South America, a Flight Back in Time

With more and more classic aircraft being ticked off in our flight log, there was one little Fokker still on our wishlist for some years. We have flown the Fokker 50 twice now with Air Antwerp and BRA, the Fokker 70 with KLM and most recently Fokker 100 with Carpatair. We even flew the Fokker S.11 Instructor twice. You could tell, we like our Fokkers. And rightfully so, as they are well built aircraft that will always bring a smile to you face no matter if you're an avgeek or not. 

Over the years, we learned that there still are some Fokker F28 Fellowships still in use by some governments and militaries. For example, the Colombian Fellowship FAC1041 visited Woensdrecht Air Base for a big maintenance visit two years ago. That is also when we learned that the Argentine Air Force still operated two Fokker F28-1000C in their fleet, and that these planes - which were recently overhauled - were aimed to also be used for the LADE, Lineas Aereas del Estado. This is the government-owned state airline in Argentina, that operates with aircraft from Fuerza Aerea Argentina, the Argentine Air Force. The news that LADE would operate the F28 meant that one would be able to book tickets to ride them. Now the questions arose: when, and how? 

Challenge 1: booking tickets

You could say that over the years, we gained quite the experience in booking airline tickets. However, the website from LADE is not your average airline website. The first question that came to mind was, are foreigners even allowed on these flights, as these are active military aircraft? And then, on what routes do the Fokkers operate and when?  Luckily, contact with LADE is quite easy through two WhatsApp numbers, and with our skills in Spanish being almost non-existent, they try their best to communicate in English too. That is how we learned that the schedule for the Fokker F28 is known two months in advance at a maximum, and that flights currently only operate a single route out of Buenos Aires with some stops. Besides, the flight only operates on a few days per month, only on Mondays or Thursdays. So, not even all Mondays and Thursdays..

This made planning quite the challenge.  Usually for a big trip like this, we like to plan at least 6 months ahead. However, as the Fokker F28 flight would be the main goal for this trip, we cannot plan anything untill we secured ourselves a ticket with LADE. Now, when shall we fly? During the hot summer (which is December)? During winter (our summer holiday)? Or, can we perhaps combine with some fun airshow? Well, in Chile, the FIDAE Airshow will be held again in 2024, so, it would be fun to combine it with FIDAE. 

With the rough period set, we reached out to LADE again with the question when the schedule for that period would be known. With FIDAE happening from 9 till 14 April, our aim was set for late March or April. The response was that the schedule should be known by the end of January. Schedule and tickets should pop up on the website, they said. As all this planning started in summer 2023, the big waiting game had begun. Just to tell you a little bit about ourselves: we are bad at that. When a small seed has planted, we would like to explore all the possibilities and book as soon as we can. But all of that had to wait, as we did not even have a flight date to plan everything around.. 

Still, we made a wishlist of all the things we would like to see and do and set the travel duration for about two weeks. That was all we had to work with. Fast-forward to January 2024. We again contacted LADE with the question if there would be a flight schedule known already. Then we learned that this schedule would be known no earlier than the last weeks of February. Bummer, but they could assure me that the route would still be the one route out of Buenos Aires. In the meantime, the LADE website, which was previously accessible just fine, was now only showing white, and could only be entered through a relocated VPN. This made keeping track of the site for the exact dates a bit more of a challenge. 

However, in the meantime, our contact with LADE through WhatsApp had grown a little more informal and friendly, and the lady from LADE send me the schedule for the F28 on 15 February. Now, we knew which dates it would fly in April. They would fly on 1, 11, 15, 25 and 29 April. With the dates of FIDAE in mind, we finally set the date for our Fokker flight. Monday 15 April. That is the goal. Next step: buy those tickets!

Then, there was that Friday night mid-February. We again had WhatsApp contact with LADE and they told us that that night, the tickets should go on sale. Constantly refreshing, and just as the guy from LADE said, just around midnight in The Netherlands, the tickets went on sale! Adrenaline rushing through our veins as we worked our way through the steps. Payment was a bit of a hurdle as the site collapsed several times, but then, finally, we had our tickets!

Seat reservation and check-in would only be possible at the counter, but for now, we could move on with planning this magnificent adventure. Step one ticked off, let's do this! We are going to South America!

Saturday 6 April - Hola Colombia! 

Today is the day we start our South American adventure. The first hurdle is to get to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in time. Normally when we fly early, we book a night in the wonderful Citizen M Hotel. But, as our flight leaves around noon on this weekend day, train travel should be no issue. How wrong were we, as an animal on the tracks decided for all trains to be cancelled for at least the next couple of hours. So, we take the car to the airport instead. 

Check-in at Schiphol was also a bit of an issue as we did not realize we needed a CheckMig form for entering Colombia. Luckily, the lady from Aviapartner attended us on that, and within a few extra minutes, we were all set and headed for our flight to Madrid. 

Yes, today we fly Iberia via Madrid to Bogotá, Colombia! Our first flight with the Spanish carrier, so we'd like to give it a try. First, we fly IberiaExpress on their A320 EC-LUS, to transfer at Madrid to the Airbus A350-900. The transfer goes smoothly and with no significant hurdles we arrive at our gate. The international Iberia terminal is pretty quiet, even though there is an Emirates, Avianca and also a LATAM parked here. We grab some lunch and it is already time to board. 

Our aircraft for today is EC-NCX. The flight is uneventful and actually we are pleasantly surprised by the quality of Iberia. The food is decent, metal cutlery, service is good and friendly and the inflight-entertainment is a good collection of games, movies and more. The moving map also is superb quality. All in all a good flight.

We arrive in Bogotá at around 20.30 on runway 13L. Immigration went smoothly, and in no-time we are in Colombia. It has not sunk in yet. All those stories of South-America and Colombia being so unsafe, and yet, here we are. Immigration officers were friendly, the airport looks modern and good. So far, so good.

We collect our luggage and find ourselves a way to the hotel shuttle. The coming nights we stay in the Movich Buró 26 hotel at Bogotá El Dorado Airport. We check in and go to our room. The room is nice and luxurious, and even though the windows are not wide, the views are incredible! We have a nice lookout over the hangars of Aer Caribe and Aerosucre, and a great view on the runway. We take some initial night shots and then after an Aerosucre Boeing 727 landed we quickly go to bed. Goodnight! 

Sunday 7 April - Hotelspotting Bogotá

Goodmorning all! We just woke up really really early due to our jetlag, but all in all the night was good. After a relaxing shower we report for breakfast before returning to our room. As spotting in Colombia is not considered safe for two blonde foreigners, we decided it was best to stay in the room and enjoy the views from here. After all, there is a lot going on! 

Colombia - and South America in general - is a little hard for modern plane spotters, as not all traffic is visible on tracking platforms such as Flightradar24 or ADSB-Exchange. And usually, the stuff that is not visible is the most interesting and fun stuff to spot! So, we just sit down on the bed, and waiting for all the goodness to come. And oh dear, what a lot of goodness there is here at Bogotá! Several Policia Nacional aircraft, an Aerosucre Boeing 727 for a short morning hop, a Laser MD-82 and even an Antonov 32! Ohter highlights are the numerous King Airs and some Boeing 747s taking off.  Although we are facing the sun and the windows are not ideal for photography, we still enjoy the views and have a great time.

