---

After four weeks in Bolivia it was finally time for some aviation action. My wife and I planed a trip to Santa Cruz for the weekend to spend some time at the pool. Luckily for me that also gave some opportunities for some spotting and even some photography.

At 6:40 Friday morning I jumped in a taxi from our hotel. I was only flying at 8:30 but I wanted to catch the two Aerosur departures to Santa Cruz and Cochabamba at 7:00. Anyway I missed those as I arrived the airport 15 minutes too late. On the road into the terminal you pass a number of stored old-props, so after check-in, I decided to go back to investigate and take a few photos. From the road you also have a view on the Air Force part. Unfortunately I only brought my pocket 10x25 binoculars, and that was not enough for reading of everything. Among the unidentified there were 3 very active looking T-33s! Others included 2 camouflaged Fk27s, a camouflaged C-130 and a FAB Beech 200. Also one of the storage areas could be seen, nothing identified but it contained 4 camouflaged and one grey C-130, at least two white Convairs and a white L.188/DC4/DC6 or similar.

After having had a look around I passed through the security check (yes, they do have those in Bolivia as well) and took a seat in the waiting area in the domestic part of the terminal. This has great views on the runways, unfortunately without too much activity.

At 8:20 Aerosur CP-2424 Boeing 727-200 arrived. That turned out to be my ride to Santa Cruz - Viru Viru. We were on our way only 25 minutes later. Seen before departure were:

La Paz - El Alto (07/sep/2007 7:30-8:45)
CP-987 Curtiss C-46A untitled (stored)
CP-1080 Curtiss C-46A untitled (stored)
CP-1282 Douglas DC-6A/C ‘Air Cumbre’ (wfu)
CP-1283 Douglas DC-6A/C ‘Air Cumbre’ (wfu)
CP-1655 Curtiss C-46D untitled (stored)
CP-2026 Convair C-131B untitled (stored)
CP-2184 Lockheed C-130A Hercules Transportes Aereo Bolivianos
CP-2424 Boeing 727-264(A) Aerosur
CP-2473 Swearingen SA227DC Metro 23 Amaszonas
FAB-65 Lockheed C-130B Hercules Bolivian Air Force
FAB-66 Lockheed C-130B Hercules Bolivian Air Force
FAB-71 Convair 580 Bolivian Air Force (stored?)
FAB-72 Convair 580 Bolivian Air Force (stored?)
FAB-74 Canadair CL-66B Cosmopolitan Bolivian Air Force/Transporte Aereo Milatar (active)
FAB-001 North American/Rockwell Sabre-60 Bolivian Air Force
FAB-100 BAe.146-200 Bolivian Air Force/Transporte Aereo Militar
FAB-101 BAe.146-200 Bolivian Air Force/Transporte Aereo Militar
N478TA Airbus A319-132 TACA International Airlines
N654A Boeing 757-223 American Airlines

After an hours uneventful flight (have been told that is a good thing here), we touched down at a surprisingly busy Viru Viru airport. No views found inside the terminal, but if you turn right when exiting you will find an area where all movements can easily be monitored and you even have a view on part of the platform, where among the active airliners a Globe Jet L.1011 and a LAB B727 are parked after LAB seize of operations. Further down there is a storage area, with a couple of B727s, a B732, a Peruvian Yak-40 and a L.410. For photography the sun is a bit of a problem as you have it against you on the terminal side (at least in the morning). Seen before I headed on too the city airport El Tompillo and during a short visit in the evening to pick-up my wife where:

Santa Cruz - Viru Viru (07/sep/2007 9:45-11:15 and 18:30-19:00)
3C-HAC Boeing 737-201 Ecuatoguineana de Aviacion (no titles) (stored)
CP-1093 Aero Commander 680F (stored?)
CP-1367 Boeing 727-2K3(A)(WL) LAB-Lloyd Aereo Boliviano (stored)
CP-1376 Lockheed C-130H Hercules Transportes Aereo Bolivianos (evening)
CP-2245 Let L-410UVP-E AeroSur (wfu)
CP-2377 Boeing 727-23 Aerosur (wfu)
CP-2422 Boeing 727-264(A) Aerosur
CP-2424 Boeing 727-264(A) Aerosur
CP-2431 Boeing 727-264(A) Aerosur (wfu)
CP-2462 Boeing 727-264(A) Aerosur (evening)
CP-2463 Boeing 727-223(A) Aerosur (special c/s)
CP-2484 Boeing 737-281(A) Aerosur (special c/s)
CP-2489 Douglas DC-10-10(F) Transportes Aereo Bolivianos (TAB Cargo titles)
CU-C1700 Tupolev TU-204-100C Cubana Cargo
EC-KDF Airbus A330-223 Air Comet/AeroSur (Eurofly hybrid c/s) (evening)
N654A Boeing 757-223 American Airlines
N753NA Boeing 757-28A Aerosur
OB-1653 Yakovlev Yak-40 Aerosur Express (wfu)
OD-ZEE Lockheed L-1011 TriStar 500 GlobeJet (stored)

After packing down at Viru Viru I took the bus to Santa Cruz - El Trompillo. A 40 minutes bus ride for 5 Bolivianos (0.50 Euro). Excellent! At El Trompillo I meet up with fellow spotter/photographer Giovanni Rodriquez. El Trompillo has an excellent viewing terrace, with a view over the main platform, the military side and part of the runway. All movements can easily be monitored. It is not exactly a busy field but you have a nice mix of military and civil and everything between Ce.150s and Boeing 727s. Seen during the afternoon where (excluding lights):

Santa Cruz-El Trompillo (07/sep/2007 12:15-15:30)
CP-1210 Beech 95
CP-1319 Curtiss C-46F untitled (active, but unfortunately not during my visit)
(CP-1930) Partenavia P.68C (polished totally down, so ID assumed)
CP-2172 Partenavia P.68C Victor
CP-2176 Dornier 228-202K Aerocon
CP-2328 Let L-410UVP-E Aeroeste
(CP-2382) Let L-410UVP-E Aeroeste (a/w no titles or marking, under maintenance, so ID assumed)
CP-2393 Let L-410UVP-E Aerocon
CP-2424 Boeing 727-264(A) Aerosur
CP-2479 Fairchild F-27(F) Alas del Sur SA
CP-2485 Swearingen SA227DC Metro 23 Aerocon
CP-2494 Beech 90 King Air
FAB-15 Stearman? Bolivian Air Force (Preserved on pole, red c/s)
FAB-74 Canadair CL-66B Cosmopolitan Bolivian Air Force/Transporte Aereo Milatar (active)
FAB-174 Aerotec A.122 Uirapuru (T-23) Bolivian Air Force (Preserved on pole)
FAB-187 Aerotec A.122 Uirapuru (T-23) Bolivian Air Force
FAB-703 Bell UH-1H Iroquois Bolivian Air Force (green c/s)
FAB-711 Bell UH-1H Iroquois Bolivian Air Force (grey c/s)
FAB-720 Bell UH-1? Iroquois Bolivian Air Force (Preserved on pole, green c/s)
FAB-722 Bell UH-1H Iroquois Bolivian Air Force (grey c/s)
FAB-744 Bell UH-1H Iroquois Bolivian Air Force (grey c/s)
FAB-902 T-34A Bolivian Air Force
FAB-922 VT-34A Bolivian Air Force (still showing part of former FAV markings)
FAB-923 VT-34A Bolivian Air Force (still showing part of former FAV markings)

Well that was it. Off to the Hotel for a relaxing weekend at the pool.

---