Flying from Velez Malaga/La Axarquia

[Beethoven]

Hello, I have been trying to arrange some flying in Spain (coz my mum lives there and I get free board n booze:ok:). I have been informed that Aerodynamics Malaga fly from Velez Malaga/La Axarquia during the summer rather than the international airport. They have told me that non-Spanish speakers need to have a safety pilot when flying from here as comms are in Spanish. Does anyone have any experience of this? I have a reasonable level of Spanish but not sure I would like to communicate with A.T.C. in it! Does this airfield have any form of control/tower/AFIS etc. Reason I am in doubt is that I have read of many British pilots using this airfield and doubt that they are all Spanish speakers....though I may be wrong of course.

Any information/tips on flying from this field specifically would be apprecited ( I have tried the search function/google many times and have never had any luck accessing AENA).

Thanks in anticipation

Beethoven

[IO540]

Been there a few times - you have a PM.

[FullyFlapped]

IO, could you please copy me on that info ? I'm going down there myself next month.

Thanks,

FF :ok:

[172driver]

Beethoven, I fly from LEAX regularly and yes, the comms are in Spanish only. To do with a totally anal club there who own the field. I am not aware of the safety pilot situation, but Aerodynamics do provide a crib sheet for the Spanish comms. If your Spanish is 'reasonable' as you say, you should be able to fly alone from there, but check back with Aerodynamics re this. In any case, you'll have to do your checkout with them, so that'll give you an idea.

On a more general note, this is a small field in a valley to the E of Malaga but still within their control zone. Meaning, you do the local comms in Spanish, then switch to LEMG APP and carry on in English.

The reason why you can't find it under AENA is that it is privately owned by said club - hence the Spanish requirements.

HTH

[LH2]

Exactly what 172 said. The reason why they flock off to LEAX during the summer is that LEMG tends to be out of bounds for VFR flights most of the time in the tourist season. I've been there in the winter, and even then it was seriously busy on most days.

[172driver]

To clarify: LEMG does not accept VFR traffic THUR - SAT in the summer, this typically means Easter to October. This is NOTAM'd. On a slightly different note, an increasing number of Spanish airports have similar restrictions in place during the summer months, check your NOTAMs before you go (and check well back - these things are in force for up to three months, sometimes easy to miss).

[Beethoven]

Thank you very much for the replies. Thanks for the PM also IO540, a very interesting read!

Beet

[jmant]

I learned to fly in Jerez and have flown into Axarquia. Similar to Cordoba, Axarquia has a radio. They can hear you as can other pilots in the area but the tower in Axarquia is not allowed to reply. When flying in you need to make blind calls in plenty of time. Malaga tower speak English.

It is a lovely club.

[172driver]

When flying in you need to make blind calls in plenty of time.

Well, not really 'blind', you should report as you would any non-towered field and the VRPs. Check your maps and if you're unsure, Google Earth.

Malaga tower speak English.

Correct, but you switch from them to LEAX in Spanish either at E3 or N1, depending where you come from. Also note that locally the reservoir to the NE of the field ('Embalse de la Vinuela') is used as VRP.

You can find the coordinates of the LEMG VRPs on the AENA website (http://www.aena.es) (free registration required), but you will NOT find LEAX info there, as it's a private field and not run by AENA (otherwise the Spanish issue wouldn't exist).

More info here (http://www.aeroclubmalaga.com/index.html)