Initially, the planning for today was to meet with Sergio, a friend and first officer on the Boeing 727 with Aerosucre. However, the duty called and he has to fly a leg to Caracas today, so we will meet with him tomorrow. Still, he recommended us a safe spot only 20 minutes walking from our hotel to watch his takeoff. As we are in for a little adventure, we agree and pack our gear.

First, we walk to the domestic terminal for some lunch. While walking, we see a SARPA Jetstream 32 taking off. Also something that cannot be seen on Flightradar. So, a nice surprise. Then, we walk past the arrivals hall, from where we can spot an Amazon Air Antonov An-26!  As the arrivals hall is not accessible for us, we have to shoot through it, with the security officer next to us laughing and being happy with the results. So are we, although the photos are not the best. Oh well, reason to come back for, right?

Then, we walk to the spot. During the walk we see a USAF C-17A Globemaster III take to the skies from the southern runway. The walkto the spot feels pretty safe, even though the neighborhood is a little sketchy. When we arrived, we spot some wildlife in the form of wild guinea pigs. Then, we are suprised by a Boeing 737 taking off. We are thrilled as this is a Fuerza Aerea Colombiana Boeing 737-400 Combi! 

We walk through the field to a couple of other spotters who were enjoying the day. What a view there is! From this point we have a stunning overview of the northeastern side of the airport. We have a blast, and we do not have to wait long for the first special: a Basler BT-67 Turbo Dakota, the modernised version of the DC-3, in service with the Policia Nacional de Colombia. Unfortunately taking the southern runway, but still a nice catch. Then, an Aer Caribe Cargo Boeing 737-400F is being towed out of the hangar for startup. There is so much going on here.

Not long after the that it is time for the real show to begin: Sergio and "his" 727 enter the showground. Taxiing in front of the Aer Caribe , the long sleek triholer makes her way to runway 13L.  First, an Ethiopian Cargo 777 shows its performance and as soon that one is gone, the Aerosucre Boeing 727 lines up with the runway. The lights turn on and the Boeing 727 thunders down the runway. Like a true Aerosucre 727 she rotates late and roars low over our heads. What a sight to behold! Incredible. As the 727 continues to (slowly) climb out, it leaves at least four car alarms beeping and honking. What a legend! 

After the 727 had turned away, the next classic jet races down the runway, the Aer Caribe Cargo 737-400F also gives a great show with a fast and low take off. So amazing! As the burns and the action gets a bit quieter, we decide to walk back to the hotel. We see another FACH Boeing 737-700 taking off, and then say goodbye to our new Colombian spotter friends. 

Back at the hotel we continue the spotting, but we also enjoy the hotel facilities and a good meal. As we are still quite jetlagged, we will not stay up too late. Tomorrow we will meet with Sergio and take our next flight as well, as tomorrow we will leave Colombia again already.. 

Monday 8 April - More classics!

Goodmorning and welcome to already our final day here in Bogotá. Such a bummer that we are leaving this afternoon, but there is still a lot to see today! First, we go for a good breakfast. While at breakfast, we see the FAC1041, the Fokker F28-3000 from the Colombian air force taking off from the southern runway. Unfortunately, we left all the cameras in our room and as with a lot of interesting movements here, the little Fokker was only visible on Flightradar during its take off roll. Oh well, at least we have seen and heard it, that is also nice.

Then, we go back to our room as we wait for our meetup with Sergio today. During the wait, a lot of interesting traffic takes off from the northern runway, such as the SARPA Embraer 145, a USAF C-130J and a FAC Commander. As the sun is still rising, the light conditions are challenging for photography, but nevertheless we are happy with the catches. 

Then, it is time to meet Sergio in the hotel lobby. We chat for a bit before he takes us on a short walk to the area that we were overlooking the past days: the Aerosucre hangar. Sergio managed to arrange us a visit here, something that is not for everyone! After completing all the security formalities, we are welcomed inside. The three of us are greeted by HK-5216, one of the two Boeing 727s, which is undergoing a C-check. Also two Boeing 737-300s are present. As Sergio is a 727 pilot, we obviously start here. Sergio shows us his office, the classic flight deck. The 727 cockpit is pretty spacious compared to other cockpits we entered. An obvious feature here is the office for the flight engineer, with a table with all the tables for flight operation. 

The engineers are working hard on the classic triholer, so Sergio is not allowed to power up the plane, which means that the flight deck stays cold and dark. Still, we are impressed by all the gauges, knobs and dials. After taking all the photos, we leave the 727 and walk on to one of the 737s. 

The first 737 we see is in a familiar livery. This plane used to fly for Titan Air in Europe. Now registered as  HK-5439, she is the newest member of the Aerosucre family. She is at the moment being prepared for her first revenue operation for the Colombian airline. We see how the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer is taken off for inspection, and after that we go on board for a look at the flight deck. What a difference this is, even though this bird is still considered a classic jet! But she is fitted with electronic flight displays already. It looks a lot more modern than the old 727. Sergio is also amazed, as he tells us that he had never been in the 737-300 flight deck before. Also, the cockpit is a nice and unique vantage point to see the 727's sexy back end!

We take some photos in the cockpit before we walk on to the third and last aircraft at the hangar: HK-5370. This is also a Boeing 737-300, but this one is in full Aerosucre livery. We walk around the aircraft before entering the cockpit as well. Even though this is also a -300, the cockpit looks completely different than the ex-Titan. No electronic displays, but again lots of gauges, dials and knobs. As the three of us are having fun in the cockpit, one of the engineers comes by, as they need to energize the aircraft for maintenance purposes. Good news for us, as we get to see the flight deck all lit up! We take some photos and some selfies and then let the engineers do their jobs.

As we exit the 737, we are standing underneath the business end of the 727 which has its engine number 2 exposed. This is also when we give Sergio a little present as thank you for this amazing and one-of-a-kind opportunity: a framed print of two self-made cartoons of the Aerosucre 727 fleet, and a package of stroopwafels (I do not know which present he eventually loved more hahaha). We take one last glance at the stunning classics here at the hangar before we leave the property. How amazing was this!! 

We walk back with Sergio to our hotel, where we invite him over to our room, to see our amazing view for himself. That afternoon, we will fly to Lima, and Sergio needs to fly as well, but on a wayyyy cooler plane. Oh well, if only.. 

As we are having a good time spotting and sharing stories in our room, we see the Laser MD-82 taking off again, but we are also surprised by the departure of the other Aerosucre 727. Even Sergio did not expect that departure, haha! Also, some shunting movements can be seen from the Aerosucre hangar, as the 737-300 is pushed away to make room for ex-Titan plane to be towed to the run-up area for engine runs. Business is also booming at the AerCaribe hangar, as one of the 737-400s gets some love for the radar and the Antonov 26 has its cowlings open.  

As time really flies when you're having fun, the time has come to say goodbye to our friend and make our way to the terminal. We check in our luggage and have a look at the military apron from the landside vantage point behind the check-in area at El Dorado. We see a Colombian C-130 Hercules coming in as well as the Avianca retro A320. Unfortunately, this plane goes to the "wrong" side of the airport, as we depart from the northern gates. With all that goodness in the pocket, it is time to head through security and to the gate. 

