Alicante Approach, Departure & En-Route Routings

[TCTC]

Hi all,

apologies if this is just too trivial but I need to know which side of the plane to sit....

Can anyone point me to a map of standard approach routing to Alicante, Spain? I'd like to get a good pic of my sister's place in Javea.

The routing from Southampton airport, all the way, would be of interest, too, as would departure routing from Alicante.

Does anyone know the most likely wind-direction at Alicante?

Cheers m'dears,

Tim

[moleytt]

Hi Tim,

There are some charts on this web site, although they're meant for the sim world, and so may be out of date.

VATSIM (http://www.vatspa.org/common/vacc_events/preflight.php?eventid=&lang=en&icao=LEAL)

Cheers.

Moley

[BYALPHAINDIA]

They Gen prefer arrivals inland, On occassion you land over the sea.

Most of the time a left hand turn after dep and you often miss Benidorm way up the east coast.

Likewise you may not see Javea as you may be climbing thru the clouds at the time.

I Hope You do see it.:ok:

[dgutte]

I live in La Nucia, and have traffic flying overhead towards the Polop VOR after leaving Alicante.

As NCLRULES stated, sit on the left for arrival and the right for departure. This has always worked for me when I want to see my own house, which is 20 miles south of Javea from where I live (by road, not as the crow flies).

[Seat62K]

Occasionally sitting on the right flying back to the UK we've passed to the west of Denia - with good views of the port and Montgo. Too high up, though, to make out individual buildings and a bit too far from Javea/Xabia. Sometimes good views of Valencia from the other side of the 'plane. Nearly always great views of Alicante city from left side, too. Twilight arrivals through the mountains to the west of ALC can also be visually appealing.

[Double Hydco]

Hello TCTC,

I tend to operate to ALC at least once a week......

Both the standard arrivals the way we come from the UK start at Valencia. More often than not during the summer, when the wind is light or there is an onshore breeze, we will fly the ILS approach to runway 10 (approaching over the mountains).

Sometimes from late evening until mid morning there can be an off shore breeze, and then we'll fly to a fix out to sea called POLOP (Javea on the left I'd guess?), and complete the VOR approach to runway 28. During this approach Benidorm and Alicante town can be see on the Right.

Our normal airways route from London is down the western part of France, passing Limoges and Toulouse, and then to Valencia.

Hope this helps.
DH

[Rainboe]

Whichever direction for take-off, you can end up climbing out offshore with lovely views of Calpe and Benidorm on the left. Then you are usually taken almost directly over Denia. Not as often as you'd think that you get good views, but I have photographed Denia frequently, with Javea on the right. Very spread out place though. Never passed over this area on approach.

I will always remember a giant locust at ALC that landed on the windscreen on the ground and grabbed hold of the wiper blade. Showed no desire to move. I thought it would be interesting to see how long it hung on. So there it was, 12 inches from my nose looking in as we accelerated. It started getting buffeted, but hung on for dear life. I now know what astonishment looks like on a locusts face while an extraordinary gale started blowing up it's rear end! 150kts!- damn good effort I thought. And it had a leg missing.

[TCTC]

This is all great stuff, guys, thanks a bundle, and if anyone has anything else to add, please keep it coming......And now for the most inane of questions..... I guess a few minutes on the flight deck, to calm my flying-nerves, is out of the question these days?!! :-)Tim

[BAe 146-100]

A flight deck visit won't be too much of a problem I don't think.

Routing from Southampton to Alicante normally takes you down central France, over the Pyrenees then down the east coast of Spain towards Valencia then approaching towards the east (normally easterly wind in Alicante).

Routing flying back normally goes towards Albecete then towards Madrid towards Bilbao, over the Bay Of Biscay then short distance to Southampton.

I fly to Alicante quite a bit, flying alongside the east coast of Spain and Pyrenees provide great views indeed!

Enjoy your flights!

146