Funchal - Madeira ( FNC- LPMA )                                       Website officiel : www.ana.pt

Located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Canary Islands, Madeira is a Portugal's island. Funchal is the largest city, the capital, known as a seaside resort where many tourists succeed over the summer. Although this place is known for its calm and beautiful scenery, it is not the same for the practice of aviation! Indeed airport southeast of the island located 15km east of Funchal town of Santa Cruz, is located by the sea, altitude and cliff edge. A special approach is required with a tight final to avoid the hill and land on a runway in part on stilts above the water while keeping the control of the winds swirling leaves of profile from the sea meeting the steep slopes ... All these elements combined to give Funchal the most dangerous airport in Europe! It consists of a single track 23-05 and a terminal at the south. Originally, the runway was only 1,600 meters. In order to cope with the increased traffic, the authorities launched an expansion project which was complicated by the fact that there was no room on either side of the track. The rest of the island is mountainous, a solution was found by extending the runway by bridges over steep rocks and the sea. Reach at 2781 meters in 2001, was the first track built with Europe ends on a bridge over the void. Prevailing winds from the northeast, it's runway 05 which is mainly used. The only company based in Funchal Aero Vip and operates daily flights to Porto Santo, a small island in the north, but the Portuguese TAP and SATA companies operate regular flights to land in the country. The rest of the heaviest traffic in the summer is essentially charter provided by leading "vacation" companies  and "low cost" as European TUI Fly, Air Berlin, Transavia, Condor, Primera, Travel Service, Easy Jet, Thomas Cook Jet2 and Thomson. Several days a week, TAP A330 operating the line between Lisbon and Caracas, Venezuela made its passage through the island, it is the only long-haul flight. Every morning, a postal flight is operated by West Air Europe to the mainland by a transformed ATP.

 

 
     

View or the airport View of the terminal

View of the tower

View of the runway over the sea

 
     

 

 

The end of runway 05 Airplanes front of the terminal    

 

Our spotting journey began  September 28, 2014, to enjoy the back summer. We left from Brussels, Sata flight operated by Thomas Cook. Nearly 4 hours later we touched wheels on the ground of the island. On the first day, and following that we dedicated to spotting, we spent the morning on the beautiful rooftop terrace of the airport. The latter gives a breathtaking view of the runway and ground operations with good light until 14h. We somewhat rushed to make this trip because this extraordinary terrace is about to shut down to make way for commercial spaces. After a moment of relaxation at the hotel in the pool, we closed the day up the hill to see the impressive aircraft arrivals that make them bend and touch the wheels before our wondering eyes of contrasting landscape. Finally for accommodation, our choice was to Albatroz Hotel 5 *, a wonderful relaxing resort in the sea. On an affordable price, it is reachable by foot on to the airport and the point on the spot cliff in just fifteen minutes and offers a nice infrastructure for a few days rest in a beautiful and green.

 

Click to enlarge, all pictures are from Cédric Valence

 

28th till 30th September 2014

 

 

 

CS-TTG - A319-111 TAP G-EZFH - A319-111 Easyjet CS-TKP - A320-214 Sata G-LSAE - B757-27B Jet2 Holidays
 
     

D-ATUG - B737-8K5 TUI Fly

CS-AYT - Dornier228 Aero Vip

CS-TKP - A320-214 Sata

CS-TTE - A319-111 TAP

       

G-TAWN - B737-8K5 Thomson

HB-IHX - A320-214 Edelweiss

OK-TVY - B737-8Q8 Smartwings OO-JLO - B737-8K5 Jetair

 

 

 

 

 

       

G-LSAE - B757-27B Jet2 Holidays

CS-TNV - A320-214 TAP

D-ATUG - B737-8K5 TUI Fly

G-GDFM - B737-36N Jet2 Holiday

       

