FIDAE 2008 (Lots of Photos!)

[Javier Tapia]

Hi!
Well today I went to the FIDAE (Feria Internacional del Aire y Espacio [Internacional Aviation and Space Fair]) Its the greatest air "show" (not actually a show, since it's intentended for buisness first) of south America, I know its not like MAKS or Le Bouget but sitll is nice to be able to see so much variety in aviation topics, from civilian aircaft to military fighters, defence technology, and even tanks ) So... any way, I payed a little extra (17 US Dollars more) to be able to visit it today and avoid going on weekend and get the chance to see the A380.
FIDAE takes place at Comodoro Arturo Merino Benitez airport in Santiago (SCEL) military base
So... here are some pictures:

First thing you see from the entrance:


RAF pilots didn't allow me to see the interior, the only plane you couldn't get near to


But US crews where completely different, almost "full access"
C-130J

(That's me )


KC-135






C-17




F-16C and F-15E






B-1B


Predator


Chilean Crews also where great and allowed to close to the planes and all, except taking photos of the cockpits (no idea why)
F-16C


Mirage 50 Pantera (museum)


UH-1H


Casa 212-300




Lots of VIP aircraft




ENAER/Casa A-36

(That's my grandma)



Naval Aviation
AS-365 and PC-7


Army Aviation
C-235 and C-212


MD369


Aeromacchi M346


Luftwaffe
A310 (actually this aircraft and one of her sisters are being sold to chile to serve as VIP, transport and refuelling aircraft)

(Ohh, Luftwaffe pilots were also very kind to us)

Some Civilian
A380






And some other cool stuff like:
Mantarraya (the Chilean Navy UAV, nothing to envy to the global hawks or predators )

(It actually got cameras and all, but where removed for display)

I'm not much into fire arms, but just couldn't ressist

(even got to shoot a FAL in a firing simulator, real guns, fake bullets )

Combat Sims!

(JAS-39)

This is actually the coolest guy in the hole show:


and finally, for some reason I found RAF stickers all over the USAF planes, they all looked like this one


I actually took over 200 pictures, but this are like the most representative
there where also lots of other stuff, air shows, dispaly teams, etc. But what really impressed me the most was seeing the B-1B Lancer doing inverted maneuvers like if it was a fighter Jet... Amassing!
Hope you like them!

[btaylo24]

Some lovely shots there and great to see them

barry

[Jumpshot724]

Awesome pics!!

You know what's sad? I've NEVER been to an airshow . I either miss them because I'm not around or something else comes up. I need to fix that fast!!

[Victory103]

Great photos! Love that new C-130J, looks just like the one in the recent LRAFB MAIW package.

The stickers are tradition, there called "Zappers" or Zap's for short. Kind of a practical joke to play on other flight crews. I always trying to find weird and out of the way places to hide them, so that it may be a few days when the aircraft's crew find them!

[BadPvtDan]

Great photos! Love that new C-130J, looks just like the one in the recent LRAFB MAIW package.

Hey! I didn't think anyone saw that package!

[Javier Tapia]

What? The Little Rock Package? C'mon it's like the biggest single C-130 package! how could we miss it?

[sprocky]

Thanks for sharing your images.

Do you remember the reg of the Luftwaffe Airbus you said was sold? Unfortunatly the second half of the reg is hidden in your pic.

[jetmax]

That F-15E is one of my birds . I was joking with them last week that they needed to take a weather guy with them .

[Javier Tapia]

Thanks for sharing your images.

Do you remember the reg of the Luftwaffe Airbus you said was sold? Unfortunatly the second half of the reg is hidden in your pic.

I took a photo of it's registration so I didn't had to remember

It's 10+26, and for what I've read this is one of the aircraft being transfered, the other one it's still a mistery, any way, it's a great change from the 737 and 707 to A310, belive me I've flown of the 737s and it nothing but an old passenger plane, not a very impressive (or confortable, fast, economic, etc.) way to arriving to an international summit

[jetmax]

That F-15E is one of my birds . I was joking with them last week that they needed to take a weather guy with them .

Upon closer inspsection that F-15E is not one of my birds, however I though we sent the Demo Team. Did you see any F-15Es with SJ tails?

[Javier Tapia]

No, the only F-15E in dosplay had the MO tail, thow there was an other one (I think) that did some flying demonstrations, couldn't get the tail, since it was kept away from public (as all aircraft that where going to fly)