At the gate, we discover that our aircraft has not arrived yet. That means that we can sit back and relax with a good show of all sorts of aircraft passing by. We soak in as much Colombian goodness as possible. What an incredible time we had here! Acutally, we cannot wait to come back here. Sergio and all the other beautiful people we met here: thank you so much for making our trip as unforgettable as it already is!

We board our Avianca Airbus A320 with the American registration N4304. During taxi out we have a glance at the military apron and the massive variety of interesting aircraft that are parked and based here at El Dorado. Also, a USAF C-37 lands right before our eyes. With some other traffic also out of the way, it is time for our take off from runway 13R. One last glimpse at the military part gives a good view on the two Fokker F28s. One is still active, the other one (FAC0002) is currently being prepared for transfer to the museum. 

Then, we see the main terminals and the cargo ramps. On the cargo ramp, the last Aerosucre Boeing 737-200 is parked. Unfortunately, we did not see it in action, but seeing it from above is still pretty cool. To be honest, you fly too fast to see all the beauty of El Dorado, especially when trying to focus for photography. Still, we are happy with the results. Eventually we leave the airport behind, and we are treated on a stunning view of the city, before we enter the clouds. Goodbye Bogotá, your airport is amazing, we cannot wait to come back! 

The flight itself is pretty uneventful. The seats are a bit cramped, unfortunately. That, in combination with the struggles and difficulties we had with completing the booking for this flight make that we are not all that happy with Avianca. However, we are on our way and actually cross the equator on this flight. As we fly over the endless forests and brown rivers, the clouds break open. Now and then a big storm cloud can be seen. Just before we cross the Andes mountains, the clouds come back in.

Approach into Lima is very spectacular. So much sand and brown all over the place! Even two shipwrecks at the beach and some steep cliffs. Then, the city of Lima comes into view. We are amazed by how brown everything looks. Quite the shock, to be honest. Still our eyes are almost not capable of sucking it all in, what a spectacular approach this is!

We know we are approaching from the north, which is the case 99% of the time at Lima. That means, that during the landing, we will be in for a treat aviation wise.. Let the show begin! 

First, we see a boneyard with dusty old airliner frames. Boeing 727, Boeing 737, Fokker F28, there is a lot! Then, a big blue hangar comes into view with two Antonov 32s, a Boeing 737-300, Boeing 737-200 (and a Gulfstream, but that one is the most "meh" and blocking the views on the Boeing 732..) Then, we see a C-130 and a C-27, an Antonov 26 and two Fokker 70s. Then, a Latam hangar and the second military ramp filled with Antonov 32s, Mil Mi-8 and a lot more. Eventually we see the main teminal and the Policia hangar, with again two An-32s. What a landing!!!

That concludes this flight, and we leave the airport building. Luckily, our hotel is connected to the terminal by a footbridge. We stay in the Costa del Sol by Wyndham. Our room is number 732, which has a great view over the airport! The sun is already setting and we are pretty tired with all the impressions from today, so that is a thing for tomorrow! Buenas noches! 

Tuesday 9 April - Peru, Relax, Spot, Relax, Spot, Relax.. 

Lima Jorge Chávez International Airport is just like Bogotá an airport where all the interesting movements are actually not visible on any tracking website. This means that the strategy for capturing the interesting goodness is to sit and wait. So, when the sun comes up, we are ready for it! The goals to see are mostly propeller aircraft like Antonovs, Fokker 50/60, helicopters, B1900 and DHC-8. Luckily, the hotel room has a window that can be opened. This makes listening for a prop sound (and photography) a lot easier. If only there was no diesel power unit providing power to some construction site nearby mimicking perfectly the sound of an idle turboprop engine... Oh well, just sitting and waiting then. We call it our spa-day, as we also use the free time to pamper ourselves a bit. It is a holiday after all, right? :) 

We do see some nice stuff, but compared to Bogotá, Lima sees a lot less variety in its general traffic. Most traffic is Latam or JetSmart, with now and then Sky Airline. Those three are around 80% of all traffic. You can call us spoiled, but eventually we got a bit bored. So, we go for a short walk down the street to see if any preserved aircraft can be seen, but unfortunately no luck. Also, Google said that there used to be an aviation park down the road, but all of that is gone now. All we saw were busy roads, loud cars and even louder buses. Still, it was a fun walk and nice to see some local (road) traffic. 

Once back in the room we go back to our spa-day and spotting. Luckily for us, the military had woken up as well. We see a Hercules and Spartan taking off, and the Fuerza Aerea del Peru Boeing 737-500 also comes in to land. We also discovered that the window at the hotel staircase can also be opened and gives a better view to the north side of the airport. Also, when aircraft take off here, you might get some amazing tower-crossing shots from here! 

From our room we have a somewhat clear view on the military apron, so we see pretty early that a Mil Mi-17 from the Ejercito del Peru is being prepared for startup. Eventually, this helicopter (wearing a brutal digital camouflage livery) also takes off using the main runway. Then, after several hours and thousands of Latam A320s later, we hear a deep roar. We get all excited, and rightfully so, because before us, an Antonov An-32 from the Policia Nacional del Peru makes its way to the runway. The sun already had crossed the runway so it is backlit, but still, it is one of the highlights of today. 

Quickly the sun begins to set over the airport and the cargo ships in the ocean. The sunset is absolutely stunning. After darkness fell, we grab some dinner at the immense food court in the terminal. Lima Airport landside is pretty impressive though! With a stomach filled with McPollo we go back to our room and decide to call it a day. After all, it was still a good day. 

Wednesday 10 April - More Antonovs and Flying to Santiago!

Good morning! We just woke up, all excited for today. Today we spend the last morning at our hotel here in Lima. We hope to have some nice military action again today before we fly to our third country already! The airport is fairly busy in the morning, with lots of international arrivals. Also, some nice domestic planes depart again. We prepare ourselves for heading downstairs to get breakfast as we see that the Antonov An-32 from the civil Peruvian carrier ATSA is being towed to the other side of the airport! That could only mean that the plane will be loaded - subsequently followed by a departure!

As we see that the cargo just arrived to be loaded, we rush to the restaurant for a quick breakfast as we do not want to miss this take off. The breakfast here is really really good, so even though we are quick, we thoroughly enjoy every single bite. With the toast and bacon still between our teeth, we go back to the 7th floor to inspect the loading progress. Luckily, we see that there are still three pallets need to be loaded. However, we also see a second Antonov An-32 starting up its engines! 

How lucky are we, we see an Antonov An-32 from the Ejercito del Peru taking off in the most incredible warm morning light! That is truly a sight to behold. Not long after that, the ATSA Antonov is all filled up and being pushed back for startup. This one is significantly heavier than its military comrades, as it has not even rotated yet when it "crosses" the tower. But that sound... Pure music!

With the ATSA out of the way, it is time to check out of the hotel and check in for our flight. Time to do some terminal spotting, woohoo! 

The check-in area at Lima Airport is only accessible for passengers with a valid ticket, and there are lots of officers checking on that.  Really well organized actually. After dropping our bags we head for security and with not too much hassle we enter the departure lounge. Here we discover that the gates have separate corridors for the incoming passengers, which means that at all times, you will have a wide space between your two windows. Reflections are unavoidable for  photography.. Still, we try our best to make the most of it. Also, the views are pretty limited due to the planes that are closely parked to the building as well. 

