26 December 2010
Tobacco in Andorra
Seemingly, wherever there is a spare, arable section of land in Andorra that isn't built upon, it's planted in tobacco. The lucrative crop is the only surviving form of agriculture in the country, discounting the longer-growing forestry industry which has highjacked the untenable, steeper slopes of most of the mountains that are not fit for anything else.
23 December 2010
Season's Greetings
Merry Christmas to all and have a safe and happy holiday season. We're off to Germany tomorrow for a week, before escaping back to a warmer Barcelona for New Year's Eve. Be careful out there!
22 December 2010
Os de Civis
While visiting Andorra back in August, I read about a little village called Os de Civis and decided that it was worth a visit.
While only accessible from Andorra, Os de Civis is actually a Catalonian town in the province of Lleida.
We spent a couple of hours here, wandering through the narrow lanes and up to the Romanesque church which, unfortunately, was not open. However, the stonework of the houses was truly artwork to admire.
Os de Civis nestled in a valley, with the church at the highest point
While only accessible from Andorra, Os de Civis is actually a Catalonian town in the province of Lleida.
We spent a couple of hours here, wandering through the narrow lanes and up to the Romanesque church which, unfortunately, was not open. However, the stonework of the houses was truly artwork to admire.
Church entrance
View from the church verandah
18 December 2010
Mammatus
Back in June towards the end of Iceland's volcanic eruption disruptions, I looked out of our window to see the most amazing cloud display. Grabbing my camera, I raced onto our balcony to record it.
Although there was no threat of rain and blue sky, a mass of mammatus clouds was buzzing across the sky. The clouds were moving quite quickly, so I had to work fast to record them.
I have read that they can form under layers of volcanic ash clouds, so I'm assuming that Eyjafjallajökull's eruption may have contributed to this formation.
It was only the second time that I had seen mammatus - the first being a brief display of them over Melbourne, Australia back in 2007.
They are my favourite clouds!
Usually mammatus clouds are associated with bad, often violent, storms or tornadoes, but we didn't experience any of that, thank goodness.
Shortly after they disappeared, we were treated to a very pink and orange sunset.
A beautiful ending to another perfect day in Barcelona!
Although there was no threat of rain and blue sky, a mass of mammatus clouds was buzzing across the sky. The clouds were moving quite quickly, so I had to work fast to record them.
I have read that they can form under layers of volcanic ash clouds, so I'm assuming that Eyjafjallajökull's eruption may have contributed to this formation.
It was only the second time that I had seen mammatus - the first being a brief display of them over Melbourne, Australia back in 2007.
They are my favourite clouds!
Usually mammatus clouds are associated with bad, often violent, storms or tornadoes, but we didn't experience any of that, thank goodness.
Shortly after they disappeared, we were treated to a very pink and orange sunset.
A beautiful ending to another perfect day in Barcelona!
4 November 2010
Patrulla Águila - the Jet Aerobatic Team of Spain's Air Force
Closing this year's Festa al Cel was Patrulla Águila (Eagle Patrol) which is the Spanish Air Force's jet precision team.
I was lucky enough to catch their practice run on the Friday before the airshow as well as their official performance, so the weather variations in my images reflect the 2 days.
Flying CASA C-101 Aviojets, the team operates from the San Javier Airbase in Spain's Murcia region. They are the only team in the world to use yellow smoke which is one of the two national colours of Spain; the other being red.
Their display was extremely competent with tight formations and manoeuvres, and they were one of the few displays that flew close enough to the beach to make it more exciting.
This year, the team has a Catalan leader from Barcelona - Comandante José María "Pep" Alonso - and this made it all the more special for the crowd because a local boy was in charge!
The team is also known for its formation take-off and landing displays which quite often aren't thought about in the schematics. For shows based at airfields, this means that Patrulla Águila gives a comprehensive display from the moment that the pilots march onto the airfield to get into their planes until the time that they march out after the display.
