observationflight #03: LEMG

Destination: LEMG, Malaga, Spain (JAF5903 & JAF5904)
Date: 02/05/2008
Type of aircraft & registration: Boeing 737-800(NG), OO-VAC
Route: Paris - Bordeaux - Madrid - Malaga
Departure: around 6AM
Back in Brussels: around 12:30PM

It's friday, around 3 o'clock in the morning; the radio wakes me up with some good music, although it's quit early. The evening before I tried to get some sleep at 10PM, but I still remember it wasn't before 11.30PM I could get some sleep. No problemo, since my last observation flight was in November, I had the pleasant thought about going again airborne since a long time. And because we finished with the theoretical courses, many things would become much more clear and meaningful during all phases of my 3th flight.

So, after getting-out-of-the-bed-stage, a shower and a fast-breakfast with 3 cups of coffee, I was ready to go towards the airport at 4AM. Empty roads, but still working traffic lights ... one may wonder why.

Once I arrived at the crew room of Jetairfly, I met the first officer of the flight, mr. Lopez, who is also an instructor on the Diamond DA42 at SFA. I checked with him the "usual paperwork" (route, weather charts, notams, ...) and later on, the captain of the flight, ms. Dillien arrived.

Once in the plane, I was allowed to program the FMS (Flight management system). The passengers, most of them tourists, went on board, the captain and F/O prepared and configured everything for departure and en-route, push-back from the gate and startup, taxi & many many flows & checklists during a short period of time. You better be awake and aware :-).

at intersection B1, awaiting clearance to line up and wait

few seconds later: ATC:"beauty 903, line up and wait runway 25R"

Lined up and waiting for our take off clearance (there was a departing aircraft in front of us)

ATC: "beauty 903, cleared for take off runway 25R, surface winds 220 at 5 knots"

Moments after take-off, making a right turn in order not to fly overhead the king's palace (SID: CIV 1C)

Descend into Malaga, with some high terrain in front of us

Making a right turn, to intercept the localizer of the ILS runway 31

On finals, runway 31. It was a bit foggy that day, hence the visibility was reduced to 5000 meters.

During the external check

The wheel well: check for oil leaks in one of the most dirty areas of a plane ... it's not that easy ;-)

a CFM56-7 engine, seen from behind. Powerful, but also one of the most expensive parts of a plane.

The first officer, giving some explanation about the vortilons on the underside of the wings.

An Airbus A319 of easyjet, on finals for runway 31, while we were awaiting our clearance for line up.

ATC: "Beauty 904, after the Easyjet Airbus A319 has landed, line up and wait, runway 31. Expect immediate take-off"

Seconds after take off, making a steep right turn of about 180° towards the see, to avoid high terrain during the climb (SID: Lojas 1B)

mountaineous area around Malaga ...

During our descend into Brussels, awaiting the last vectors from ATC for our final approach on the 25L at EBBR. The white dotted line is the extension of the runway axis on which we were cleared to land on. Those displays are really nice :-)

Turning right to intercept the localizer of runway 25L at EBBR, with some nice cumulus clouds in front of us.

On short finals, with some turbulence.

Once again, it was a very nice flight with a fantastic crew (and that's of course including the cabin crew)! During the flight I was also involved in the duties of the flight crew (following the flight plan, checking the fuel and actual times overhead the waypoints, checking the ATIS of both airports for our arrivals, ... and of course I was happy with the fact that I was allowed to take some pictures during all stages of the flight, including departure and arrival. And, last but not least: we encountered a small bird strike while landing in Brussels. Not a huge one, but you could notice some dirt and blood on the leading edge of the right wing. A pitty for the bird, for me an opportunity to follow the procedure the crew must follow safetywise.

Cheers!