UK to Malaga

[JW411]

Do any of you out there have reasonably recent experience of avgas prices, availability and stops that you would recommend between UK and Malaga?

Any information will be gratefully received.

[IO540]

What plane, what range?

[JW411]

PA-32 but we are looking at easy stages here - not 6 hours non-stop, sipping oxygen out of a bottle and having a piddle in another one.

[IO540]

La Rochelle is nice.

Biarritz is also nice (good beach scenery ;) ).

San Seb doesn't do non-schengen flights anymore!

Zaragoza is nice (watch the PPR!)

Granada is nice.

La Axarquia (LEAX) is also nice (no Customs).

The last two are quite close to Malaga.

All these places should be ok for a quick fuel stop, possibly except Biarritz if you get caught by some 737 arriving.

Malaga LEMG itself is closed for VFR for a part of the week.

As always in "Africa", check out Customs/PPR/avgas directly with the airport :)

My general idea when doing this is to do the longest possible initial leg out of the UK, and that gets you away from our crappy weather system.

[JW411]

Thank you for that Peter. Do you have any fuel prices available for your excellent suggestions?

[IO540]

Sorry, no. But avgas around Europe, in the places I have been to over the last few years, is all within a 20% or similar band, around say 1.80 euros per litre.

Notable exceptions have been Cagliari LIEE (August) and Cannakale LTBH (2009; hardly "Europe") where it was 3 euros.

There used to be cheap exceptions e.g. Spain (if you claimed to be "commercial" and possibly even wore the proper uniform) of a 1/3 discount, and Losinj LDLO in Croatia at 50p/litre, but these go back a few years and it looks like everybody has wisened up to it and is flogging the stuff at the same price.

Jersey is reportedly still significantly cheaper, so a stop there may be worth doing, but for you that is a very short initial leg which will limit the maximum possibly UK duty drawback claim, which cancels much of the advantage of stopping there. A fuel stop in Jersey is worth doing if you can use up much of a tank getting there.

If you can fly peak or lean of peak, you make a bigger saving :)

[comed]

I went in 1989 BPL- Jersey-biarritz-Madrid in a 172 Reims Rocket, Jersey for cheap fuel have a safe trip.

[pstamp]

I have flown from LEAX and found that supply of Avgas could be a problem. Best to check.

[172driver]

LEAX usually has Avgas, though there can occasionally (rarely) be supply problems, call first. Be aware, that - officially at least - radio is in Spanish only there.

LEMG is closed to VFR traffic Thur-Sun inclusive for a good part of the year (typically Easter to around now), check the NOTAMs.

Avgas never a problem at the AENA airports.

As far as stopover points go, the only one I would avoid is LEVC / Valencia, as they impose mandatory handling and are generally a pain in the a**.

[Marchettiman]

Make your first stop Alderney/Guernsey/Jersey as the fuel there is 50p or more cheaper then in the UK. Then Biarritz, Granada, Malaga. I always try to return via the Channel Islands too for full tanks of cheap fuel, plus duty frees. I think both Guernsey and Jersey waive the landing fee if you take on fuel whereas Alderney charge a tenner irrespective of fuel purchases.
Flying across Spain is boring for pax, tell them to take a good book!

[S-Works]

UK- Guernesey-Santander-Malaga

[_Coolhand_]

There used to be cheap exceptions e.g. Spain (if you claimed to be "commercial" and possibly even wore the proper uniform) of a 1/3 discount,

This 'trick' has become almost useless since a few months ago. Authorities got feed up of it and now, before applying you the tax reduction, they ask for you AOC.

[IO540]

That trick became useless several years ago :)

I know because I always try it :)

There was an intermediate period when wearing a pilot's uniform would do the trick, especially at certain Spanish airports ;)

[172driver]

One way to keep fuel costs down, though, is to refuel at a fixed fuel station rather than having the bowser drive to you. AFAIK CLS charge something like EUR 30 for the 'callout'. If you only uplift, say, 50 liters then this gets VERY expensive :eek:

Unfortunately, most of the AENA airports have mobile bowsers :(