This year is the team's 21st year of operation in which time it has grown from a formation of 5 aircraft, then 6, and finally to its present configuration of 7. Over 16,000 flight hours have been logged in this time.
As well as flying as part of a lot of Spain's national celebrations, Patrulla Águila has also flown demonstrations in countries such as Finland, Israel, Portugal and Turkey and, since 2003, there are annual tours to events in America and Canada.
For more posts on the Barcelona Airshow, click on the Label "Festa al Cel" below.
I was lucky enough to catch their practice run on the Friday before the airshow as well as their official performance, so the weather variations in my images reflect the 2 days.
Flying CASA C-101 Aviojets, the team operates from the San Javier Airbase in Spain's Murcia region. They are the only team in the world to use yellow smoke which is one of the two national colours of Spain; the other being red.
Their display was extremely competent with tight formations and manoeuvres, and they were one of the few displays that flew close enough to the beach to make it more exciting.
This year, the team has a Catalan leader from Barcelona - Comandante José María "Pep" Alonso - and this made it all the more special for the crowd because a local boy was in charge!
The team is also known for its formation take-off and landing displays which quite often aren't thought about in the schematics. For shows based at airfields, this means that Patrulla Águila gives a comprehensive display from the moment that the pilots march onto the airfield to get into their planes until the time that they march out after the display.
This year is the team's 21st year of operation in which time it has grown from a formation of 5 aircraft, then 6, and finally to its present configuration of 7. Over 16,000 flight hours have been logged in this time.
As well as flying as part of a lot of Spain's national celebrations, Patrulla Águila has also flown demonstrations in countries such as Finland, Israel, Portugal and Turkey and, since 2003, there are annual tours to events in America and Canada.
For more posts on the Barcelona Airshow, click on the Label "Festa al Cel" below.
2 November 2010
Yakovlev 11 and replica Mitsubishi A6M Zero
The coolest thing about Festa al Cel is that it's held in Barcelona which means that there are lots of countries' air forces and air museums within close proximity to call on and invite to participate.
The Belgian, French and the Netherlands air forces were well-represented this year; Fundació Parc Aeronàutic de Catalunya Museum based at Sabadell is almost within spitting distance; EADS is across the French/Spanish border at Perpignan, and Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis Air Museum (AJBS) is located just south of Paris.
Along with the American P-51D Mustang that I covered in an earlier post, AJBS also flew in a Russian Yakovlev 11 and a replica Japanese Mitsubishi Zero.
In aviation circles, the Yakovlev is referred to the Russian equivalent of the American T-6 Texan Harvard, and their roles are very similar as both were used as airforce training planes.
Widely used by about 18 countries that were influenced by Russian weaponry and armament, the Yak-11 saw duty from 1947 until 1962. In 1950, a North Korean Yak-11 became the first registered "kill" of the Korean War when it was shot down by a US Airforce F-82 Twin Mustang which is an aircraft also worth researching.
After the Yak-11 was retired from active service, it became a much sought-after machine. Pilots bought and modified them into high performing aircraft for air races, and warbird enthusiasts purchased them for museum and private collections. Of the 3,859 built, approximately 120 Yak-11s are still capable of flying today, and most of these reside in Eastern Europe.
There are less than 10 known intact and airworthy Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero aircraft left in the world which is a tragedy given the aircraft's history. Most of these have been modified in some way, using pieces from other aircraft or especially manufactured parts, as well as replacement engines. Only one aircraft is known to still have the original radial 14-cylinder, 1,200hp Nakajima Sakae 31 engine.
The example from AJBS is not a genuine Zero as it started life as a single-seater American T-6 Texan Harvard. These were built for movie purposes, and starred in famous movies such as Tora! Tora! Tora! and Pearl Harbor.
