To assist Sonnendec little to nothing that was complained about here is to be noted in the Canarias TMA
Not being, but speaking both Spanish and English I note:
- preference to a Binter, never heard, they line up behind you as they should
- winds calm is not a meteorological phenomena known there
- loss of ground clearance, not a concern, most vectors go over sea and around the islands or ground contact is required for directs
- English is used by some controllers when traffic is conflicting in ACC or on Las Palmas final director when traffic is high, could be much more, though
A few remarks:
- vectors sometimes appear to be very long especially to TS 08 from the west, when no traffic around plus early speed control, also separation up to 10 NM+ regularily noted (maybe a training airport?)
- what concerns me are "final vectors" (which is a dog leg in another terminology) heading towards the mountains and without ILS clearance. E.g. on GC 03L you get a 345 or 360 heading and the ILS clearance comes not before turning to final yourself. At night, if the ILS fails or stick mic occurs...
- on downwind to 03L you are never sure whether a visual is an option by ATC or not. Therefore sometimes you come in too high to make it a visual inside LPC although all Binters preceeding do it (and they are fast) and you are the only one riding the ILS from 13 miles out, sometimes you are planned to be down to 2500 abeam the field but are number 5 on approach
3NM