LAST SUNDAY morning, Tamariz Beach in Estoril was alive with more than just the usual sun worshippers – the skies at 10:30am became the playground for aviation experts. The Portuguese and Brazilian Air Forces put on a fine display of aviation acrobatics. First to descend into the Estoril Coast air space were two French built Alouette III Helicopters, called Rotores de Portugal. These two aircraft attracted gasps from the thousands of spectators that had turned out to witness their display of agility. Helicopters with smoke trails twisted and turned in the midmorning sunny skies. Diving down at more than 100 knots, these highly trained pilots showed how manoeuvrable these ‘copters were, and a huge applause went up from the spectators as their acrobatics came to an end.
Then came the engine roars of the aircraft of Asas de Portugal. The two Portuguese Air Force, Beja based, Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jets, streaked across the coastline with a roar – rear smoke trailing as they filled the Bay of Cascais. We knew this was going to be good, and good it was. At one stage they made a huge heart shape in the skies with their smoke trail – in what looked like a very dangerous feat. Their sensational acrobatics over, it was now the turn of the Esquadrilha da Fumaça – these magnificent Brazilian pilots in their flying machines were a spectacular sight as time and time again in different close flying formations, they flew over the Estoril coastline, smoke trailing in all directions. Their finale came with all seven Tucan 312 aircraft flying high above the coast, writing in the air with smoke: “PORTUGAL – BRAZIL”. Bob Hughes
