Single day Domestic status run - Colombia

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Hey there all, have never done a trip report, but today I may attempt just that - a short one.

I am in Colombia, my FF account of choice today is my Avianca-Lifemiles one, and I am doing a simple 4 sector circuit: MDE - BOG - CUC - BOG - MDE.

Am doing it in comfort - domestic J, and each leg is short - 35 or so minutes actual flying time. What will cause me trouble is the weather and connections............

 

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My journey starts in Jose Maria Cordova, the international airport at Medellín - MDE. As per many airports in Colombia, the style of choice is ¨concrete¨. This is appalling as Medellín has perhaps the best weather in the world - it is called the ¨city of eternal spring¨. They export squillions of flowers all over the world, they have a dazzling light festival each summer, the gardens are magnificent, the sky beautiful, but in the airport they manage to attain a drab look. Go figure.

 

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MDE has a two domestic Avianca lounges - the old one has been converted to a Lifemiles Silver one, and they have finished a much bigger and better one for Lifemiles /*Alliance Gold, which I get to use today. The fitout is modern and simple, facilities include lounge chairs, working área, tea/coffee /snacks, and good internet.

 

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Workstations - quiet at this time of day (midday).

 

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After me discovering the joys of ¨gout¨last week, my diet has taken a change, and my snack today consists of a tiny skewer of cabanosi, with a refreshing glass of wáter.

 

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Great view from the lounge - directly overlooking my plane - an Airbus A321.

Avianca is (I believe) one of the few airlines in the world to fly the entire ¨A320¨ family - A318, A319, A320, and A321. And they have just placed orders for 100 A320 NEO´s! (Just for those that think that Soouth America is a backward corner of the world, both LAN and Avianca have 787´s in service too )

 

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One of the things I love about MDE is that it is also the home of an airforce base. They mainly run Arpia´s (Blackhawk equivalent) helicopter gunships that do fire support work in the región. Occassionally you get a real treat and see them doing training flying manouvres, including reversing up to perpendicular to the ground, a fire support requirement. The pilots are amazing - they do night NVG missions, which with helicopters in mountains is a ¨tad¨dangerous. They also do loops in the choppers.

 

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Last thing from MDE - in the lounge there is a Club Colombia beer on tap!! Only from 4pm though.

 

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Must run ..... flight to catch.

 

[TomVexille]

This looks like fun

 

[Steady]

Sounds like you are in for a good day.

(Only 2 of the photos are displaying for me - the airport and the beer)

 

[Welsh-Kiwi]

Look forward to reading the rest of your trip report.

 

[AusTraveller]

Sounds like you are in for a good day.

(Only 2 of the photos are displaying for me - the airport and the beer)

Likewise for me to all of the above.

 

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Not sure why - will see if I can redo them. Just arrived CUC - Cucuta.

 

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Lining up for takeoff from MDE. No, I wasn´t flying the plane, this was just a lucky shot from 3A just before we turned. The runway is a straight North South aspect.

 

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Can anyone tell me if the photos are now showing?? I hate technology :/

 

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Take off - MDE airport from the sky. Apart from being my current ¨home¨ airport, I love MDE because it is small and quick. With good international connections to Peru, USA, Panama, etc etc. And I happen to live in the hills quite nearby.

 

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Particularly cloudy day today. This is on approach to Bogota airport. Despite what some may have heard about Colombia, they do make things other than coffee and cocaine. All those glasshouses which stretch to the horizon are growing flowers.

 

[stoneman]

View attachment 42022

Take off - MDE airport from the sky. Apart from being my current ¨home¨ airport, I love MDE because it is small and quick. With good international connections to Peru, USA, Panama, etc etc. And I happen to live in the hills quite nearby.

Definitely showing and they are great!

 

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My original flight from MDE was delayed, so I got bumped to another 30 min later, meaning I had only a 30 min stopover in BOG. This can be tricky, even without luggage, as the airport has two áreas. I arrived to the new terminal, which handles all international and the principal domestic sectors. But I was to depart from the old terminal as flights to CUC go from there. Avianca runs a shuttle bus between the two, about a ten minute trip. As an aviation enthusiastic I enjoy this as you weave in and out of the mayhem that is any major airport, between ancient 727´s getting cannabilized, to past the airforce planes and cargo áreas. A few days ago when I went past there was a 747 classic (the originals with the short hump) painted entirely in white, no markings whatsover except for a rego which I did not manage to get.

Note: as I was in a hurry and am a very important person, they cleared the shuttle bus for me and gave me a private service.