Following the tremendous response with our viewers after releasing the Iberia A340-600 to Peru we return to the Spanish national airline for a flight on the A340-300 to Ecuador.

The airline's A340 Fleet Manager takes you for a trip you won't soon forget to the center of the Earth and latitude 0!  Our fantastic crew goes over all the details of this special route into challenging Quito Airport over the Andes with its high minimum altitudes. During nearly 4 hours you will learn a lot about the A340 and see how our 3 pilot crew distributes the duties.

In Quito we take you to Latitude 0 for some fun and very interesting experiments... and much much more!

Watch clips of this DVD on

IBE2	228mins (E) 180mins (S)	$30

Filmed in 2009 - Released in 2010

MAD Madrid, SPAIN

UIO Quito, ECUADOR

UIO Quito, ECUADOR

GYE Guayaquil, ECUADOR

GYE Guayaquil, ECUADOR

MAD Madrid, SPAIN

Let me take you through a brief description of what you will find on this fantastic DVD from JustPlanes.

The flight from Madrid to Quito starts with a quick view of the briefing including local and enroute weather and the planned route. They also show some of the special maps they use for flying over the mountainous areas of the Andes for alternate routes in case of an emergency. These are covered in more detail while enroute. You learn some interesting things during the walk around. Back into the cockpit we are shown the load sheet, which is very important,  that is used to double check the FMS data among other things. Once this is done the pilots start the checklists. Unfortunately, for the English speaking people viewing they are in Spanish only. The startup commences and we wait for the engines to stabilize before continuing.  Before and during the taxi the camera shows each screen that the pilot is talking about so you can follow along.  The nice view outside during take-off is towards the mountains.  We learn an interesting lesson while climbing on how to detect turbulent clouds and what they do to avoid them to give passengers a smooth ride. Once they are comfortable we are shown how they use routes across the Atlantic along with the weather to determine the optimal flight level. Then we get into a very detailed coverage of the instrument panel.

Volcano activity causes a diversion over Martinique while enroute. Coverage of the destination and alternate weather is explained and we begin the approach briefing. There’s no ILS approach at Quito on this flight so they have to do a challenging VOR approach in mountainous terrain.The approach is cloudy but you can still see a little of the city. JustPlanes has included a nice tour in between flights at Quito. You see the sign indicating a latitude of zero and a little gravity demo. Cool demo I might add. You’ll have to see it to understand.

The next two flights are done at night with the final route landing at Madrid in the morning. Before departing Guayquil, enroute to Madrid, the First Officer goes over the receiving of the aircraft and tests of emergency systems in detail. Enroute they encounter thunderstorms. They deviate due to heavy turbulence and the pilot takes an opportunity to go over what happens if they have to do an emergency landing.  Landing at Madrid is on runway 18R which is a breathtaking mountainous approach.

Conclusion

I have to say without a doubt that this is the most informative DVD I’ve seen from JustPlanes. The pilot’s enthusiasm and willingness to provide their knowledge to everyone without hesitation shows how much they love their jobs. You, the viewer, are the beneficiaries of this with a wealth of knowledge that you can use for deciding if you want to further your pilot career, imitate real world pilots in the flight simulator, or just enjoy learning about the A340 and oceanic routing as a hobby.

Review from SIMFLIGHT

Iberia is an airline which perhaps needs no introduction. Iberia is the flag ship airline of Spain based in Madrid. Iberia was founded in 1927 and it now operates a range of domestic and international routes using a wide array of airbus aircrafts. This DVD focuses on the operations of the A340-300 on a roundtrip flight from Madrid to two destinations in Ecuador. It also features footage from Ecuador itself that viewers may find interesting.

Just Planes has always delivered top quality DVDs that allow aviation enthusiast the opportunity to see the day to day operations of airlines and their flight crew. Let’s have a closer look at some of the highlights of this DVD.

Highlights

The Iberia DVD is by far one of the most enjoyable DVD’s I have looked at in a while. I always enjoy the short to medium haul DVDs but sometimes find it difficult to always enjoy the long haul DVDs. This DVD however, is very unique since it features a flight crew that is very interactive with the viewing audience by always finding an opportunity to explain and educate the viewer on nearly all aspects of their day to day duties.

The Capt on this flight is also very friendly and it was commendable that he highlighted just how hard First Officers work and that they are a team of equals when it comes to flying abilities. The combination of both a friendly crew and an interesting aircraft makes the 10 hour flight to Ecuador jam packed with captivating footage.

One of the highlights of this DVD is a segment which features clips from Ecuador itself. I am sure the team at JustPlanes had a lot of fun travelling to the equator and witnessing some of the phenomena that is associated with being on either side of the equator.

The next highlight of this DVD was the stunning smooth landing by the First Officer on the return flight to Madrid. It was the very first time I have seen a landing with an A340 in which you barely noticed when the aircraft actually touched down! The Capt also showed how amazed he was with the landing when he initiated a hi-five with the First Officer saying that he has to buy the beers!

All in all there is not a dull moment on this DVD and it is very instructive and informative when it comes to international operations, flying in and out of Ecuador’s high terrain and the various features of the A340.

Summary / Closing Remarks

In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed reviewing this DVD. I was especially hooked on the Iberia DVD since the style of the captain’s presentation really made you feel like you were part of the flight. Would I buy this DVD again if it were lost? Yes I would! This is definitely high on my list of some of the best JustPlanes DVDs available and I would tell anyone that these are a very good addition to your collection, especially if you are an Airbus fan.

What I Like About This DVD

Exciting and instructive video documentary
Very thorough and informative presentations of the aircraft systems and flying procedures
Stunning scenery from the cockpit
The thrill of flying in and out of Ecuador’s challenging terrain was surely a highlight

Review from AVSIM

This is the 25th DVD and it is by far the best one. The Cockpit presentation by Captain De Bobadilla is absolutely fantastic. Great work again!!! Marcel Laroche, CANADA

The Iberia A340-300 is the best one I have ever purchased! Yerim Fall, USA