The best views are to the south side of the airport, looking at the police hangars. Here we see a B1900, an An32 and some other helicopters. The navy is actively flying their helos as well, as we see a AB212 and even a Sea King passing by. As all the good stuff is not visible on the radars, we are totally surprised by the ATSA Antonov 32 coming back in, taxiing right in front of us! All in all, we do not get bored and eventually it is time for boarding.

Flight for today to Santiago de Chile is with Sky Airline on an Airbus A320Neo. The plane, registered CC-AZF, is currently only used on this route, and has just been towed to the stand. The flight is not that full, so we have two rows to ourselves on the right side of the aircraft. 

The right side of the aircraft (window seats F) are at Lima on departure the best seats in da house. This due to the fact that 99% of the flights take off using runway 16L so you will taxi close by the Ejercito and Fuerza Aerea base on the north side of the airport. On the south side you still have the Aeronaval base, which also has plenty of interesting airframes that we absolutely wanted to see, but on take off most aircraft are already too high to even have views on those aircraft. 

Taxi out is indeed a treat as we see so many stunning aircraft. Antonovs, Mil helicopters, Spartans, Boeing 737-200, there is so much to be seen! The good thing is, you taxi by so closely that the photos are nicely crisp and sharp. Eventually we make a left turn to line up with the runway. The views on the active airport stop, and the views on the new terminal are in our opinion not that interesting compared to the active side. However, we do spot the Sea King hovering over the harbour during take off!

The views on the harbour are stunning though! So many ships and boats! The rest of the flight does not have that much of a view as we fly mostly over the South Pacific Ocean. As we reach Chile, the sun also begins to set. The approach into Santiago Pudahuel Airport is absolutely breathtaking with the sunset over the mountains. Eventually it got dark as we land on runway 17L. The airport Terminal 2 is huge and new, but even though we are the only arriving flight here at the moment, it still takes over an hour to get through immigration.

Tired from this process, we arrive at our hotel, the Holiday Inn. It is an amazing hotel with perfect service in every way, but for now we just want to sleep as tomorrow we will be heading to the FIDAE airshow. Good night! 

Thursday 11 April - FIDAEday

Luckily for us, we can sleep late a bit, as the airshow grounds do not open that early! So, at a normal time, we wake up and get out of bed for breakfast. Then we grab our gear for today. Cameras, batteries, monopod, some bottles of water, some food, and with a private taxi driver waiting for us at the hotel we are ready to go! 

Today we attend the Feria Internacional del Aire y del Espacio, or FIDAE. This is a big trade airshow in Chile, which is held at the Pudahuel Air Base at the northern side of Santiago Airport. During our short taxi drive around the airport, we see an old Boeing 737-200 which used to fly for Sky Airline. 

Then, we enter the showgrounds. As we have accreditation as photographer, we do not have to pay for the entrance and even may use a separate entrance also used for exhibitors. As today is not a public day, it is not that busy as well. 

The static show is good, but for photography the big fences being placed very close to the aircraft are not that nice. Still, there is a nice variety of Chilean military aircraft. We actually hoped to see some other South American armed forces here as well, but these have very limited presence. The Dominican Republic brought their brand new Dulus turbotrainer aircraft and the Brazilians have brought their demo team Esquadrilha da Fumaça with their Tucanos. 

Highlights of the static display are definitely the Chilean Navy P-3 Orion, the Boeing 737-300 and the KC-135 with the old JT3D Engines. Other highlights are the F-5 Tigre III, E-3D Sentry AWACS and the Bell UH-1 and AB-412 helicopters. Although it it a nice collection, we do miss some (promised) airframes as Embraer should be here with their E195 E-2 and KC-390, Boeing should be here with a 787-8 from LATAM, Airbus should be here with a Delta A350, but none of those are present. Secretly, we also hoped to see the Boeing 707 IAI EL/M-2075 Phalcon Condor, which retired from service in 2022 but should still be present on the airport somewhere. 

The aerial displays are fun, with nice shows by an E-3D Sentry, the F-16C, F-16AM and the F-5E Tigre III. A highlight of the show is for most people the USAF F-22 Raptor Demo Team with their spectacular display. We have a chill and fun day as we have also plenty of time to visit the exhibition area.

Eventually, the day comes to an end and we are being picked up by the colleague of our private hotel driver. On request, we drive back to the hotel via the eastern side of the airport this time, as we thought that should give some more views  on the airbase to see all the hidden gems. And it surely does pay off! We see some business jets and other private aircraft, but also another Chilean Air Force Boeing 737-300. Three more C-130s, but also we get a glimpse of two BAe-146 from Aerovias DAP, and even a PBY-5A Catalina! As we make our way to the southern end of the runway, we see two grey aircraft parked near the cargo area. These aircraft are another KC-135 and... The Condor! So there it is, we finally see it with its big nose! Photography conditions are not that great as we shoot from a moving car on a not-so-smooth road, through a fence avoiding trees. Still, we are pleased with the results. 

Our driver drops us off in front of the hotel and we stay outside at the walkways between the two terminals to spot some departing aircraft and helicopters. What a day this was! For now, let's enjoy dinner and use the hotel computers to import all our photos and videos from this trip so far. What a journey it has already been!

For tomorrow, we originally planned to visit a museum in the city and then go back to the FIDAE show, but we feel that we actually have seen everything that FIDAE has to offer this year. So, we decide to rent a car for tomorrow and make a drive through the Andes!  

Friday 12 April - Santiago y Cajon del Maipo

This morning, we pick up our car: a nice Hyundai Creta. First, we drive around the airport again, as you can get close to the hangar area. Here we can grab some shots of the Catalina and some more Aerovias DAP Bae146s, one of which has its cute penguin livery. As there it not much more to see, we make our way to our next stop: the Aeronautical museum in the city of Santiago. 

The Museo Nacional Aeronáutico y del Espacio is a free museum with a nice collection of aircraft and scale models. Some highlights of the collection include a PBY-5A Catalina, a Fokker F.27 Friendship and the legendary McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. The museum also has a separate exhibition on historic jets, which is only accessible on request. It is worth it, as that exhibition houses a Mirage III, a Vampire and even a Harrier jump jet, and some more nice aircraft and engines.

There is also a restoration area where two BAC 1-11s, a Boeing 707 and some other airframes are stored, but that area is not accessible for the public unfortunately. Glimpses of the storage area can be seen from the museum staircase and from outside the fence. 

The area in front of the museum also has some very nice airframes. Three DC-3 Dakotas, a Lockheed Neptune firebomber and many more jets and props. However, some aircraft are hard to photograph from the museum grounds, but are doable from outside the fence. All in all, we had a fun morning here, but with all the pictures taken it is time to move on and drive to the Andes mountains! 

Our destination for this afternoon is Cajon del Maipo, which is a reservoir at around 2 kilometres altitude in the mountains. It is only two hours driving from the city of Santiago, and the route is simply amazing! The views are out of this world. The river flows wildly and works its way through the rock formations. Eventually, the paved roads become gravel roads where we have to drive through waterfalls, we need to avoid hitting a herd of sheep guided by a horseman and we see lots of cacti and special mountain vegetation. 

