FIDAE 2014 participating aircraft

Airbus Helicopters delivered the Chilean Army’s latest AS532ALE Cougar on opening day. Arriving the day before, the aircraft was being crewed by French pilotos and retained its French civil tests registration (photo: Carlos Ay).

A novelty in the executive aviation segment was this Eclipse EA500, pictured early in a typical Santiago de Chile’s morning fog (photo: Fernando Puppio).

One of the few military novelties was this elegant AW139 exhibited by AgustaWestland and the Aviazione Militare Italiana (foto: Carlos Ay).

Exploiting its participation in FIDAE 2014’s air displays, Beechcraft exploited T-6C Texan demonstrator’s upper and lower wing surface as an effective brand-positioning billboard (photo: Carlos Ay).

One of the first grateful surprises at FIDAE 2014 were these two Grupo de Aviación No.12’s F-5 Tigre III, including one in the newest dark gray cammo (foto: Carlos Ay).

Framed by the cockpit of the Halcones most recently delivered Extra 300/L, a trio of Chilean Air Force vetereans in FIDAE 2014’s static exhibition (photo: Carlos Ay).

Providing room to sports aviation, the fair featured an ultralights corner where we found this Mini-Max Hi-Max ostensibly sponsored by a global aviation watches firm (photo: Carlos Ay).

As anticipated in our preview and earlier versions of this reporte, the United States again deployed two Texas Air National Guard F-16C Fighting Falcon fighters (photo: Carlos Ay).

Rounding-up one of the classical features in our historical FIDAE coverage, here’s the latest update to our independent listing of aircraft participating in the fair. As our readers may remember, the listing was first published in mid-March 2014 as soon as a number of solid leads or confirmed aircraft participations had been logged through different sources. In fact, our initial release was in some way triggered by Santiago de Chile’s daily El Mercurio, whose 13 March edition revealed that FIDAE 2014 expected to log 124 aircraft on display (ostensibly based on internal show forecasts).

Shortly after its unveiling at the HAI Convention in California, Bell Helicopter’s newest creation, the Model 505 Jet Ranger X, day views in the Latin American market at FIDAE 2014 (photo: Carlos Ay).

Participating in media flights allow us to enter Pudahuel Air Base and picture this Grupo de Aviación No.9 marked UH-1H Huey (photo: Fernando Puppio).

In a discreet visit lasting no more than two days, Chilean Army’s equally reserved and newly acquired Citation Sovereign also attended FIDAE 2014 (photo: Antonio Segovia/ModoCharlie).

Just as though they were mummies from ancient Egypt, two Eslovenian-built Pipistrel Alpha Trainers rest at the Grupo 10 tarmac wrapped-up in protective clothing (photo: Carlos Ay).

In several discreet visits to Pudahuel, Argentine Air Force Learjet 35A VR-24 was a rarely noticed yet welcomed addition to the show’s inventory (photo: Antonio Segovia/Modo Charlie).

Marking the I World War centennial, the Los Cerrillos museum will feature a Fokker triplane replica (photo: Carlos Ay).

One of the many “firsts” in the civil rotary wings sector, pilot training school, Vertical Helicopter, introduced this Cicaré SVH-4 flight simulator (photo: Carlos Ay).

Caught on arrival at the fair ground, National Air & Space Museum’s SNJ-5 Texan 237/CC-DMI (photo: Carlos Ay).

Very much like the event’s preview launched in early December 2013 (see “FIDAE 2014 preparing for launch”), this report has evolved and been updated as frequently as new confirmations,  documented prospects and actual arrivals took place. Through Sunday 30, field work had logged a total of 144 aircraft, a 10% increase over the preceding fair (see “FIDAE 2012 day by day…”). Unlike official figures, which are likely to centre only on “exhibition aircraft”, our statistics include all aircraft noted at Pudahuel Air Base during the fair (adding supporting, visiting and flightline individuals), thus the slightly larger quantity over official figures. Notice additionally that construction numbers quoted in our listing were actually read-off and pictured at the fair.

Internet sources: Aerocardal (Noticias and Twitter), Airbus Defence and Space, Andrés Matetic (Twitter), Bell Helicopters, Bombardier, El Libertador, El Mercurio, Eurocopter Chile, F-16 Net, Instagram/Felipe Lizana Vidal, FIDAE (official, Facebook and Twitter), DGAC Chile, La Tercera, Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica y Espacial, Scramble, Team Mini-Max and US 12th Air Force. Acnowledgements: Michel Ancieux, Claudio Cáceres, Juan Pablo Martínez (Alto Vuelo blog), Javier Ruberto, Antonio Segovia, Cristóbal Soto and Issan Valenzuela contributed to this report alongside with many others who preferred to remain anonymous.