Flying to Spain

[huwcarey]

I am considering flying a Zenair 601 XL to Spain next month to watch my son playing cricket in Benidorm. I have never flown this far before so I am looking for advice from anyone who has.

I have been to Ireland several times and also the Channel Islands but apart from these I am a complete novice to European travel by light aircraft.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Kind regards
HC

[Donald Walker]

Check out this http://www.wfaec.com/#!flight-planning-11/c6od

You need a permit to enter Spain, obtained by emailing Magdalena Hernández Llorens mhllorens(at)fomento.es, attaching a scan of your Permit to Fly, Registration Certificate and Certificate of Insurance, advising the time you intend to remain in Spain, which cannot exceed 6 months.

[huwcarey]

Thanks for the information Donald, much appreciated.
HC

[tnowak]

If you don't get too many replies try posting your query on the Flyer GA forum. I think I have seen a few threads on flying to Spain on there.
TonyN

[Bill McCarthy]

Just don't mention Gibraltar !

[Ray Lewis]

The flying is little different from flying anywhere else, except that in Spain you need to file a flight plan for every flight outside the local circuit area. This is easy to do at most airfields as they have computer terminals setup to enter your flight plan, and each time you enter a new one it calls up the previous one you used so much of the information is pre-entered for you. Remember to close your flight plan - they do check and follow up automatically if overdue. Unlike the UK you can often do this just prior to landing providing you can switch frequencies / use a second frequency during approach.

Watch out for wildly different fees for landing, handling and fuel - it is wise to try to prepare in advance. Four weeks ago we found buying fuel could take a long time at some airfields for no apparant reason. We also were required to produce a valid VAT number when refueling at a small club airfield: no number, no fuel. Total fuel cards were widely used in France, but you cannot yet get one of these in the UK.

English was spoken widely in Spain. We found that smaller French club airfields now require you to speak French to use their airfields, and expect you to be fully briefed on local restrictions and activities.

Some aifields are high (e.g. Madrid) and temperatures can also be high, so aircraft performance is worth considering especially with short runways at club airfields. You would be well advised to prepare for crossing mountain ridges if flying into the centre, and understand the basics of mountain flying.

Security is increasingly prevalent so remember to take money passport and flying licence with you when you leave the aeroplane on landing as you will probably need some or all of this to get back to your plane.