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Post by davebasing on Jan 25, 2018 15:02:06 GMT
A non-spotting trip to Myanmar (Burma) earlier this month began with Thai A380 HS-TUA from Heathrow to Bangkok, arriving there in what is perhaps better termed a controlled crash than a landing. The local dentists must have had lengthy queues outside their doors for filling replacements. Bangkok Airport is very busy and with the vast terminal in the centre of the airfield it is next to impossible to cover all movements from airside. As they were landing on 19R and departing on 19L I settled for the spot I’d used before on the D concourse as this gave everything except those turning short off 19R. Part 2 of this epistle will list what was noted during the spell at Bangkok and that on my return. Sadly dropped two of the three Laotian ATRs there, one of which (RDPL-34222) I had flown in twice back in 2013 when I graphed her at Pakse in Laos. lao 1105 by dave tompkins, on Flickr Having checked that my teeth were still in place, some 4 hours (and a welcome shower in the Thai lounge) later Bangkok AW A320 HS-PPE carried me up to Mandalay where apart from a pair of Nanchang A5J Fantans on the military side the only other aircraft on the field was Air Asia A320 HS-ABI. On arrival Mandalay produced the only (albeit brief) clouds or rain of the entire 3 week trip. DSCN2362 by dave tompkins, on Flickr The former Royal Palace in Mandalay is in the middle of the Palace Gardens which is a closed military area through which access to the Palace itself is gained. The military area (still promised to be open to the public “at some time soon”) contains a preserved T33 and a piston Provost. The trees around the Palace prevented sight of the T Bird but the venerable Provost (2208) could just be glimpsed in the trees from a corner of the Palace as the photo below shows. IMG_0103 by dave tompkins, on Flickr Coming back south I passed the airfield at Magway where the Air Force were fortunately active with Mig 29s and Chengdu Y-7s (Chinese built Mig 21s). IMG_1433a by dave tompkins, on Flickr IMG_1633a by dave tompkins, on Flickr Heho airport is the gateway to Inle Lake and handles mainly ATR72s of various Myanmar carriers. XY-AJT carried me from Yangon to Heho and XY-AJM on the return leg a few days later. At Heho and Yangon together I noted some 20 ATRs. IMG_2348 by dave tompkins, on Flickr IMG_2662 by dave tompkins, on Flickr IMG_2655 by dave tompkins, on Flickr IMG_2349 by dave tompkins, on Flickr IMG_2653 by dave tompkins, on Flickr Part 2 will cover the Bangkok lists and the international airport at Yangon (Rangoon) which is a combined civil/military airport where virtually the entire fleets of the Myanmar based operators are to be seen.
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Post by deke on Jan 25, 2018 17:53:02 GMT
Brilliant, thanks for sharing, for a non spotting trip that's some fine spotting! No security problems photographing aircraft, especially military, in Myanmar then?
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Post by zz on Jan 25, 2018 18:03:29 GMT
Myanmar MiG-29s! Doesn’t get much better than that!
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Post by davebasing on Jan 25, 2018 18:19:04 GMT
Brilliant, thanks for sharing, for a non spotting trip that's some fine spotting! No security problems photographing aircraft, especially military, in Myanmar then? No problems at the airports, the Migs were graphed from a short distance from the base (but don't think I'd like to try it from the fence) and the military at Yangon were from the taxying aircraft as their area is not visible from the terminal save for a preserved T Bird on a multi coloured plinth between the civil and military areas. Seeing a pair of Air Force AN12s (actually Chinese built Y8s) doing a stream smokey take off from Yangon will stick in the mind awhile. Myanmar is a stunning country, cheap and with the friendliest people I've come across anywhere in Asia, even in the remote villages normally untouched by tourists. Beggars are non-existent. Tourism numbers are down after the Rohinga problems but that is away in the northwest of the country and personal security was never an issue anywhere we went. Could have opted not to go as a protest but as everyone locally said, the only thing that would achieve would be to hit the local people whose meagre livelihoods depend on tourism. Part 2 will follow tomorrow.
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Post by billsamuels on Jan 25, 2018 20:40:42 GMT
Hi Dave,
Can’t wait for part 2....
And I thought I had the pot of the year when I’d seen the Iranian Navy Sea King!!!
Still, mine was in 2017.....
Cheers mate and really pleased to have you back.
Bill
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Post by graham on Jan 26, 2018 9:04:20 GMT
Fantastic photos and report Dave, certainly blows my two Algerian AF Mil-26s in Greece last year into a cocked hat!
