View Full Version : Aircraft Hire in Portugal/Spain
Does anyone have experience of Aircraft Hire on the Algarve in Portugal or Spain ? I spend a fair amount of time there, right on the border by Ayamonte, and would like to go flying in the area. I know of the schools at Jerez, but would prefer somewhere closer. I have tried e-mailing the Aero Clube do Algarve at Faro (as this airport would be ideal), but have not yet had a response. A search of the Forum has not thrown up any recent information.
stiknruda
24th Mar 2011, 22:12
I rented quite a nice 172 in Portimao from a Brit for a bimble 3 years ago. V laid back (we have mutual mates, he knew about me) - quick circuit with a local instructor and that was that.
All radio was in Portuguese. No drama. Great for looking at property!
I'll try and look up the contact details and PM you - he was the only Brit at Portimao apart from the rip-stop lemmings.
Hope this helps,
Stik
Thanks Stik,
Dissappointingly, it looks like you are the only one on here who has experience of flying around the Algarve.
BobD
letpmar
28th Mar 2011, 07:54
Hi Bob
I will be in Portimao tommorow till the end of the week at the airfield. I will see what is about and let you know when I get back. if you send me your number I can text you while down there.
Pete
07976 262833
172driver
28th Mar 2011, 08:00
If La Juliana (LEJU) (http://www.aerodromolajuliana.es/) just west of Seville is not too far, I think you can rent something there.
N707ZS
28th Mar 2011, 08:12
Hope they have fixed the road to La Juliana. We tried to find it in 2009 and gave up after an hour.
wsmempson
28th Mar 2011, 09:18
Aero Algarve at Portimao is run by a really good guy, Ken Thomsett, and it's pretty easy to hire aircraft from them.
Either ring on 00351964954279
or email
[email protected]
The only slight PITA is that you have to file a flightplan for each trip and, if you're used to something a bit more sophisticated, the banner-towing 172's can seem a bit, err, basic....
172driver
28th Mar 2011, 10:10
Hope they have fixed the road to La Juliana. We tried to find it in 2009 and gave up after an hour.
It's one of these airfields best reached by air ;) !
Last time I was there the road was still the old gravel track. I did, however, arrive by air....
stiknruda
28th Mar 2011, 20:16
Ken was the chap!
Stik
Thanks for all the input guys. I am a very low hour, inexperienced new PPL holder, so any further information/suggesions/advice about flying in Spain/Portugal (or cross/border, as my place is 1KM inside Spain) would be most welcome. I will e-mail both Aeroalgarve, and La Juliana.
My Spanish is poor, and Portuguese non-existant. Is ATC speak in English, or local language ?
TIA
Deeday
28th Mar 2011, 23:59
Hi BobD, I asked a similar question (http://www.pprune.org/spanish-forum/420941-flying-clubs-schools-near-caceres.html) last year on the Spanish forum and a guy recommended Badajoz (Talavera Airport), although in the end nothing came out of it as my plans changed. See if that info is any useful.
Cheers!
172driver
29th Mar 2011, 06:46
BoBD, ATC speak English (although we could start a debate about the quality thereof on the Spanish side :}), however in La Juliana it's mainly Spanish, unless there is a certain UK meatbombing operation active. That said, LEJU is non-towered, so you actually talk to Seville for ATC and on the local frequency for LEJU traffic.
Deeday, Badajoz is military with only two slots for GA movement available per day (either side of scheduled Iberia arrivals/departures). There may be exceptions in place for people based there, otherwise this is not a very straightforward proposition (plus it's very far from the location of the OP).
I've never rented in Portugal, but there seems to be a pretty active GA scene there (and - contrary to Spain - good command of English is pretty widespread), so you should be ok.
stiknruda
29th Mar 2011, 07:14
I have a niggling feeling that when I last flew there, Portimao radio was done in a mixture of Portuguese and English as there was a German registered twin doing parachute drops. I do vividly recall being cleared to take off whilst there were canopies in the over-head.
Faro (ATC) was in Portuguese for local puddle-jumpers but English for international arrivals/deps. You really should be okay after a good briefing.
Boa sorte!
N707ZS
30th Mar 2011, 06:54
Don't know if there is anything at Evora Portugal there used to be a training school based there.
172driver
30th Mar 2011, 07:53
Don't know if there is anything at Evora Portugal there used to be a training school based there.
There is, but it's an airline (KLM) training school. It's a very busy GA field, there may be rental opportunities. Not exactly close to the OP's location, though.
jeanrayc
11th Apr 2020, 10:41
Thanks Stik,
Dissappointingly, it looks like you are the only one on here who has experience of flying around the Algarve.
BobD
Hi! No, Stick is NOT the only pilot flying over the Algarve! I WAS with Aeroclube de Portimão until it closed (3-4 years ago with the crash of CS-AYH). I am now with AEROVIP. They do have a nice C172 and friendly instructors!
Since I am 71 and have had a heart attack (15 years ago), I fly with an instructor (bit more expensive!) Ask what you want to know, I'll be peased to respond!
JR
Hi! No, Stick is NOT the only pilot flying over the Algarve! I WAS with Aeroclube de Portimão until it closed (3-4 years ago with the crash of CS-AYH). I am now with AEROVIP. They do have a nice C172 and friendly instructors!
Since I am 71 and have had a heart attack (15 years ago), I fly with an instructor (bit more expensive!) Ask what you want to know, I'll be peased to respond!
JR
Wow, this is a blast from the past !
From it, I found Ken Thomsett and AeroAlgarve in Portimao, and flew from there several times, both in the club C152, and in Ken's C172. However, after a couple of years, I grew tired of local flights around Portimao, and the lack of somewhere reasonable to visit and land away in that part of the world meant that I stopped flying from there. After Ken retired and disposed of his business, it also became difficult to find an aircraft to hire. I did try flying from Jerez once, but it was a long drive there and back for a 1 hour bimble.
I did visit Portimao again last September in my Europa, when 5 Europa's made the trip from the UK to Southern Spain. That was on the leg from Viseu to Portimao for lunch, and then onwards to Cordoba.
As I still spend 4 months of the year on the Algarve, I would be interested to know more about AEROVIP. I did google them, but couldn't find anything about hiring a C172, just info about their local commercial flights, so please do elaborate, about availability and cost.
BobD
jeanrayc
13th Apr 2020, 14:16
I never liked Ken, nor his ways with the club! When Tonio retired and handed over the club, I moved to Aerovip (the other end of the runway)
Aerovip website is not very well made (head office in Cascais), and does not present aerovip Alvor!
And, no worries with ATCs: they ALL speak perfect English! (As required!), but you can use portuguese. I use english, because I don't want to make a mistake in portuguese!
I never liked Ken, nor his ways with the club! When Tonio retired and handed over the club, I moved to Aerovip (the other end of the runway)
Aerovip website is not very well made (head office in Cascais), and does not present aerovip Alvor!
And, no worries with ATCs: they ALL speak perfect English! (As required!), but you can use portuguese. I use english, because I don't want to make a mistake in portuguese!
You surprise me, I always found Ken to be very helpful and accommodating, a really good guy.
Do you have any contact information for Aerovip Alvor, ( website, phone number etc.)?
md 600 driver
14th Apr 2020, 18:39
You surprise me, I always found Ken to be very helpful and accommodating, a really good guy.
Do you have any contact information for Aerovip Alvor, ( website, phone number etc.)?
i also found ken to be very helpfull and a very knowledgeable aviator , I kept my helicopter in his hangar for a couple of years. And also me and my son went flying with him in his Cessna
lovely guy