The reservoir itself is absolutely beautiful and gives an amazing panorama into the valley. What a joy to drive here! We can recommend everyone coming here to visit this. After a bit of hiking around the lake we make our way back to the hotel, as we want to be back before darkness falls. When driving back to the city, we see an old Avior Venezuela Boeing 737-200 preserved/converted to restaurant (?) next to the highway. What a day this was. The steak will taste good tonight haha! 😎

Saturday 13 April - Relaxation & Planewatchation

Today we have another relax day planned. Well, not actually, our initial plan was to go back to FIDAE to attend a public day. However, considering that we discovered that there were no additions to the display performers nor were there any other aircraft on the static display (okay, the Boeing 737-300 was swapped for the LATAM 787 and the Delta A350, but those planes were not interesting enough for us to spend money on a taxi and join the endless queue for the entrance).  Besides, from our hotel we have a bit of view on the action on both runways. The eastern runway is in use for the FIDAE, while all commercial traffic uses the western runway. From the corridors on the top floor of our hotel we have a nice view of the (airborne) traffic of both runways. 

We spend the day here to take some rest as well, combined with some swimming, taking a good long shower etcetera. We do keep an eye on the FIDAE flight schedule though, as some jets are still nice to see. The weather is also a bit better than two days ago, so in the afternoon we visit the observatory platform (which is actually a theatre, as it says) on the boulevards between Terminal 1 and 2. From here we see another E-3D Sentry make a few passes and also the F-5E Tigre III gives a good show. The flight demonstrations end with the final performance of the F-22 Raptor in a stunning golden afternoon sun. All in all, a good day. Now we go back to the room, and pack our stuff again for our flight tomorrow morning! Buenos Aires, here we come! Buenos noches! 

Sunday 14 April - Sunny, Andes, Cloudy: Argentina!

It is still cold and dark as we check out and make our way to the new terminal 2 at Santiago airport. New day, new airline for us! Today we try out LATAM on their A321 to Buenos Aires Ezeiza airport. Check in goes smoothly, security and passport control take forever. Same as entering Chile, exiting is a pain in the butt. Eventually, we are through and make our way to the gate. The plan was to do discover the airport and do some plane spotting, but due to the long time it took to pass all checks, we do not have that time. Still, the most interesting visitor happens to be parked near our gate. That visitor is an Estelar Boeing 737-300 which came in yesterday from Caracas and will fly back in a few minutes. 

Then, spotting from Terminal 2 departures is a nightmare at SCL, because the departure floor is an island inside the building, and the windows cannot be reached at all. Even worse, there are glass panels that help to prevent one from falling to the arrival floor (which does have direct window access...) so reflections are almost inevitable, if you are already able to photograph the target without having window frames on your photo. The windows at the far end of the pier are even worse, as vertical slats have been placed as permanent sunshades, making photography impossible. 

Estelar was parked behind a LATAM Airbus by a double-jetbridge construction, so at the gate only the tail was visible. Finally after a long jetstart procedure, the 737 is pushed back for a bleed start. Luckily, the sun was just out already to provide some light for the little Boeing. Also, the 737-300 is small enough to fit in the window frame for photos, so the pictures turn out not too bad. 

With Estelar out of the way, it is time to board our own Airbus A321, registered as CC-BEO. Seats are 12 A and B, so we have a nice view on the engine on take off. The take off itself is nice, with a final view of the Boeing 737-200 and the KC-135 and IAI EL/M-2075 Phalcon at the cargo ramps. Then we have a nice view of Santiago before we eventually make a right turn for the most spectacular part of this flight: crossing the Andes mountains.  

What an epic view this is, those mighty mountains, volcanoes and even some glaciers. We are glued to the windows and suck in all this natural goodness that planet earth has to offer here. The Andes is world's second tallest mountain range after the Himalayas, and that shows! It feels like we fly so incredibly close to the peaks! Eventually, the mountain range is passed and the clouds fade in. The view of the clouds will remain for the rest of the flight, as the weather in Buenos Aires is not great.. 

After a good flight, we finally break through the clouds again for our landing into Ezeiza airport. We do not have much time here for loitering around, as we have a rental car to pick up and a museum to visit! All in all, big plans ahead. Welcome to Argentina! 

Immigration was a piece of cake here in Buenos Aires, but it took a good amount of time to collect our bags, but after almost an hour waiting we finally have them. Time to get a car! When walking to the rental car facility, we hear a noise that sounds really pleasant to our aviation ears: the TAB Bolivia Cargo DC-10 just landed here and parked somewhere on the airport! We get our car and drive to Morón Air Base for the Museo Nacional de Aeronautica. When we leave Ezeiza, we see the DC-10 in the distance, but as we are on the highway and the rain pours intensively, we do not manage to take a decent (focused) photo of it. Oh well, at least we heard and saw it :) .

We make our way through the outskirts of the Buenos Aires agglomeration and we are honestly a bit shocked by the condition of the roads, the cars and the buildings. It all looks like time stood still here, and now it all is in different stages of decay. Around 25% of all cars we see parked on the streets lack at least a wheel or more, and even the cars that do drive around sometimes actually are holding on for dear life, coping with all the potholes in the streets. We are absolutely shocked. But still, we feel sorry for the locals, as the financial situation here is not good at all. The people truly suffer from that, and it shows. There is the will to keep it all up and running, but the financial stability is clearly absent. 

We pass a relic aircraft, an old BAC 1-11 with the tail of an MD-80, all painted red with a face on it. Eventually we arrive at the military air base of Morón. We report at the gate, and we are granted access to drive to the museum. Entry to the museum is free, but usually a small fee is paid for the volunteers. However, paying by card is not possible and as we did not have any cash with us yet, we are given free access. 

The museum has a great collection of some unique Argentinean aircraft. Highlights of the Argentine-built collection are the I.Ae. 22DL (Which looks like a T-6 Texan), the FMA I.Ae. 27 Pulqui I jet prototype, FMA I.Ae. 33 Pulqui II jet prototype, DINFIA IA 35, FMA IA 50 Guaraní II and FMA IA 58 Pucará. Other highlights include the Boeing Vertol CH-47 Chinook, Fokker F.27 Friendship and the Fokker F.28-4000 Fellowship. This is the first time that we are up close and personal the the Fellowship. Tomorrow, we will fly on one! 

Outside there are some larger aircraft parked such as a C-130 Hercules, a Avro Lincoln bomber, Bristol Type 170 Freighter and even a former Austral McDonnell Douglas MD-80. Although the outside area is only opened at special occasions (so closed today), the aircraft can all be decently photographed. 

After we have seen everything that we wanted to see here, we say goodbye to the volunteers at the museum and leave the air base. We make a short stop at the north side of Morón air base, where a couple of private hangars and aviation schools are located. Here, a Fokker F.27 and a Boeing 737-200 are preserved. As the neighborhood here is a little sketchy, we quickly move on. Now we have still quite the drive to do before we are in the autonomous city of Buenos Aires, where we have a hotel at South Americas widest street, the Av. 9 de Julio. We are still shocked by how everything looks around here. Still, we enjoy driving here. Eventually we arrive at our hotel, even before darkness. We check in, charge our cameras and find a place to get some groceries for our big day tomorrow. 