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Post by davebasing on Jan 26, 2018 9:12:44 GMT
Part 2 continues with some shots taken at Yangon (Rangoon) airport. Three queries I have yet to resolve are the identity of the ATR42 shown below (sorry for the quality) parked on the far side of the field and marked as “XY-IVI” (the IVI part clearly being a more recent addition) with basic old Mandalay Airlines fuselage scheme, though the fin markings are not theirs. Though the fuselage looks straight the wings appear to be at a strange angle perhaps indicating a main spar failure? The second is the identity of the Myanmar Air Force Dakota preserved for some years by the control tower opposite the fighter barns as shown below in the mist. Reported as UB736 this cannot be correct as the real UB736 (together with UB735) is preserved in the Defence Force Museum at the new capital at Naypyidaw where it moved with the rest of the collection from Yangon in 2005 and is still there. The one at Yangon is reported to also carry 531 in Burmese script but no idea what that signifies as this was not a Burmese C47 serial. The third query is a former KLM Fokker 70 parked outside a technical school beside the approach road to the airport. The shot of the Myanmar Air Force Fokker 70 serial 002 is also not the best having been taken through a rather dirty ATR window. Notable however is that it’s the former KLM City Hopper PH-KZE (PH-KZC having become 001). The military area at Yangon is separate from the civil terminal and noted were Mig 21 & 29s, AN12s (Y8s), Beech 1900s, ATRs and Fokker 70s. Surprise visitor on the civil side was Global Express SP-ZAK. Non Burmese carriers noted there included Nok Air, Malaysian, Silk Air, ANA, VietJet, JetStar, Vietnam AL, Singapore AL, China AL, Qatar AW & Air Asia Malaysia. IMG_2738 by dave tompkins, on Flickr IMG_2732 by dave tompkins, on Flickr IMG_2295 by dave tompkins, on Flickr IMG_2292 by dave tompkins, on Flickr IMG_2314A by dave tompkins, on Flickr IMG_2300 by dave tompkins, on Flickr IMG_2327b by dave tompkins, on Flickr Couldn’t resist another Mig shot. IMG_1615 by dave tompkins, on Flickr IMG_1223 by dave tompkins, on Flickr Noted at Bangkok outbound were - DSCN2334 by dave tompkins, on Flickr B-MAK A319 Air Macao XY-AGU " Myanmar AW Int'l B-1612 A320 China Eastern VN-A691 " Vietnam AL 9V-JSB " Jetstar Pacific 9V-TRB " Scoot 9V-TRM " " VT-CIF A320 neo Air India 4R-ANB " Air Lanka VN-A351 A321 Vietnam AL VN-A357 " " B-18353 A330 China AL B-HLN " Cathay Pacific B-LBA " " B-LNU " Hong Kong AL HL-7587 " Korean Air RP-C3347 " Cebu Pacific 9V-SSB " SIA B-LNX A330F Hong Kong AL HB-JMC A340 Swiss RP-C3441 " PAL B-LRU A350 Cathay Pacific OH-LWI " Finnair A6-EUZ A380 Emirates RDPL-34173 ATR72 Lao AL RDPL-34175 " " RDPL-34222 " " A6-MAX B737NG Fly Dubai B-1740 B737 Shanghai AL B-5418 " Hainan B-5717 " China Southern HS-KMC " K Mile PK-GNK " Garuda VP-BYW " Nordwind VT-JBP " Jet AW VT-JLH " Jet Konect VT-SLD " Spice Jet XY-ALF " Myanmar National 9M-MLP " Malaysian B-18212 B747 China AL EI-XLE " Rossiya N577UP B747F UPS A6-ETI B777 Etihad A6-ETJ " " A7-BAB " Qatar AL B-KPF " Cathay Pacific HB-JNC " Swiss OE-LPB " Austrian VP-BGD " Aeroflot 9K-AOL " Kuwait A40-SE B787 Oman Air A40-SY " " JA823J " JAL JA830J " " JA832A " ANA JA887A " " VT-ANG " Air India 5Y-KZB " Kenya Based A320 Thai Vietjet HS-VKA, HS-VKB, HS-VKC A319 Bangkok AW HS-PGX, HS-PGZ, HS-PPA, HS-PPB, HS-PPF A320 Bangkok AW HS-PGU, HS-PGV, HS-PGW, HS-PPE, HS-PPH, HS-PPJ ATR72 Bangkok AW HS-PGB, HS-PGG, HS-PZA, HS-PZB, HS-PZG, HS-PZH B767 Jet Asia HS-JAS A320 Thai Smile HS-TXA, HS-TXC, HS-TXE, HS-TXH, HS-TXJ, HS-TXL, HS-TXM, HS-TXN, HS-TXO, HS-TXT A330 Thai HS-TBD, HS-TER, HS-TES, HS-TEU A350 Thai HS-THE, HS-THG A380 Thai HS-TUA, HS-TUC, HS-TUE B737 Thai HS-TDG B747 Thai HS-TGA, HS-TGF, HS-TGY, HS-TGZ B777 Thai HS-TJA, HS-TJB, HS-TJC, HS-TJD, HS-TKC, HS-TKF, HS-TKK, HS-TKO, HS-TKQ, HS-TKZ B787 Thai HS-TQB, HS-TQD, HS-TQE, HS-TQF, HS-TQG, HS-TWB Plus Cessna 208B HS-SKR Additions noted while transiting in the dark from A330 HS-TBG at Bangkok on the return trip to Heathrow on HS-TUC were – RP-C8618 A320 PAL B-MCD A321 Air Macao B-16336 A330 Eva B-HLO “ Cathay Pacific HL7554 “ Korean A6-EUX A380 Emirates HL7619 “ Korean HL7622 “ “ HL8021 B737 Transway HL8058 “ Eastar HL8260 “ Jeju Air VT-SLE “ Spice Jet JA781A B777 All Nippon HL7732 “ Asiana HL7750 “ Jin Air JA817A B787 All Nippon JA888A “ “ JA827J “ JAL JA842J “ “ 5Y-KZC “ Kenya AW Plus based A320 Thai Smile HS-TXU A330 Thai HS-TEO, HS-TEP A350 Thai HS-THB, HS-THD B777 Thai HS-TKB, HS-TKD B787 Thai HS-TQA IMG_1223 by dave tompkins, on Flickr Don’t ask!! But thanks for looking.
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Post by davebasing on Jan 26, 2018 9:13:58 GMT
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Post by graham on Jan 26, 2018 9:16:41 GMT
Once again, absolutely superb Dave. I don't know whether you're a member or not, but had you thought about placing your military queries over on Fighter Control Group? Happy to do so for you.
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Post by billsamuels on Jan 26, 2018 9:25:03 GMT
Morning Dave,
Brilliant mate... Love that Dak shot.... In fact, Love all of ‘em mate....
Keep ‘em coming....
Bill
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Post by airsicksteve on Jan 26, 2018 11:46:29 GMT
A quick bit of research has a possible I/d for your ATR42.
XY-AIJ. ATR42-320 c/n 268 is stored at Rangoon. Last owner was Air Mandalay. A photo from 2015 matches your colour scheme exactly..
Hope this helps
Steve
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Post by davebasing on Jan 26, 2018 12:00:24 GMT
A quick bit of research has a possible I/d for your ATR42. XY-AIJ. ATR42-320 c/n 268 is stored at Rangoon. Last owner was Air Mandalay. A photo from 2015 matches your colour scheme exactly.. Hope this helps Steve Many thanks for that Steve, much appreciated
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Post by davebasing on Jan 31, 2018 9:18:55 GMT
Just for fun. While sorting the photos from the trip I noticed this one which I took at Yangon on 19 January, primarily to read the Mig 29s in the shelters behind. The EMB145 is XY-ALI new to Air Mandalay but to the left in the picture is a box on wheels marked as N561RP. Since even the US hasn't yet got round to registering wheeled boxes I discovered that N561RP was an EMB 145 which was stored at Kingman, Az until 8 January when it was due to go to Air Mandalay. I assume that this has become XY-ALI (no actual confirmation yet) but just why did N561RP have its own box on wheels, and will it now be re-registered? Is this the start of a whole new reg collecting hobby? IMG_2727a by dave tompkins, on Flickr
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Post by airsicksteve on Jan 31, 2018 12:09:25 GMT
Confirmed that ERJ-145LR. N561RP was deregistered from the FAA register on 16 January 2018 to become XY-ALI with Air Mandalay, so it’s the right box.
Presumably the multi-million Dollar deal was sealed with a freebie thrown in. 😀
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Post by davebasing on Jan 31, 2018 12:41:39 GMT
Confirmed that ERJ-145LR. N561RP was deregistered from the FAA register on 16 January 2018 to become XY-ALI with Air Mandalay, so it’s the right box. Presumably the multi-million Dollar deal was sealed with a freebie thrown in. 😀 Thanks Steve. Presumably a box set?
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Post by airsicksteve on Jan 31, 2018 13:05:43 GMT
Ouch. At least in Deal or No Deal, you have a choice of three... 👍
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