Just got back from Tenerife after a few weeks there over Christmas and New Year and flew twice from the main South airport, Reina Sofia, in a 172 SP with a Spanish Instructor.
The aeroplane is a 200 HP model, also used to tow banners over the beach at Las Americas and is operated by an outfit called Lanza Air who have an office in the Valdes Centre in Los Cristianos.
My trips cost me 210 Euros per hour (about £140) expensive, but I suppose not wholly out of line with the UK price for the same thing. I did the radio first time and my Spanish colleague did it the second. Both trips were VFR, one to the NW and the other to the NE.
The ATZ departure to the NW, to Los Cristianos, is great fun, flying at 1000 ft QNH following the motorway, which is itself about 500 ft high at one point, and between 2 1400 ft hills. The arrival from the NE is over slightly flatter land (skirting 2 old volcanic cones) and I had the pleasure of keeping the daily BA flight at the holding point while I landed and taxied in.
Why every arriving flight - even a locally based 172 - needs a "follow me" van is beyond me.
Great fun, altogether I flew two thirds round the island following the coast at 1000 ft, including over the docks at Sant Cruz, got some superb photos and video, and I shall do it again next time I'm there.
