northwest coast.
My weekend arrival in Portugal had been greeted with an ongoing heatwave, the weather already creating devastating wildfires across the Countryside of their neighbour Spain, the control of which the Força Aérea Portuguesa were involved with their C-130H of Esq 501 based at Montijo.
Below are a few images, starting on a brilliant Tuesday morning visit to the airbase at Sintra.
Below are a few images, starting on a brilliant Tuesday morning visit to the airbase at Sintra.
2420 T-37C is currently stored at the Alverca Museum.
T-37C's 2425 is at Sintra today, 24 is stored at Alverca, and 2430 rests at Alochete.
3715 CeFTB337G.
1774 Texan T-6J is still flying here but was later passed to an instructional airframe.
1546 Havard 11A outside the Sintra Museu do Ar.
4711 PZV-5F outside the Sintra Museu do Ar.
6157 C-47A outside the Sintra Museu do Ar. Apparently, the wings later found their way to Alochete!
16523 Casa 212-100 rumoured to be stored in Tucson (AZ)
6519 Casa 212A of 401 Esq, my host Esq at Sintra. Later, it became 16519 and was stored at Beja.
3480 Do27A-3 in the main maintenance hangar at Sintra, today Wfu.
This was a highlight moment as I strolled into the very dark hangar affiliated with the Museu do Ar.
3548 Auster D5/160 in entire Força Aérea Portuguesa colours; today, she resides at Ovar.
Behind her is 102, one of the DH.82 Tiger Moths built under license at Alverca in Portugal; it was in service between 1934 and 1952.
Yet another star 2307 DH89A Dragon lounging at the rear of the hangar still wearing its complete Força Aérea Portuguesa scheme, the tail of DH82B Hornet Moth brandishes the Portuguese overseas territory registration prefix CR-AAC.
Sikorsky UH-19 (MM80119)/CS-10 Itaf would become 9101 at the Museu do Ar.
The next visit would be to Montijo.
19503 SA330S1 today stored at Alverca.
14804 P-3P Orion lands back at Montijo after a mission. Sadly, this aircraft is an instructional airframe for the Portuguese Air Force fire service today.
16804 C-130H Esq501 marked Rodeo'93 Best foreign team. It also appeared at the I.A.T. in that same year (1993) wearing the above markings but registered 6804. Aircraft W/O 11th July 2016.
16801 C-130H-30 newly arrived from Alverca following its upgrade. Previously registered as 6801.
16805 and 16806 C130H 501Esq.
In 1978, the name of 501 Esq was changed to the "Bisontes".
Sitting very proud but all alone, 5445 G91R/3 was resting in a dark hangar at Montijo airbase, barely illuminated by a ray of sunlight.
A total celebration of the service history of the G91 fleet of the Força Aérea Portuguesa.
Ginos were always one of my favourite jets, whether Portuguese or Italian. The weather That morning may have been full of sun and warmth, but out there on Montijo airbase, I
had a feeling of melancholy photographing an entire fleet of G91s withdrawn from flying.
The seagulls so obviously enjoying roosting on them at night, far out here in the quiet natural area of this waterside airbase.
The Squadron leaders aircraft 5436 G91R/4.
https://www.natotigers.org/tiger-units/esquadra-301
Today, this aircraft is stored at Alochete.
From 1965, Portugal was involved in the Portuguese Colonial War in Africa. By 1965, fighting was at its height, and Portugal had tried to acquire 100 surplus Candian-built Sabre MK6s in West Germany. Eventually, the German government agreed to transfer 40 G.91Rs from Germany to Portugal; these aircraft had been initially constructed for Greece and Turkey's airforces, so there were problems with their delivery. They ended up serving with the Luftwaffe, where they were found not compatible with the Luftwaffe servicing, creating major maintenance problems.
Germany offered them to Portugal, and in exchange, they asked to be allowed to build an airbase at Beja for training purposes. The rest is history...
14804 P-3P on the ramp.
14805 P-3P in the grey scheme, scrapped at Beja in March 2014.
This grey scheme 14801 P-3P prepares for a mission; today, it is stored at DGMFA at Alverca.
5404 G91-R/4 and my little hire car.
Next came my visit to Beja, hosted by Esq 552.
Beja was hot, 19356 Allouette SE3160 Esq 552; today, it is stored at Beja.
9367 SE3160. Sadly, the W/O date is unknown.
1403 TB-30.
1405 TB-30
Today, 15248 Alpha Jet A is stored in hangar 2/3 embellished with its Tiger colours.
Alpha Jet's line of honour was stored everywhere after their transfer from Germany.
An iconic moment in the markings of 20+99 F-104 preserved and painted for the departure of the German airforce from Beja
Beja airbase was commissioned by the West Gerrman airforce in 1962, and sadly, by 1993, its glory days of the Luftwaffe were no longer.
Monte-Real was my last day with the Força Aérea Portuguesa. Supposedly, this was the day the first F-16s were due to arrive in Portugal for the Força Aérea Portuguesa, but sadly they were delayed en route.
Not at all disappointing, though, with the A-7s carrying out missions throughout the day.
15527 A-7P Taxiing back to the sun shelters. Today's status scrapped.
15545 TA-7 in the sun shelter at Monte-real.
5320 F-86-35NA, this aircraft may have been scrapped.
15544 A-7P taxiing from the sun shelters for a mission.
15549 TA-7P is taxiing uphill to the main runway and a thumbs up to me.
16803 C-130H visiting Monte-Real to take on water as it has been seconded in the firefight across the border in Spain.
501 Esq had hosted my visit at Montijo three days earlier, and seeing these guys practising their mission was incredible.
The new F-16 Falcons never appeared and were delayed en route to Monte-Real, probably in Lajes; I later heard they arrived on Saturday.
For me, though, it had been an incredible insight into the Força Aérea Portuguesa.
Happy Days, indeed!
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