Valencia LEVC

[Leclairage]

I plan to take my PA28 to Valencia on business in May and will have the opportunity to fly out to Balearics, Alicante etc. on day trips whilst I'm there.
I flew past LEVC en route too/from Tenerife a couple of years ago so 'know' Spanish ATC but wondered if anyone had any useful hints/tips from experience about LEVC and other airfields?

With Many Thanks.

[Leclairage]

Was just hoping to bring this one back onto page 1.....
51 have looked so far but no responses.....
Has no other PPL been to Spain? Seems hard to believe......

[172driver]

Not at all, Leclairage, not at all. Don't know too much about the various airports in northern Spain and Balearics, but as you say you'll come in May, make sure you check the NOTAMs as the larger tourist destinations (LEMG, LEIB) tend to prohibit / severly restrict VFR traffic during the 'season'. LEMG for example is out Thur-Sun now and AFAIK LEIB and LEPA do apply similar rules. If you're IFR you're ok, though.

Generally it's very pleasant flying here, as you seem to know anyway. Have a great trip

[Leclairage]

Thanks 172 Driver!

That's really helpful advice - I'll check that now with the airfields I plan to visit in case it changes things.
The flying was indeed blissful Goodwood-Tenerife South-Goodwood even though I did it in Jan!

Thanks again.

[A and C]

LEVC is OK for a spanish airfield but only just ! the GA parking is on the other side of the field from the terminal & flight planning etc and you will have a long wait to get a bus to the terminal, personaly I would only use it as a last resort.

En-route good stops in France are Tours & Perpignan , cheap to land and good services on hand.

Spain is now a pleasure to fly in with the VFR system by and large better sorted than the UK but a flight plan is needed for each flight.
All the airport staff that I have delt with have been very helpfull (unlike the security jobsworths in the UK) if lacking a little urgency the problem with LEVC is only because of the bus to the terminal.

One last tip , get a BP fuel card it will speed things no end and you don't have to carry a lot of cash.

[Jamongris]

A & C is correct about LEVC and the parking, although I did walk into the GA terminal from there. Sometimes the re-fuelling can be slow too, a lot of flight schools use it and you may need to queue up.
Apart from that I enjoyed flying there. My only advice in addition to 172's very valid one about NOTAMs re LEVC is make sure you have the ground plan. You will probably be told to taxi to one of the many holding points there and you need to know where they are. If you need help finding the site with this info pm me.
I also agree that VFR flying in Spain is very pleasant and recommend it. Maybe if you post this in the Spanish forum you will get more knowledgeable info by the way. A lot of them seem to speak English

[rtl_flyer]

I have used LEVC.
The GA parking is away from the terminal. However, there is an exit there. If you have already cleared customs in Spain you should be able to use it. Otherwise you need to use ground handling - not that expensive.

The GA terminal is NOT the main terminal building. You cen get all your weather and file then handling will collect you from there.

Queue can be long for fuel. I never had any problems using a Credit card. Fuel cost differs by the amount you purchase - e.g. gets cheper the more you buy.

Like the rest of Spain, nothing happens quickly.

I have also used Zaragosa - quiet, empty, fuelled quickly.
San Sabastian - again quiet, empty, got fuel quickly. Interesting place to land, mountains around you!

Enjoy your trip.

Tim.

[360BakTrak]

I thoroughly recommend San Sebastian too, used it a few times to and from southern Spain. Fantastic service and beautiful part of Spain too, and they don't charge 30 euros to file a flight plan.....unlike Biarritz!!!

[IO540]

Spain: flight plans needed for controlled airspace only, not for Class G.

San Seb: a super place, tax free avgas if you show the plane is owned by a limited company, a great city to walk around.

[172driver]

Originally Posted by IO540

Spain: flight plans needed for controlled airspace only, not for Class G.
San Seb: a super place, tax free avgas if you show the plane is owned by a limited company, a great city to walk around.

Interesting - always thought it was for every flight, but that may have to with the fact that way down South there isn't really any Class G (at least not with an airfield in it). They even demand a flight plan for T&Gs at places like Cordoba, where, if you stay in the pattern, you'd be below the floor of the overlying Seville Class E & D.

Anyway, IO540 is correct, I quote from the Spanish AIP

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SUBMISSION OF THE FLIGHT PLAN. A flight plan shall be submitted prior to operating:
a) any IFR flight or in part, independently of the airspace classification in which expect to fly;
b) a VFR flight: 1) Within controlled airspace class B, C and D; 2) Within controlled airspace class E, and non-controlled airspace class F and G across international borders; 3) Within aerodrome traffic zones of controlled aerodromes; 4) Within designated areas or through designated routes outside the airspaces indicated in 1), 2) and 3), when so prescribed by the appropriate ATS authority. 5) When the flight is coming from spanish territory and is going to operate in airspace of spanish jurisdiction over international waters (beyond 12 NM from the coast line).
c) any night VFR flight.

In reality I've always filed a flight plan, which, IMHO, is good practice anyway.

What's really interesting here is the reference to 'night VFR'. I'll have to investigate this further, but until now was under the impression (reinforced in writing by various sources such as Jepp trip kits), that this was not allowed in Spain.

[Leclairage]

Thank you very much for all these!
Your help is much apreciated.
I'll look into all these things, particularly that night VFR thing as like you 172 driver I thought this was taboo.
Any other thoughts and views are most welcome......

[Jamongris]

Night time VFR is not allowed in Spain, well this is what all my instructors have told me.
Although you get snippets referring to it like the quote from C172, and the rules of night VFR are studied in Law, I think this is to be JAA compliant and nothing else
If you submitted a flight plan for a night VFR flight I'm sure it would be rejected on activation.
If anyone has ever done it though I too would be interested.

[360BakTrak]

I tried to file VFR at night but was refused so no, you can't! Ended up having to wait til sunrise!

[172driver]

Originally Posted by Jamongris

Night time VFR is not allowed in Spain, well this is what all my instructors have told me.
Although you get snippets referring to it like the quote from C172, and the rules of night VFR are studied in Law, I think this is to be JAA compliant and nothing else
If you submitted a flight plan for a night VFR flight I'm sure it would be rejected on activation.
If anyone has ever done it though I too would be interested.

Well, that's exactly what I've always been told. Discussed the situation with a Spanish pro pilot friend of mine last night and showed him the relevant sections of the AENA AIP - he was quite surprised. In there the wx conditions and other rules for it are cleary laid out and it doesn't say anywhere 'not allowed'. Anyway, intend to give this a go asap - file a VFRN flight plan, go out to the airplane, call the tower and see what happens

I'll report back.....

PS: this may be a couple of weeks due various travels

[Leclairage]

Night VFR / Flight Plan

In the Jepperson Trip-kit under 'National Particulares' it says :
NIGHT VFR :
VFR flights between sunset and sunrise or such other period between sunset and sunrise as may be prescribed by the apropriate ATS authority shall be operated in accordance with the conditions specified by such authority.'
So I guess it's a local thing. I'll try in Valencia (going next week) and report back.
FLIGHT PLAN :
Apart from the categories outlined already by another contributor, it says : 'A FPL is generally recommended if Alert and SAR is requested.' Yes please!

Thanks for all the input, and if anyone thinks of anything else before next Wednesday that would be much apreciated!