Argentina Aviation Adventure 2006
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Ushuaia Airport
Ushuaia’s new airport was completed in 1997, and replaced a much smaller airport (with shorter runway) situated on small spit of land a few steps from the city center. The old airport is still in use for private aircraft and sight-seeing flights, and weather permitting, the local flying club offers very reasonably priced scenic tours of the area. For propliner fans, there is an old Argentine Navy DC-3 5-T-22 named Cabo de Hornos (Cape Horn) which is slowly being restored for permanent display at the old Ushuaia airport. This DC-3 spent the majority of its life with the Argentina Navy and it operated many missions to the Antarctic. The old DC-3 las flew on July 28, 1979, when it landed with more than 40,000 hours to her credit. The old DC-3 has been declared an historic monument and will be restored to its fully Argentine Navy glory as funds allow.
To reach the Old Ushuaia airport, it is just a short walk from the city center. A little road for small vehicles and foot traffic stretches across the bay to a small spit of land where the old airport buildings and runway are easily accessible for inspection by aircraft enthusiasts and wandering tourists. The old white clappboard terminal building appears to have been built in the 1940s or 50s, and was of course in use up until as recently as 1997 (when the new Ushuaia airport was completed). The Ushuaia Flying Cub have small offices where books, photos, postcards and DVDs are sold, and it is from this office where local sight-seeing tours are booked. Back in central Ushuaia, be sure to stop in at the LADE ticket office on San Martin. There are very interesting LADE aircraft photos on the wall, as well some very nice paintings. And the office staff can provide information on LADE flight arrival and departure, provided you are fluent in Spanish!
All commercial and corporate aircraft now use the new “Las Malvinas International” airport, which is built on another spit of land (albeit larger) situated a few kilometers and an 8 peso ($3 US) taxi ride from the city center. The new terminal building has two bridges, and resembles a giant ski chalet, with a high peaked roof of wooden beam construction.
Ushuaia is not a place that warrants a visit solely for aviation reasons. In terms of traffic, a typical day at Ushuaia sees half a dozen Aerolineas Argentinas flights, mostly MD80s. With the demise of the other domestic Argentine airlines, Ushuaia has become rather quiet, and in terms of action, it pales in comparison to the constant bustle at the Aeroparque. That said, Ushuaia's eye-popping scenic mountain and ocean background offers a magic attraction all its own, and the airport attracts hard-core aviation photographers from all over the world.
Aicraft Spotting and Aviation Photography at Ushuaia Airport
The best idea is to study the schedules and jump in a taxi out to the airport to catch a few targeted flights. Otherwise one will waste many lonely hours instead of enjoying all that Ushuaia has to offer! On Wednesdays the cruise ships stage through Ushuaia to cycle their passengers. As such Wednesdays tend to be busier than other days with an Aerolineas Argentina’s 747-400 rotation from Ezeiza, as well as two LADE F27 flights to Rio Gallegos.
There are no viewings areas from the Ushuaia terminal building, except for the departure area, which offers nose-on views of the aircraft on the bridges. The best viewing is along the fence on both sides of the terminal building. Luckily, the fence is similar to the fence construction at the Aeroparque with sufficiently large gaps between the vertical bars to easily poke a camera through. The baggage carts tend to be parked on the roadway in-front of the fence, which can obstruct taxi-in and push-back shots of aircraft on the easterly bridge. Most action takes place by the fence to the east of the terminal building. The exotic LADE F27s park alongside and parallel to the fence on the east side of the terminal, allowing for perfect sunny-side shots during the afternoon.
The twenty-foot high embankment up to the fuel farm (just by the service road on the east side of the terminal building) is the preferred spot for aviation photography at Ushuaia. It offers a panoramic view of the apron, clearing the fence below, with the magnificent Chilean mountains on the other side of the Beagle Channel, and the ocean in the background (which are much more visible up here than from ground level by the fence). A manned security shack is situated immediately adjacent to the embankment, which guards access to the service road leading to the cargo area, itinerant aircraft ramp, and the tower. Thank goodness the guard never interfered with my photography from the hill or the fence line!
From an aircraft photographer’s perspective, the one problem with Ushuaia is that it is not possible to see the runway from non-airside locations, other than from a vessel navigating the channel. The runway is built on its own island, jutting out into the channel. Unfortunately, a small hill runs parallel to most of the runway (except the far west end), which makes it impossible to see aircraft landing, rolling out, or on take-off from runway 07. Runway 25 is almost never used. It is only possible to see aircraft taxiing in or out from the terminal area, or belly views as departing aircraft climb out at one or two thousand feet abeam the terminal on runway 07. The one and only spot with excellent views to the runway is from the tower cab, which is situated on a hill to the east of the terminal building, and of course this airside vantage point is not accessible. From anywhere at the airport one can see the breathtaking mountain valley and glaciers for which Ushuaia is famous!
We budgeted three full days in Ushuaia, and booked ourselves on the 1820 Aerolineas flight back to the Aeroparque, on Wednesday, February 1, 2006. The early evening departure gave us a full third day to explore Ushuaia, and it was also on this day that time was allocated for an airport visit to take advantage of the two LADE F27 rotations and the Aerolineas Argentinas 747-400. Aircraft spotters will need to dress for all seasons when visiting Ushuaia’s airport, as on this particular Wednesday, it was lashing down cold torrential rains when the taxi dropped me at the terminal building around lunch time. Once I had scaled the muddy embankment with camera bag and tripod in tow (visual picture of US troops raising Old Glory at Iwo Jima!) the driving rain started to subside. Within thirty minutes blue sky had miraculously broken open accompanied by 50 km gale-force winds, with occasional sprinkles of blowing moisture. Suffice it to say that without suitable undergarments, rain gear, hat and sweater, an ill-prepared aviation photographer would have been in trouble!
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and protected property of Henry Tenby. Reproduction prohibitted without permission.
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