Just over 10,000 units were manufactured in a brief period from 1940-1945 which was when Japan used them for WWII and the Pacific War. They were excellent long-range machines for use off aircraft carriers, and are perhaps best known for their part in the deadly and effective raid on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in the early morning hours of December 7th 1941. The Zero's fearsome reputation was sealed when it became the machine for the loyal kamikaze pilots. The success of the missions depended on the pilots committing suicide as they would steer their aircraft, ( heavily laden with explosives and fuel), into direct impacts with enemy ships - especially aircraft carriers.
Although more Zeros were built than any other Japanese aircraft over WWII, its effectiveness was short-lived as opposing forces quickly developed their own aircraft (P-38 Lightning, Corsair F4U and F6F Hellcat among them) and strategies, to counter-attack the onslaught of the Japanese Air Force.
For more posts on the Barcelona Airshow, click on the Label "Festa al Cel" below.
The Belgian, French and the Netherlands air forces were well-represented this year; Fundació Parc Aeronàutic de Catalunya Museum based at Sabadell is almost within spitting distance; EADS is across the French/Spanish border at Perpignan, and Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis Air Museum (AJBS) is located just south of Paris.
Along with the American P-51D Mustang that I covered in an earlier post, AJBS also flew in a Russian Yakovlev 11 and a replica Japanese Mitsubishi Zero.
In aviation circles, the Yakovlev is referred to the Russian equivalent of the American T-6 Texan Harvard, and their roles are very similar as both were used as airforce training planes.
Widely used by about 18 countries that were influenced by Russian weaponry and armament, the Yak-11 saw duty from 1947 until 1962. In 1950, a North Korean Yak-11 became the first registered "kill" of the Korean War when it was shot down by a US Airforce F-82 Twin Mustang which is an aircraft also worth researching.
After the Yak-11 was retired from active service, it became a much sought-after machine. Pilots bought and modified them into high performing aircraft for air races, and warbird enthusiasts purchased them for museum and private collections. Of the 3,859 built, approximately 120 Yak-11s are still capable of flying today, and most of these reside in Eastern Europe.
There are less than 10 known intact and airworthy Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero aircraft left in the world which is a tragedy given the aircraft's history. Most of these have been modified in some way, using pieces from other aircraft or especially manufactured parts, as well as replacement engines. Only one aircraft is known to still have the original radial 14-cylinder, 1,200hp Nakajima Sakae 31 engine.
The example from AJBS is not a genuine Zero as it started life as a single-seater American T-6 Texan Harvard. These were built for movie purposes, and starred in famous movies such as Tora! Tora! Tora! and Pearl Harbor.
Just over 10,000 units were manufactured in a brief period from 1940-1945 which was when Japan used them for WWII and the Pacific War. They were excellent long-range machines for use off aircraft carriers, and are perhaps best known for their part in the deadly and effective raid on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in the early morning hours of December 7th 1941. The Zero's fearsome reputation was sealed when it became the machine for the loyal kamikaze pilots. The success of the missions depended on the pilots committing suicide as they would steer their aircraft, ( heavily laden with explosives and fuel), into direct impacts with enemy ships - especially aircraft carriers.
Although more Zeros were built than any other Japanese aircraft over WWII, its effectiveness was short-lived as opposing forces quickly developed their own aircraft (P-38 Lightning, Corsair F4U and F6F Hellcat among them) and strategies, to counter-attack the onslaught of the Japanese Air Force.
For more posts on the Barcelona Airshow, click on the Label "Festa al Cel" below.
31 October 2010
F/A-18 Hornet
2 F-16s (one each from the Netherlands and Belgium) had put on stunning displays of manoeverability and missile avoidance, and now it was the turn of the F-18 from the Aérea de Torrejón Base in Spain which is the Ala 12 squadron's home.
The F-18 is an extremely versatile military aircraft, used in providing air defence for navy fleets, fighter escort for transport and bomber planes, air-to-ground and air-to-air combat, and reconnaissance.
In comparison to the single engine F-16, the twin engine F-18 is quieter, in that its engine noise isn't as harsh and doesn't rip up the air.
