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“Grey” Learjet, “Reaganite” C-17 topping June 2010 traffic

(23 July) A busy month in other fields has prevented Aeromilitaria Argentina staff from delving into more elaborate research and edition chores. Thanks to individual reports and other searches, though, a selection of traffic movements recorded throughout Argentina during the month of June was compiled and is listed below.

The single most exotic visit in the month was that of USAF C-17 Globemaster III 05-5145 "Spirit of Ronald Reagan", which staged through Bariloche/Luis Candelaria (R.N.) between Friday 26 and Monday 28 to pick-up and fly Argentine Earth observation satellite SAC-D "Aquarius", jointly developed by Argentine and US space agencies CONEA and NASA, for final tthermovacuum tests in Brazil. If tests are succesfully passed (as expected), the satellite will proceed to Vandenberg AFB (California, USA) for launch by a Delta II vector in April 2011.

The Casa Rosada helipad in downtown Buenos Aires (C.F.) was visited on Tuesday 8 by an slightly odd-looking S-76B Spirit H-02 fitted with a replacement overall white nose cone disrupting the rest of its presidential livery. The now fully international Jorge Newbery only logged Saab 340 T-32 (IX Br Aé) on Tuesday 15; while residing Boeing 757 T-01 (AAP) and Learjet 60 T-10 (un-marked) were noted on Sunday 20 and Thrusday 24, respectively.

Córdoba City's military aviation school was visited by Army C-212 Aviocar AE-264 on Thursday 3 to provide an air platform for service paratroopers performing jumps over La Mezquita training ground. On Sunday 6, in turn, C-130 Hercules TC-61 (I Br Aé, 40 anniversary marks) was reported off-loading UH-1H Huey H-10 [2] (formerly with VII Br Aé) for delivery as a ground instruction airframe to the Air Force NCO School. Flight Test Center's IA-58 Pucará A-568 (identified by some sources as the improved avionics configuration prototype currently under development, see "FAdeA gets 'on line' with customers, partners") and IA-63-II Pampa EX-03 were noted operating from there on Monday 7. Ambrosio Taravella international airport in turn was visited by Chilean Air Force EMB-314 Super Tucano PT-ZQL on Wednesday 16 transiting from the factory in São José dos Campos (Brazil) to its new home base in Iquique (Chile). This was reported as the third ferry staging through Córdoba, the two earlier taking place on 14 (PT-ZQH and PT-ZQI) and 30 May (PT-ZQJ y al PT-ZQK), respectively.

El Calafate (S.C.) hosted a gathering of Patagonian governors 4 through 7 June. A large presidential contingent caused several military VIP aircraft to show up at the scenic South Argentina airport, including Boeing 757 T-01 (4 and 6), F.28 Fellowship T-03 (4 and 5) and Learjet 60 T-10 (6).

Staging through El Palomar (B.A.) on Friday 4 was DHC-6 Twin Otter T-81 (IX Br Aé), which sported full unit marks as well as assorted Exercise "Valkyria III" and maintenance unit ARMAQUIL patches and was on its way to Uruguay for combined air traffic control exercise "Río III". On Wednesday 9, we noticed Learjet 35A T-22 (II Br Aé, re-entering the country after being overhauled in the US wearing low-viz gray colour scheme) and Brazilian Air Force ERJ-135BJ VC-99B 2581 (GTE) als transiting through the base. F.27 TC-74 (II Br Aé) was noted on final approach on Wednesday 23.

Mendoza/Gobernador Gabrielli international airport witnessed two unidentified EMB-312A Tucano (EAM) operating from the local air brigade since the end of May through Thursday 3. A further eight unidentified aircraft, plus a C-130H Hercules, were noted night stopping Saturday 12 through Monday 14 while on a navigation tour through 13 different Argentine provinces. All wore the regular EAM jungle cammo with red wing tips and rudders. Uruguayan Air Force Cessna U206H 715 was noted on final approach on Sunday 6, while F.28 TC-54 (I Br Aé) did so on Saturday 26. F.28 T-02 (AAP) brought in Mendoza governor Celso Jaque on Sunday 27 and Learjet 35A T-25 (II Br Aé) flew-in on radio-aid callibration duties on Monday 28.

Salta/Martín Miguel de Güemes international airport was visited by Air Force IA-58D Pucará A-534 and A-582 (both III Br Aé) on 16 and 17 June. Both aircraft were scheduled to participate in ceremonies honouring the province's caudillo and Northern border defender during Independence War, General Güemes.

A further two Pucaráes, including A-595, and an unidentified Cessna A182, were noted transiting through Posadas/General San Martín international airport on Tuesday 15.

Exotic foreign traffic

(23 May) A collection of interesting foreign military movements through Argentine airports and air bases has been recorded in the last few months and we found it worthwile to report here. The most active location for the period was El Palomar (B.A.) air base, which started out by by being visited twice by the Brazilian Air Force aerobatic team's EMB-312 Tucanos and their EADS/CASA C-295 hacks. First, they did so 18 through 22 March before appearing at the Experimental Aircraft Association Fly-In in General Rodríguez (B.A.) on Saturday 20. Next, they did so 29 April through 2 May for a two-day exhibition in downtown Buenos Aires and Argentina Air Fest 2010, the Morón (B.A.) open day, on 1 and 2 May. Aircraft involved included T-27s 1307/7 (March only), 1308/5 (April/May), 1326/2, 1327/4 (March), 1358/4 (April/May), 1360/5, 1371/1, 1381/6, 1434 (2 then 7), 1435/3 as well as C-295s C-105A 2800 (April/May) and 2807 (March). In addition to providing a night-stopping location for the two Brazilian aerobatic visits, the base also logged Brazilian Air Force EMB-120 Brasilia VC-97 2010 on 20 May and probably the two most exotic visitors of the semester: Mexican Air Force Boeing 727s 3506 and 3507 (visited 17 May). Demonstrating its international gateway condition and its spotting advantages, Buenos Aires "Jorge Newbery" airpark logged assorted military VIP aircraft such as USAF C-32A 98-0001, noted on 2 March, and Brazilian Air Force Embraer Regional Jets C-99A 2522 (4 March), C-99A 2524 (4 February) and VC-99B 2580 (4 February). El Plumerillo (Mza.) and the Córdoba aviation school (Cba.) were also used by the Brazilian aerobats on their way in (March 23) or out (March 29) to Chile's FIDAE 2010; while Bahía Blanca (B.A.) was purportedly visited by an as yet unidentified USAF C-130 Hercules and US Navy P-3C 162316 (call sign "Tiger 94") between 18 and 21 May for exercise UNITAS LI (50th edition).

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