NATO Tiger Meet 1996 Beja Portugal.

Our flight was, this time, to Lisbon International Airport, en route to the 1996 NATO Tiger Meet being held at Beja Air Base. Within a short time of landing in Portugal, we headed to Alverca, home to OGMA's aircraft facility. The OGMA facility at Alverca is visited by exotic C-130 Hercules from Africa that pass through it for overhauls and maintenance.

Later that evening, we made a night stop in the evocative town of Evora; our hotel had far-reaching views over the Alentejo, with its rolling plains filled with cork and olive trees and regimented rows of vines. At a little restaurant that evening, we learnt that the meat, wine, and cheese had all come from this landscape. The following day, with thick heads, we set out across Portugal's breadbasket to another vital principal town and our destination, Beja.

On 25 May 1996, the  Força Aérea Portuguesa opened its gates to photographers and enthusiasts. I hope the following transparencies portray what an extraordinary time we had.

 An unfortunate moment occurred on the 26th when Hawk XX302 (TI) of 74 (R), Sqn RAF, was written off after being hit by a Portuguese F-16.

Thankfully, the Hawk pilot bailed out safely, and the F-16 landed back with tail damage.

This, however, led to the cancellation of a second Holloman-based Stealth F-117 flying in from Mildenhall to perform an aerial demonstration. Luckily, one was already at Beja in the static exhibition, which, incidentally, was vast. Another three examples arrived at RAF Mildenhall, where they also participated in the Air Fete that weekend. 

By the time of the Tiger Meet, Força Aérea Portuguesa had retired its T-33 and T-38 training aircraft, but they had still bought out the jets and lined them up for photographers.

I still consider this one of the most outstanding and exceptionally well-organised NATO Tiger meets. The weather was marvellous.

"What was that year again?" 1996...

I hope you enjoy a trip down memory lane.

Sadly, we will never see this again, as serial 1926 T-33A heads a ten-plane lineup.
Força Aérea Portuguesa T-33A.

Six T-38As lined up and beyond, New Jersey ANG KC-135E 57-1431, 141st ARS, Tiger Squadron.

Mont-de Marsan Mirage 2000C 80/330-AS. The French Air Force reminds us of the year.

Outside Beja airbase, the photography was challenging. However, the participants were very rewarding.
Here, 46+45 Tornado ECR JBG32 prepares to land.

"The Last Starfighter" MM6716/53-21 F104.ASA-M 21 Gruppo Italian Air Force. Three other Starfighters were present. 

37+76 F4F JG74 West German air force.

503/33-FF Mirage F1B EC03.033 French airforce.

87/33-FR Mirage F1C EC03.033 French airforce.

119 DH82A Tiger Moth  Força Aérea Portuguesa. W/O 10 Dec 2004.

T-37C 2419  Força Aérea Portuguesa, today stored at Alverca.

3480 Do-27A-1, stored at Alochete. 

9218  SE3130, preserved at the base museum, previously registered 75+15.

1335 DHC-1-200 Chipmunk Esq802 active.

1930 T-33A-1-LO Base Museum ex Belgium FT-30. In 1979, I photographed FT-28/29, both of which were visiting the International Air Tattoo at Greenham Common. See the link below.

https://legendarymilavia.blogspot.com/2019/04/greenham-common-international-air.html

908 F-5B RNorAF 336 Skv. Today, it is stored at Bodo.

46+45 Tornado ECR JBG32 is one of the best-marked aircraft.

MM6716/53-21 F-104-ASA-M 21Gruppo was photographed from the other side to appreciate the Tiger ducking in and out of the fuselage, as seen in the above-mentioned landing photograph.

15244 Alpha Jet A, Ex WGAF 45+18.

15515 A-7P, sadly, was scrapped today, and the remains were sent to Arranho.

15118 F-16BM Esq 201/301.

XX250 (CS) Hawk T1 100 sqn. RAF.

XX187 (TN) Hawk T1 74 (R) Sqn. Behind XX302 (TI) 74 (R) Sqn before its infamous demise.

ZA934/BZ Puma HC.1 27 (R) Sqn RAF.
  

530/12-YA Mirage 2000B, EC01.012 today it flies as 115-OL EC-02.005.

A small part of the main Tiger Ramp.

                                                                                                                              

19201 Super Lynx MK95, Esquadra de Helicópteros da Marinha, de Montijo. Seen many Portuguese types all the way to the USAF B-52.

11404 TB-30 Epsilon Esq 101. Today, this aircraft is seen in a grey scheme.

16502 Casa 212-100A, formerly operated by Esq 502, was scrapped in Tucson (AZ).
  

16524, Casa 212-100B, Esq. 501; today, it is in Sintra, with the Museu do Ar.

3706 Cessna FTB337G Esq 505 from Sintra.

19368 SE316B Esq 552.

19505 SA330L Esq 751. Today, it is stored at Alverca.

2603 T-38A: Anyone travelling through Lisbon International Airport has probably seen this aircraft, which is now preserved there.

1918 T-33A-5-LO is now at the Monte Real Museum.

1929 T-33A-5-LO. Stored at Beja.

5454 G-91R/3 was also preserved at the Monte Real base museum in its complete Tiger scheme, ex 32+62.

TE-12B-41/79-94, Casa 212, Ala 79, Spaf.

ET207 F-16B Esk 727.

CF-04 SA226T Merlin 21 Sm.

86-0823 HO F-117A 9th FS 49thFW (red) USAF.

86-0823 HO F117A 9th FS (Red) Holloman Air Force Base. Sadly, due to the Hawk crash, the F-117 flying display aircraft was returned to Mildenhall, where three examples were based for the Air Fete 1996. They were 81-0797, 83-0807, and 84-0809 (Red).

61-0039 B-52H 11th BS USAF.

Another two aircraft were up at Mildenhall for its Air Fete 1996, 60-0001 and 60-0062.

15234 Alpa Jet-A. Now W/O ex 41+00.

15237 Alpha Jet-A. Ex 41+18

15229 Alpha Jet A. Rumoured to be a Beja gate guard, ex 40+91. 

Happy Days Indeed!

Portuguese Airforce 1994 bases visit.

My request to Col Abrantes had been granted, and I had been given written permission to visit the four main operating bases of the Força Aérea Portuguesa for 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 was greeted by an ongoing heatwave, the weather already creating devastating wildfires across the Countryside of their neighbour, Spain, the control of which the Força Aérea Portuguesa was involved in, 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.

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.

3715 CeFTB 337G, although seen here freshly re-furbished, it later became 13715

The 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 are so obviously enjoying roosting on them at night, far out here in the quiet natural area of this waterside airbase.

The Squadron leader's 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 Canadian-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 built for Greece and Turkey's air forces, so their delivery was delayed. They ended up serving with the Luftwaffe, where they were found incompatible with Luftwaffe service, 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 is preparing for a mission; today, it is stored at DGMFA in 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.

19372 SE3160 prepares for takeoff.

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 in various locations 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 air force from Beja

Beja airbase was commissioned by the West German air force in 1962, and sadly, by 1993, its glory days as a Luftwaffe base were no longer.  

Day four, and it was Monte-real.

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.

15547 TA-7P mission over. Sadly, this aircraft has been scrapped today.

15527 A-7P Taxiing back to the sun shelters. Today's status is 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 to 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!