Freitag, 25. Mai 2012

In the early morning we took the road to Luxembourg under our wheels. After about four hours, and a short break after the border to Luxembourg and France, in the late morning we arrived at the airport Findel. Immediately we went to the Western approach, to the runway 06.

Francois Badoux having his Lunch break (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Boeing 747-4R7F Cargolux, LX-PCV  (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Boeing 747-4R7F Cargolux, LX-PCV (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Bombardier BD-100-1A10 Premiair, LX-PMA (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Embraer ERJ-145LU Luxair, LX-LGY (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Cessna 208B-Grand Caravan Private D-FCOM (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Cessna Citation 560XL Luxaviation, LX-INS (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Embraer ERJ-145LU Luxair, LX-LGJ (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Luxembourg-Findel
Barely gotten out of the car and our cameras ready, the first "Wide Body" by Cargolux approached runway 06. After that we had enough time to eat our picnic and enjoy this beautiful sunny day in May.
In the next two hours not much traffic was recorded:
Luxair ERJ-145, Dash-8-402, B737-700 and a SWISS RJ-100 and two BIZ jets, a Citation 560XL and a Bombardier 100 Challenger 300. On the other hand the place was slowly filled with local spotters and we had small talk and gathering some useful information’s from them. "Small Talk" which later turned out to be very valuable! (Spotter Point: Cargo Terminal)

In the early afternoon than a rather rare visitor, unexpectedly appeared, an Airbus A300-B4 (ex Japan Airlines). The aircraft was parked for months in southern France, and found himself on a flight to Dresden. There the "N4602" should be converted into a freighter. Due to a technical problem, the machine had to lodge an unplanned stop in Luxembourg, to the delight of those present Spotters!

Our first "highlight" was in the box!

Only shortly after a Cargolux B747-8F (LX-VCC) was taxi to to take-off. But now the lighting conditions were extremely bad (back light) and so we decided to implement one of the advices of our local friends and spotters and headed to the Cargo Terminal and Ramp.
After a small odyssey we arrived at the parking lot of an Industrial complex where we could have let our vehicle. After a walk of about five minutes, we came to a small hill which allowed us an unobstructed view of the Cargo terminal and apron. Was not too much going on, but we saw our "days highlight” again, the A300-B4. Besides three B747F also an Antonov AN-26B (YL-RAD) of the RAF-Avia Airlines from Riga, Latvia was parked on the apron.
It was late afternoon before there was movement in the scenery: "Pushback" of an Air Atlanta Icelandic Boeing 747-236B (SF) let prick up our ears and senses. So we could calmly capture with our cameras the "TF-ARJ" during taxiing and take-off.
After a successful first day in Luxembourg we felt slowly thirst and hunger. Slightly burnt by the sun and a little tired, we completed our check-in at the airport hotel ETAP / IBIS. Showering was announced and the hunger grew. So we went to Luxembourg and enjoyed a culinary dinner in the old town. After a brief City walk and the ride back to the hotel we went soon to sleep after a nice day we had.

Learjet 35A Luxembourg Air Rescue, LX-LAR   (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

BAe Avro RJ-100 SWISS International, HB-IYR   (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Boeing 747-8R7F Cargolux, LX-VCE delivered at the same day from Boeing in Seattle   (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Embraer ERJ-145LU Luxair, LX-LGI  (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Airbus A300B4 GA Telesis LLC, N4602 parked at the Cargo Ramp  (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Boeing 747-4R7F Cargolux LX-PCV, parked at the Cargo Ramp  (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Antonov AN-26B RAF Avia, YL-RAD parked at the Cargo Ramp  (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Antonov AN-26B RAF Avia, YL-RAD parked at the Cargo Ramp  (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Overview of the Cargo Ramp at LUX-Findel (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Overview of the Cargo Ramp at LUX-Findel (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Spotters in action! (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Boeing 747-4R7F Cargolux LX-PCV, (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Saturday, 26. Mai 2012

Well slept, we indulged on extensive breakfast buffet and strengthened us for the day. After that, once more "action" was announced.
The morning we spent in the vicinity of the Cargolux maintenance complex on the opposite side of the runway. Unfortunately, there were just a few photo points and a large stepladder was needed. (Yes; we had two)
Besides two Cargolux B747 and some aircrafts of Luxair the real highlight was the Chinese Yangtze River Express B747-400F. After that not much happened again and we left Luxembourg-Findel in direction to Frankfurt-Hahn.

Boeing 747-236B(SF) Air Atlanta Icelandic, TF-ARJ  (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Boeing 747-236B(SF) Air Atlanta Icelandic, TF-ARJ  (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Boeing 747-236B(SF) Air Atlanta Icelandic, TF-ARJ  (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Boeing 747-236B(SF) Air Atlanta Icelandic, TF-ARJ  (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Our hotel (ETAP) at Luxembourg Airport (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Our hotel (ETAP) at Luxembourg Airport (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Our hotel (ETAP) at Luxembourg Airport (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Boeing B747-4R7F Cargolux, LX-WCV (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Bombardier CRJ-200LR Cimber Air, OY-RJJ (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Boeing B747-4R7F Cargolux, LX-WCV (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Looking for something special?  (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Looking for something special?  (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Boeing 747-481/BDSF Yangtze River Express, B-2432 (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Boeing 747-481/BDSF Yangtze River Express, B-2432 (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Boeing 747-481/BDSF Yangtze River Express, B-2432 (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Maintenance Base of Cargolux (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

Boeing B747-8R7F Cargolux, LX-VCB during take-off (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)

“Small world” … Zurich Spotters in action! (Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)