Monte Real Air Base Open Day: A Close-Up on Portugal’s Fighter Aviation
Following tradition, on September 15 we headed to Monte Real for the Open Day at Air Base No. 5, home of fighter aviation. As part of the celebrations for the 72nd anniversary of the Portuguese Air Force, the base opened its doors to the public, showing the visiting public its unit and their missions. As has become customary, there was, once again, a spotters day where aviation and photography enthusiasts could get close to the action, the perspective from which this report was made.
When we arrived at the base and with the "check-in" done, we went to visit the static display which, as always, featured the various aircraft that have operated out of Monte Real, such as the F-86 Sabre, the T-38 Talon, the T-33 Shooting Star, the A-7P Corsair II and the Fiat G-91, which were well accompanied by the legends of the asphalt of yesteryear. Also on display was a Portuguese F-16 with a wide range of weapons, accompanied by a real “cannon”, the latest Portuguese-made supercar, the Adamastor Furia.
Inside the hangars, there were various stands displaying the equipment and units that make up the F-16 operational support units, along with an exhibition commemorating 30 years of the F-16 in the service of the Portuguese Air Force.
Something that aroused a lot of curiosity was the presence of the “Cockpit Demonstrator” of the F-35 aircraft, courtesy of Lockheed Martin, along with a 1/10 scale model of the aircraft. It is becoming increasingly certain that Portugal could join the 19 nations already operating the F-35 or that have placed orders for this aircraft.
We can't talk about the static display without mentioning the presence of two foreign aircraft, in this case a Eurofighter Typhoon from ALA 11 of the Ejército del Aire y el Espacio and an F-16AM from the 2nd Tactical Wing of the Belgian Air Force.
Shortly before the start of the morning's activities, the spotters moved, in something resembling a true pilgrimage, to the spot next to the runway, where we had the opportunity to photograph several take-offs, fast passes and landings of the various F-16s.
Still in the morning and just before our lunch break, we were delighted with the take-off of the F-16, registration 15119, for a Functional Check Flight (FCF) after it had been undergoing maintenance.
With full bellies after lunch, we were taken to the afternoon spot where, just as in the morning, we once again photographed a few more passes by the F-16. A surprise for everyone was the incredible low pass by the KC 390, escorted by two F-16s, which certainly caught many spotters off guard.
As we can't leave them out, this Open Day had the presence of the newest and second aircraft from 506 Squadron - “Rinocerontes”, the KC 390 with the registration 26902, to carry out the famous Baptisms of Flight.