G-BYAT - B757-204 Thomson

G-JMCG - B757-2G5 Thomas Cook

G-CPEU - B757-236 Thomson G-LSAE - B757-27B Jet2 Holidays
       

G-EZWA - A320-214 Easyjet

CS-TOG - A330-202 TAP

CS-TRD - Dash8-400 Sata EC-KRY - ATR72 Binter
       

CS-TTD - A319-111 TAP

G-TAWN - B737-8K5 Thomson

CS-AYT - Dornier228 Aero Vip F-GZHB - B737-8GJ Transavia
       

G-GDFL - B737-36N Jet2 Holidays

EC-KRY - ATR72 Binter

D-ATUG - B737-8K5 TUI Fly G-BYAT - B757-204 Thomson
       

F-GZHB - B737-8GJ Transavia

G-BYAT - B757-204 Thomson

CS-TOG - A330-202 TAP G-EZWA - A320-214 Easyjet
       

G-TAWO - B737-8K5 Thomson

HB-IHX - A320-214 Edelweiss

G-GDFM - B737-36N Jet2 Holiday OK-TVR - B737-86Q Travel Service
       

CS-TOG - A330-202 TAP

G-CPEU - B757-236 Thomson

CS-TTD - A319-111 TAP EC-LFA - ATR72 Binter
       

G-GDFM - B737-36N Jet2 Holiday

G-EZWA - A320-214 Easyjet

CS-TOQ - A330-203 TAP CS-TOQ - A330-203 TAP
       

G-TAWP - B737-8K5 Thomson

OH-LZG - A321-2331 Finnair

OY-JTY - B737-7Q8 Jettime PH-GGX - B737-8EH Transavia
       

OY-PSC - B737-8Q8 Primera

CS-TOQ - A330-203 TAP

CS-TOQ - A330-203 TAP D-AICF - A320-212 Condor
       

OO-TCS - A319-132 Thomas Cook Airlines

D-AICF - A320-212 Condor

OY-PSE - B737-8Q8 Primera PH-GGX - B737-8EH Transavia
       

PH-GGX - B737-8EH Transavia

PH-TFD - B737-8K5 Arke Fly

PH-TFD - B737-8K5 Arke Fly PH-TFC - B737-8K5 Arke Fly
       

CS-TNV - A320-214 TAP

CS-TRD - Dash8-400 Sata 

CS-TRD - Dash8-400 Sata CS-TNV - A320-214 TAP
       

F-GZHE - B737-8K2 Transavia

F-GZHE - B737-8K2 Transavia

D-AHLK - B737-8K5 Hapag Lloyd D-AHLK - B737-8K5 Hapag Lloyd
       

D-AHLK - B737-8K5 Hapag Lloyd

CS-AYT - Dornier228 Aero Vip

CS-TTS - A319-112 TAP D-AHFR - B737-5K5 TUI Fly
       

CS-TTD - A319-111 TAP

D-AHFR - B737-5K5 TUI Fly

CS-TTS - A319-112 TAP D-AHLK - B737-8K5 Hapag Lloyd
       

CS-TTS - A319-112 TAP

F-GZHE - B737-8K2 Transavia

D-AHFR - B737-5K5 TUI Fly D-AHFR - B737-5K5 TUI Fly
       

D-AHFR - B737-5K5 TUI Fly

D-AHFR - B737-5K5 TUI Fly

F-GZHE - B737-8K2 Transavia F-GZHE - B737-8K2 Transavia
       

F-GZHE - B737-8K2 Transavia

F-GZHE - B737-8K2 Transavia

F-GZHE - B737-8K2 Transavia D-AHFR - B737-5K5 TUI Fly
       

CS-TTS - A319-112 TAP

CS-TTS - A319-112 TAP

OY-JTY - B737-7Q8 Jettime OY-JTY - B737-7Q8 Jettime
       

OY-JTY - B737-7Q8 Jettime

EC-KYI - ATR72 Binter

F-GZHI - B737-86J Transavia G-OJEG - A321-231 Monarch
       

OK-TVE - B737-86Q Travel Service

OK-TVE - B737-86Q Travel Service

OK-TVE - B737-86Q Travel Service G-OJEG - A321-231 Monarch

 

 

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©Cédric Valence 2014 - www.flyfan.be