Where it shines is that it's highly manoeverable owing to its powerful thrust to weight ratio, and the pilot demonstrated this ability very well, by tail-walking the F-18 at low altitude along the beach, and then applying thrust to take the plane into a steep ascent at low speed. It was awesome to watch.
To read more posts on the Barcelona Airshow, click on the Label "Festa al Cel" below.
The F-18 is an extremely versatile military aircraft, used in providing air defence for navy fleets, fighter escort for transport and bomber planes, air-to-ground and air-to-air combat, and reconnaissance.
In comparison to the single engine F-16, the twin engine F-18 is quieter, in that its engine noise isn't as harsh and doesn't rip up the air.
Where it shines is that it's highly manoeverable owing to its powerful thrust to weight ratio, and the pilot demonstrated this ability very well, by tail-walking the F-18 at low altitude along the beach, and then applying thrust to take the plane into a steep ascent at low speed. It was awesome to watch.
To read more posts on the Barcelona Airshow, click on the Label "Festa al Cel" below.
30 October 2010
Antonov 2R
As far as Russian planes go, there are 3 manufacturers whose names stand above the rest - Antonov, Tupolev and Yakovlev.
The 1st and 3rd had representation at Festa al Cel this year, and Antonov's 2R biplane was the better known.
This remarkable aircraft is a derivative of the original An-2 which was manufactured in its model variants from 1946 until 1991. It stood in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest production run of any aircraft, but was only recently overtaken by the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.
The An-2 had many guises, but was better known as a crop-duster for which it was initially built. It has also been used as a people and cargo carrier, firefighter and a parachute drop aircraft.
The Fundació Parc Aeronàutic de Catalunya plane on display at Festa al Cel was a 2R which is a crop-dusting derivative of the An-2, and originally fitted with a large tank to hold the chemicals.
An interesting feature of the Antonov was that it had no stall speed - the speed at which aircraft stop flying and fall back to Earth.
The pilot's handbook said, "If the engine quits in instrument conditions (blind flying when you can't see the ground) or at night, the pilot should pull the control column full aft (it won't stall) and keep the wings level. The leading-edge slats will snap out at about 64 km/h (40 mph), and when the airplane slows to a forward speed of about 40 km/h (25 mph), the airplane will sink at about a parachute descent rate until the aircraft hits the ground."
Pilots also report that the aircraft is fully in control at 30mph - incredible! A modern-day Cessna has a stall-speed of about 50mph.
For more posts on the Barcelona Airshow, click on the Label "Festa al Cel" below.
The 1st and 3rd had representation at Festa al Cel this year, and Antonov's 2R biplane was the better known.
This remarkable aircraft is a derivative of the original An-2 which was manufactured in its model variants from 1946 until 1991. It stood in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest production run of any aircraft, but was only recently overtaken by the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.
The An-2 had many guises, but was better known as a crop-duster for which it was initially built. It has also been used as a people and cargo carrier, firefighter and a parachute drop aircraft.
The Fundació Parc Aeronàutic de Catalunya plane on display at Festa al Cel was a 2R which is a crop-dusting derivative of the An-2, and originally fitted with a large tank to hold the chemicals.
An interesting feature of the Antonov was that it had no stall speed - the speed at which aircraft stop flying and fall back to Earth.
The pilot's handbook said, "If the engine quits in instrument conditions (blind flying when you can't see the ground) or at night, the pilot should pull the control column full aft (it won't stall) and keep the wings level. The leading-edge slats will snap out at about 64 km/h (40 mph), and when the airplane slows to a forward speed of about 40 km/h (25 mph), the airplane will sink at about a parachute descent rate until the aircraft hits the ground."
Pilots also report that the aircraft is fully in control at 30mph - incredible! A modern-day Cessna has a stall-speed of about 50mph.
For more posts on the Barcelona Airshow, click on the Label "Festa al Cel" below.
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