One thought before we get to sleep is the following. The Fokker flight tomorrow was the main reason for this trip. In preparation for the flight, we kept a close eye on which aircraft could be used for the flight. The Fuerza Aerea Argentina has three Fokker F28s. Two of them are the older -1000C versions, with the oldest (TC-53) being in heavy maintenance since January. The third one (T-51) is a -4000, and is airworthy again since December 2023. The past weeks, TC-52, the other -1000C, was in charge for the LADE flights from Buenos Aires, with only a one-time exception for T-51. That made that we placed a bet for TC-52 to be our aircraft for tomorrow. I (Lars) even designed a flight certificate and a T-shirt with the cartoon of the aircraft on it.  

But.. TC-52 flew out of El Palomar to the other side of the country today, and has not returned yet. We get a little anxious for, well, do we get another F28? Or do we even get an F28 at all? We have also heard stories of this flight being carried out by Boeing 737-700 T-99.. Besides, the Fuerza Aerea Argentina recently acquired some Embraer E140 and 145s.. If that happens, we will look like idiots with our F28 shirts and everything.. We hope for the best, and if it will be T-51, at least it would still be an F28 Fellowship.. With this we get to sleep... 

Monday 15 April - Fokker F28 Fellowship Feast!

As the alarm goes, the first thing we do is check FlightRadar24. To our excitement, TC-52 flew all the way to Buenos Aires Aeroparque Jorge Newbery this night!! Everything will be fine! We check the weather, and it looks like shit. The clouds are covering the buildings across Avenida 9 de Julio. Oh well, it is sunny above the clouds, right? And we are true Dutchies, we are used to our rain, right? 😜

We park our car at the airport and head to the terminal for the check-in. As LADE is a military organization, the check-in is done by military staff. Online check-in is not available, so we made sure we were first in line for the check-in. The man and woman behind the desk appreciate our efforts, and give us first choice on our seats. They even make sure that we have the entire row for ourselves! Then, we get a piece of paper which looks like a cash receipt, but it actually is our boarding pass. We are told not (!) to go through security, but to report back at the desk in about 45 minutes, as this flight is handled as a private flight. 

So, we decide to give ourselves some McBreakfast before we embark on this epic journey. We report at the desk, and the military check-in agent collects all the ID cards (DNI in Argentina) and our passports. Then, when everyone is complete, we walk to the staff security area. Here we get our passports back and once we passed the check, we board a bus to take us to the aircraft. 

The bus takes us a couple of stands further, where between the raindrops our grey Fokker F28 Fellowship TC-52 patiently was waiting for us. When boarding, one should notice the welcome floormat which shows the name Fokker and the registration. Such a cool feature! The flight- and cabin crew welcome us on board and we take our seats. We notice that for the amount of passengers, the number of cabin crew is fairly large, around five attendants! We are impressed by the professionalism and friendliness of all the (military) staff. Then, it shows how smooth the routine is with LADE, as when boarding is completed, the door shuts and in no-time we push back and the Rolls Royce Spey engines start to play their music. 

The weather is still shit, as the engines spool up and the Fellowship thunders down runway 13 at Aeroparque. Slowly, we rotate and with some nice fog blankets over the wings we enter the clouds. We do not climb high enough to actually go over the thick cloud layer, so we have to enjoy ourselves with looking at the engine and wing. Which is not a problem, given that this truly is a flying time machine. We also take our time to chat with the cabin crew. We hand over some Dutch Stroopwafels and a framed cartoon print of TC-52 to them. All in all, we have a great time.

The flight from Aeroparque to Bariloche has two stops on its way, in Mar del Plata and Bahía Blanca. We bought tickets for Bahía Blanca for multiple reasons. First, the turnaround at Bariloche would be very short, which would mean that we needed to hurry to get back on the aircraft. Secondly, if we leave the plane at Bahía Blanca, we will see it depart and arrive back again, so we can see our plane also in action from the outside, which would not be the case in Bariloche. Lastly, in Bahía Blanca there is a naval aviation museum which also houses a Fokker F28, so that would be nice to visit as well during our layover.

It is a short hop, less than an hour of flying before we already descent into Mar del Plata. As the Fokker F28 has soft inflated tires, the landing is quite smooth and as the Fellowship does not have reversers, the deceleration is also gentle. We landed on runway 13, which means that at MDQ we need to taxi back a bit to reach the terminal. At the airport, a FlyBondi Boeing 737-800 without winglets is stored. 

Our aircraft comes to a stop and the engines shut down. Then it is time for a really short turnaround. It only takes less than 30 minutes before all new passengers are on board, the door is shut and the engines start to spool up again. Impressive. 

We taxi out again towards runway 13 and with no time wasted the grey Fellowship is back in the grey skies! This time, I (Lars) notice that there is some ice accumulation on the engine inlet cowling and the engine cone. I have never seen this before, so I decide to film it. Exactly then, the anti-ice system starts doing its job and in less than a second, all the ice is dissolved! Very spectacular to see, you should definitely check the video! 

We are a couple of minutes into the flight and are enjoying every second of it, when one of the cabin attendants invites us over to the flight deck to meet the pilots. We walk along and behind the curtain the cockpit door is open for us. We introduce ourselves and the crew is excited to have us in their office. The cockpit is old (duhh) but simple. A thing that immediately stands out are the throttle levers, one pair for each pilot. The pilots are also happy with the cartoon so we take a photo of it in the flight deck mid-flight. It is all very surreal, but we like it. 

Eventually, it is time for descent into Bahía Blanca, so we return to our seats, with the biggest smile on our faces. Landing is smooth, just as the previous one. A good thing also, is that here it is not raining (yet)!  During the taxi back we check the airbase for any naval aircraft. We do not spot any, except for two Super Etendards in a hangar (only visible when we later checked our photos). After the Fokker is parked and the engines are shut down, we say goodbye to the crew for now, and make our way to the airport parking lot, where we can see the Fokker being prepared for its final leg to Bariloche. 

Bahía Blanca is also a fuel stop, so the turnaround is a bit longer. After fueling is finished, the door is closed again and the engines start screaming. What a sound! Make sure to check out the video and pump up your speakers, as this sound is out of this world! The jet taxis towards the runway and in no-time, the engines start to roar and with the sound of a fighter jet, the plane thunders down the runway away from us. Just in time before the rain sets in. For us it is time to take a taxi and head to the Museo de la Aviación Naval. 

The Museo de la Aviación Naval is usually only open during the weekend, so that means that it should be closed today. We contacted them beforehand through WhatsApp if they would like to make an exception for us as we were mainly interested in the Fokker F28. They responded positively (in Spanish, as they do not speak English) and informed the base security about our visit. So, we have no problem getting on the base. The rain in the meantime had really intensified. The first aircraft we see before entering the museum is a Grumman Tracker on display on a roundabout. Then, we make a left turn to enter the museum.

Our driver delivers us right in front of the museum, where three military officials in full uniform to welcome us. We are a bit overwhelmed, but one of the men takes us with him towards the Fokker. They have placed stairs and opened up the aircraft especially for us! This Fokker F28-3000MC, registered 5-T-21 is preserved here since 2016 and is still in VIP configuration. Thanks to the translate app, our friendly guide tells us several stories about the missions that this plane has flown during the Malvinas war. The aircraft even has an insignia placed behind the cockpit for its service. 

