I would like to fly my 3 axis (Skyranger) microlight to Spain later this year to visit a friend who has moved there.
Has anyone else done this and what problems arose? I am looking for any advice / recommendations on flying a permit microlight into and around Spain that I can get. Are UK microlights generally accepted at licensed airfields in Spain for instance?
Regards
Jeff
Flying a microlight in Spain
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Brian Hope
- Posts: 1271
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:28 pm
- Location: Sheerness Kent
Hi Jeff, the first bit is easy enough, no permission required for France. Spain though requires you to get permission to fly your permit microlight (or light aircraft for that metter) prior to arrival. They are unfortunately, rather long winded in processing your request so get it in well before you want to go.
Go to the BMAA website, click 'Miscellaneous', then 'Downloads' and on the second page 'Flying abroad by microlight' All the contacts etc and a great deal of advice is contained therein. I've been to Spain several times (not in a microlight) but never been challenged for my permission, but I have heard that other people have had to show it.
Depends on where you want to go as to the best route in. Down the French coast and into San Sebastian is an easy route but you may have to cut inland north of Bordeaux if the coastal military areas are active (and they often are). If you then want to get inland in Spain you have to get over some quite high mountains and the air mass coming in from the Atlantic often causes low cloud over the high ground. On the Mediteranean side its a good run down to somewhere like Carcasonne and then around the coast to Gerona, the mountains come right down to the sea. There is then a low level route down past Barcelona if you are heading south to the costas. On a very nice day you can get over the Pyrenees but it would have to be a nice day as they are real mountains! There are fewer airfields in Spain than in France or England, so good route planning will be necessary. Suggest a post on the BMAA site would ellicit some useful info from some of the microlighters who have made the trip.
Go to the BMAA website, click 'Miscellaneous', then 'Downloads' and on the second page 'Flying abroad by microlight' All the contacts etc and a great deal of advice is contained therein. I've been to Spain several times (not in a microlight) but never been challenged for my permission, but I have heard that other people have had to show it.
Depends on where you want to go as to the best route in. Down the French coast and into San Sebastian is an easy route but you may have to cut inland north of Bordeaux if the coastal military areas are active (and they often are). If you then want to get inland in Spain you have to get over some quite high mountains and the air mass coming in from the Atlantic often causes low cloud over the high ground. On the Mediteranean side its a good run down to somewhere like Carcasonne and then around the coast to Gerona, the mountains come right down to the sea. There is then a low level route down past Barcelona if you are heading south to the costas. On a very nice day you can get over the Pyrenees but it would have to be a nice day as they are real mountains! There are fewer airfields in Spain than in France or England, so good route planning will be necessary. Suggest a post on the BMAA site would ellicit some useful info from some of the microlighters who have made the trip.
Hi Brian,
I believe that in Spain it is not so much a "permit aircraft" issue more a "microlight" specific issue .
I started my enquiry on the BMAA microlight egroup and have since been told flying a microlight legally in Spain was a problem partly because written permission for permit aircraft takes months to obtain, and also because all flights to licensed airfields, even internal flights, need a flight plan for each leg. Problem is, I understand Spain doesn't accept flight plans from (Spanish?) microlights so thats probably why licensed airfields can't accept them. Not sure however if this applies to foreign (UK) micros.
I would ideally like to hear from anyone who has personally flown a UK registered microlight successfully into Spanish licensed airfields, since most of the information I have received to date is anecdotal or hearsay.
Regards
Jeff
I believe that in Spain it is not so much a "permit aircraft" issue more a "microlight" specific issue .
I started my enquiry on the BMAA microlight egroup and have since been told flying a microlight legally in Spain was a problem partly because written permission for permit aircraft takes months to obtain, and also because all flights to licensed airfields, even internal flights, need a flight plan for each leg. Problem is, I understand Spain doesn't accept flight plans from (Spanish?) microlights so thats probably why licensed airfields can't accept them. Not sure however if this applies to foreign (UK) micros.
I would ideally like to hear from anyone who has personally flown a UK registered microlight successfully into Spanish licensed airfields, since most of the information I have received to date is anecdotal or hearsay.
Regards
Jeff
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Nigel Ramsay
- Posts: 298
- Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 5:13 pm
- Location: Middle Earth
Jeff,
Try contacting Graham Slater who runs Clench Common at Marlborough. He has run a microlight school at Antequera (don't know if he still does). I had a feeling he used to fly down there at the end of the Summer season here.
It's true that flight plans must be filed for ALL flights, but often this is just a question of filling out a pre-printed slip giving pilot's name and a/c reg for local flights.
I operated my permit a/c there, based at Aeropuerto de'l Axarquia and had no problems other than the necessity for a transponder (which I didn't have). Expeditious use of the ptt to fake radio probs fixed that
!
Best of luck!
Nigel
Try contacting Graham Slater who runs Clench Common at Marlborough. He has run a microlight school at Antequera (don't know if he still does). I had a feeling he used to fly down there at the end of the Summer season here.
It's true that flight plans must be filed for ALL flights, but often this is just a question of filling out a pre-printed slip giving pilot's name and a/c reg for local flights.
I operated my permit a/c there, based at Aeropuerto de'l Axarquia and had no problems other than the necessity for a transponder (which I didn't have). Expeditious use of the ptt to fake radio probs fixed that
!Best of luck!
Nigel