MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Argentine private aircraft makes a direct Rio Gallegos flight to the Falklands for a four-day visit
The Beechcraft 55 made a direct flight from Rio Gallegos to Stanley airport with Pic LN) 
The four friends who also happen to be civilian pilots spent time visiting battle fields and the cemeteries Four Argentines who flew straight across from Rio Gallegos to Stanley airport in a private Beechcraft 55 and spent four days in the Falkland Islands, had only words of praise for the way they were considered and treated during the two months previous paperwork and when they finally reached their goal of visiting battle fields, cemeteries to honor the 1982 combatants who never returned.
The four are civilian pilots are normally stationed at the San Fernando airport in the outskirts of Buenos Aires, according to a report in La Nacion.
“We were very well received, in no moment did they try to impede the trip and we were able to visit all battle fields with no inconvenience. We walked for hours on the peaty fields, the actual places where battles were fought and above all we paid tribute at the Argentine memorial. We also visited the British Cemetery” said Pablo Enriquez, 62 and owner of the aircraft.
“It was a dream come true: to fly with my aircraft, with my friends to pay tribute to those fallen in Malvinas, it was a pending dream of 35 years. We wanted to honor all those lads”, added Enriquez next to his friends and pilots, Raul Gallo, 56, Ignacio Colado, 37 and Maximiliano Actis Caporalle, 44.
While in the Islands, Gallo wrote in his Facebook: “today we are heading to both cemeteries, Argentine and English; both caused the same deep feeling of sadness, of emptiness, of chagrin, but they are both very neat, and respected. There are 640 sentinels in the islands and not remembering them, is like killing them again”.
However even with peace in their souls and grateful for such an occasion, when it was time to leave a big surprise was waiting for the four pilots: Falklands weather and 60 knots wind.
“It took us a full hour to cross the Islands on our return trip and at a certain point we had to choose whether to continue or abort. We decided to continue despite the front wind which forced us to fly at 3.000 ft altitude, which did not give us much latitude. We flew real low and across the open sea. During those three and a half hours I had time to a review of my life”, confessed Enriquez.
But on arrival “we were greeted by Rio Gallegos air-club friends who provided us the logistic support for the crossing and the moral stamina for the trip: it was a great experience”.
Finally the La Nacion piece points out that on leaving and on arrival to Rio Gallegos, there was no migration or customs checks since “they were always in Argentine territory”.
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Disclaimer & comment rules-
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Read all commentsThe blokes who were interviewed seem to be a bit confused about where they really went. They claimed to have been to some place called “Puerto Argentino” and of course there is no such place in the Falklands.
Oct 26th, 2016 - 06:45 pm +7“...was is detected on radar, did the RAF intercept it,...”
Oct 27th, 2016 - 08:47 pm +6-- Yes it was on ATC radar and no reason to intercept since the flight plan was known and the arrival was previously coordinated, permitted, and announced.
Argentine and Chilean nationals can take advantage of the visa waiver programme. However, visiting Argentines must present a valid passport, for obvious reasons. Arriving passengers are liable to pay an embarking fee of the equivalent to about 22 UK pounds (payable in equivalent US dollars but not in Argie pesos). Landing and parking fees are payable in similar hard currency (no pesos).
Peat Cutting Monday is a legal holiday. The Falkland Islands Civil Aviation Department is closed on that day.
The English language is required for communications with Falkland Islands air traffic services, including meteorological services.
The Falkland Islands Civil Aviation Department issues operating permits for overflight and landing within the Falkland Islands and for transiting the Falkland Islands controlled airspace ( “Controlled Traffic Region”). These permits are mandatory and are issued IAW Article 135 of the UK Statutory Instrument 2013 No. 2870. Likewise, flights into the Falkland Islands airspace are conducted in accordance with the same Regulation. The FI makes certain exceptions to ICAO regulations and a unique set of related requirements must be observed.
One does not simply fly into Mordor.
“Ah, the argies, you can bribe one, but you can't buy one”
Oct 26th, 2016 - 01:42 pm +5One of the oldest expressions about Argentina is that the way to make your fortune is to buy an Argentine for what he's really worth and sell him for what he thinks he's worth. (....comprar a un argentino por lo que realmente vale, y venderlo por lo que dice que vale. ...)
One has to wonder what sort of treatment might have been involved had an islander wished to fly a similar aircraft into Argentina. On arrival, probably the same neanderthals that worked over the Jeremy Clarkson vehicles with stones.
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“they were always in Argentine territory”.
Of course, in typical MercoPiss fashion, the article failed to cover the formalities involved in which the occupants had to present passports and enter and leave Falkands territory under local jurisdiction and regulations, which were something other than Argentine.
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