As the rain becomes somewhat less intense, we quickly make a round across the other aircraft. The museum has some nice aircraft in the collection, such as two Lockheed Electras (and one in restoration), some Italian Macchi aircraft and even a F-4U Corsair. Then we go inside to check out the collection of artifacts and models. Soon, it became obvious that the whole entourage, dressed-up military officials and open museum were not for us..

Recently, a Bulgarian research ship near Antarctica discovered a piece of wreckage of an Argentinean Lockheed Neptune. This piece of metal belonged to a wreckage that was considered lost and unreachable. The piece of aircraft was handed over to the Argentine in Mar del Plata, from where it was transported to the museum in Bahía Blanca. Today is the official revelation of this piece of wreckage, and the relatives of the crew are invited for this memorial event. 

We feel a little uncomfortable, yet special that we are allowed seeing this all happen. After the ceremonies, our guide takes us to the piece of wreckage to show us the story. We must say, that hits..

The museum "shop" is also open, but they do not accept card payments, so we buy a Fokker F28 patch using our euros, haha! Our guide calls us a taxi back to the civil airport, and we say goodbye to all the people in the museum as our ride arrives. This was special, truly special.

Back at the airport, we check in for the flight back to Buenos Aires, with again a stop at Mar del Plata. We are quite early, but that gives us the opportunity to choose some seats again. This flight is a lot fuller with passengers, which means that we have seats 10E and F. Still, happy with that. With our boarding passes printed on A4 format paper, we take a seat at the small restaurant in the terminal and order a nice warm cup of tea. What a day it has been so far!

Then, security opens for our flight, and we move upstairs to the windows. The arrival of our Fokker is also imminent, so we wait for the Fellowship to land. The F28 is not that well visible on FlightRadar24 or ADSB, so it is an educated guess on when the plane should arrive. And there she is! After landing, we quickly go through security to head to the other windows to film her taxiing to the stand. The Spey engines are so loud, they can be heard well through the glass. What a machine! 

Some passengers disembark, and soon it is time for us to board for our third Fokker F28 Fellowship Flight! We walk across the apron towards the plane which is patiently waiting on all passengers. With us, around five other passengers board here. The crew welcomes us back on board, and as soon as everyone is back on board the engines already start up again! 

It is a short taxi to runway 17L and this time the crew takes its time for the engines to spool up nicely before releasing the brakes. What a powerful takeoff this is! We have a quick last glimpse at the museum before we enter the clouds again. This flight is indeed a lot fuller, and the views outside are still limited to the aircraft itself, so we calmly enjoy the aircraft and the ambience. 

For landing at Mar del Plata, it becomes obvious that the cloud base has significantly lowered, and the ground comes into view just mere seconds before landing. After the touchdown a small round of applause is given by the passengers :) . All in all, just another great flight. 

As we printed a flight certificate to commemorate this special day, we would like the cockpit crew to sign it. So, during the turnaround at MDQ, I visit the flight deck once again. The pilots are happy to sign the certificate for us, and we chat a bit about our trip and our passion for the F28 in particular. I baldly ask if it would be possible to place our GoPro camera in the cockpit during take off coming flight. The first officer (who was captain on our first two flights) agrees and I grab the camera from my seat at row 10. When I explain how the camera works to the first officer, the captain asks me if I did not want to stay in the cockpit myself! Well, one does not have to ask twice! I walk back to Marieke, grabbing two other cameras and (after lovingly wishing her a good flight) make my way to the cockpit. As the cockpit is occupied by two pilots and a mandatory third pilot/flight engineer, my place is behind the jump seat. Then, it all happens very quickly. 

The passenger door is shut, and immediately we got clearance to start up our engines. The engines start up so much faster than the modern turbofan engines I work with! In no-time, both engines are running, and the marshaller guides us away from our parking stand towards the taxiway. It is a short taxi to the runway, where we have to backtrack a little. During the backtrack the flight controls are tested and we are all set to go!

We turn around at runway 13 and the captain immediately fires up the throttles! I cannot be happier (and overwhelmed) as we thunder down the runway! Then, we rotate and leave the ground behind. Positive rate, gear comes up and we are actually flying! The 50.4 year old aircraft is still in such a good shape! We enter the clouds and I prepare for another flight with no views outside again, but this time, we climb above the clouds and the sun comes out! Life does not often get much better than this! 

The flight is calm and I have the best time with the crew. Of course, they are doing their job and are mainly busy with flying the plane, but we do chat a little every now and then. They are happy to show all the features of the Fellowship. Even though it is sunny above the clouds, there are no views to the ground.  That is a bit of a shame as we fly directly over Buenos Aires at a fairly low altitude. Still I can see our position on the Garmin display. I guess that is not an original feature on the F28 haha! Oh well, that would be a reason to do this again! 

Then it is time for the landing, and we make a steep right turn for our final approach for (again) runway 13 at Aeroparque. We descend through the clouds and the neighborhood of Palermo comes into view. The airport comes closer and closer as the captain deploys the speed brakes, the two splitting flaps at the tail of the Fokker. We cross the threshold and gently butter the bread. To our one o'clock position are three special aircraft parked: an Andes MD-80, the Argentinean Government 757 and the Government 737 as well. As the F28 slowed down enough we take the exit to our left and make our way to our parking stand. 

As the stand was not yet fully prepared by the ground crew, we have to wait a bit before the marshaller guides us in. I genuinely thank the flight crew and ask for one last favor: a group photo with us and the crew. They all happily agree for that. Luckily, the rain is not so bad anymore, so we have enough time to take our photos and say goodbye to the crew.

We would like to sincerely thank our incredible flight crew for this amazing experience! We would not have dared to wish for anything like this. Thank you guys, you are the best! Disclaimer: the videos are posted with the approval of the flight crew.   

With our head in the clouds we quickly head to the parking lot to find our car, as we want to see the Fokker take off again for its short hop back to its home base El Palomar. The weather plays along this time as even the sun peaks through the clouds. Runway 13 is still in use and we see some nice aircraft landing and taking off. Then, we see the little F28 in the distance taxiing to line up for runway 31 instead. With the skyline of Buenos Aires and the 757 and MD-80  in the background, the empty Fokker takes to the skies and roars over our heads. Thank you too, TC-52, for the incredible memories you gave us! 

With the Fokker gone home, we also go back to our hotel. That night, we order a nice Argentinean steak to celebrate this unreal day. The goal was to fly the F28, and we achieved it, and how! Good night everyone, we will sleep well.  

Tuesday 16 April - Buenos Aires All the Way!

Today we say goodbye to our hotel on Avenida 9 de Julio, as we will relocate to a hotel near Ezeiza airport. But first, it is time for a short walk across some parts of the city. First stop is Plaza del Concresso, with the congress building and some other nice buildings such as the Palacío Barolo. Then, we move towards Plaza del Mayo, where one of the main attractions is the Casa Rosada, which is comparable with the White House. Only, the president does not live here, but only works here. The Casa Rosada also has a helicopter pad, but unfortunately there are no helicopters present. We make our way further east to Puerto Madero before walking back via Avenida Florida to the Obelisco on Plaza de la República on Avenida 9 de Julio. 

From here we take the Subté (metro/subway) towards Plaza Italia, as there is the entrance to a park called Ecoparque. This used to be a zoo, but it is not a zoo anymore. Yet, most animals are still present. One sort of animal you cannot miss here looks like a combination of a hare and an antelope, but it is actually related to guiny pigs. This species is called the Mara, and they are literally everywhere in the park. Other big animals are also still present, like hippos, giraffes, sea lions and the famous Andes condor. We have a great time here and even the weather cooperates, wich only short rain showers between the sunrays.  

Eventually it is time to check out from our hotel and collect our suitcases and car. We first make a short stop at the spotting location at Aeroparque to see the departure of the Aerolineas Argentinas Boeing 737-700 in retro livery. Then, we continue our drive to Ezeiza, which is quite the race against the clock to get there before the sun sets. On our way we pass the Technopolis, where a Boeing 737-200 supporting the current Aerolineas Argentinas livery is preserved. 

The traffic is terrible out of the autonomous city of Buenos Aires, but as we get into the suburbs, it finally gets a bit better. Our goal is to reach Ezeiza airport before sun sets, as we want to take a look at the hangar area. Here are some stored and partially scrapped airframes, such as another Fokker F28. We take our photos and move on to our next hotel. Here we drop our bags, so we can finally return our rental car at the airport terminal. Here we also grab some dinner at a restaurant called Outback. These guys truly understand meat! After dinner, we call the hotel for a shuttle. Tomorrow we have two flights planned, for a visit to one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World: the Iguazu Falls! 

Wednesday 17 April - Ticket to the Tropics

Today we have a natural excursion planned, as we want to see the beautiful waterfalls of Iguazu at the border of Argentina and Brazil. To get here, we fly with FlyBondi. Originally, we booked our flight that should depart Ezeiza at 7.50 local time, so that we should arrive at Puerto Iguazu Airport (IGR) at 9.40. However, even though we checked in for our flight yesterday, we got an email this morning at 4.30 (!) with the message that our flight times have been changed to 13.00 local time! As we would fly back to Ezeiza that same afternoon, it would mean that we do not have any time left to visit the Iguazu national park! 

We check our options, and we see that there is a FlyBondi flight leaving 30 minutes earlier as well, so we make our way to the airport as soon as possible to check out the possibilities. With our hearts bouncing in our throats we rush to the FlyBondi check-in desk. They send us to one specific desk, and thank goodness, the agent is willing to help us getting on the earlier flight. We hurry to the security check and thanks to an army of an elderly-people-group-travel who all accidently skipped check-in, the queue was not that long. After a quick security check, we enter the domestic departure lounge, which looks more like a big bus stop. Wait, it is a big bus stop, as all gates are bus gates. 

So, we hop on the bus to our aircraft. The sun is rising as we board our Boeing 737-800 registered LV-KDQ. Lucky us, as we are seated at the exit row, and although the flight is almost entirely full, our third seat stays empty. The rising sun gives a golden glow over the airport as we taxi out towards runway 29. We did it, we are on time for a great day at the waterfalls in the tropics!

After landing we get ourselves a taxi to the national park. We already have our tickets, so we just have to enter the park. The park has three main trails, with the most famous trail to the largest waterfall, El Garganto del Diablo (the Devil's Throat) being closed today due to maintenance and safety risks. The other two trails are also really stunning, with the upper trail giving a great view at the top of the waterfalls, and the lower trail providing stunning panoramas of the waterfalls and even the Garganto del Diablo can be seen from here. 

Besides waterfalls, the jungle here has also lots of animals to spot. Thousands of butterflies, lots of vultures and other birds, and coatis, If you are lucky you can also spot toucans and monkeys, but apparently we are not thát lucky. Still, the place is truly magical and it is like you step into a post card, Just let the photo's speak for themselves.  

At 4 PM, our driver should pick us up again, so we slowly make our way to the exit. The flight tonight is another new airline, and also another new aircraft type for us. We fly Aerolineas Argentinas on their Boeing 737 Max-8 tonight! It is almost dark again as we push back for departure. Our aircraft today is LV-HKV and we sit at row 11, which means that we have a nice view on the engine. 

This flight is nice and we have an Armenian-American lady sitting next to us to chat with. Time flies when you're having fun, and it is a good flight. Then, a sea of lights appears on the horizon. We get close to Buenos Aires. Aeroparque is really well visible! We make a nice left turn to land on runway 29 again. That evening, we decide to have a good McDinner before heading back to our hotel. What an absolutely stunning final day here in Argentina!

Thursday 18 April - Gracias Argentina, y Viva España

The trip is almost at an end, but actually we don't want to leave yet! But we do have an entire day to go as our check-in opens at 1600 at earliest. Still we need to leave the hotel at 10.00, so we pack our bags and after a good breakfast we make our way to the terminal. We ask if an early check-in with Iberia would be possible, but unfortunately it was not, so we have a few hours to kill in an airport with no views on aircraft whatsoever. After trying to relax a bit for some time, we actually get bored, so we opt for an extensive lunch at Outback. And boy, like said before, do these guys know their meat!!

We spend our time devouring a giant rack of spareribs with super crispy fries. It really is delicious, we will miss the meats here in South America. We also take the time to reflect on this trip. What was the absolute highlight? What were the other highlights? What was less exciting? Which things did we not expect? Well, the highlight was the F28 flight - obviously, but also the Aerosucre hangar tour and hanging out with Sergio was absolutely amazing. We met so many nice people here! And now, it is time to go back home...

Finally the check-in opens, and we drop our bags. We pass through the security and passport checks, which are located in an absolutely massive hall. Finally, we have some views again on the aircraft outside. We look for some good spots to see the action. Actually, there is not so much going on here at Ezeiza. We missed a Boeing 727 this morning, far before the sunrise, but now there is not much special going on. There is a Boeing 737 from Boliviana de Aviación, which is nice, and an Andes Boeing 737 comes in for landing. Also the Police Twin-Otter and a Metroliner come in. 

Eventually it is time for boarding. Our aircraft is actually the same A350 that brought us to Bogotá! This time, we are seated at row 15, which is Economy Premium, with large seats, good recline and even an amenity kit!

After an airstart we push back from the gate for a runway 11 departure. We turn left for a final view of Buenos Aires as we fly into the sunset. Thank you, South America, you were AMAZING!

Friday 19 April - Home Sweet Home

After a good but very long flight - flight time 11 hours and 30 minutes - we arrive back at Madrid Barajas Airport. Here we make our way to the transfers to the Schengen area. We are pretty cooked after such a long flight, so a live music band playing in the terminal is not exactly high on our wish list right now. So, we find a quiet spot near our gate to kill the time for our departure. Our final flight of this incredible journey is with Iberia Express on an Airbus A321Neo, registered EC-NGP

As our aircraft was upgraded from a regular A320, our seats have been changed and we receive new boarding passes at the gate. As our aircraft is parked at a remote stand, we board a bus first. After a short ride across the apron, it is time to board. We take our seats and our engines start for our final flight. We had 13 flights in 14 days, 7 airlines, all new to us, and 7 different aircraft types, Actual madness, but we enjoyed every second of it. 

As we are absolutely tired from these flights, we don't see much of this one. And then, with the descent into Amsterdam with landing on runway 36C our trip comes to an end. We had an absolute blast, and we hope you enjoyed reading our blog. Till next one!