Friendly and affordable airfields in Spain

We just came back from this trip to Spain a couple of days ago which inspired me to this post:

Spain’s airports don’t have the best reputation when it comes to small GA although a lot has changed to the better in the last years thanks to the work of AOPA Spain (and our member @Xpainflyer here). However, while in say Greece you’re bound to airports used by CAT, Spain has a wealth of small airfields where you can fly to. In this post I’ve compiled a list of the ones we flew to over the last few years.

All the places mentioned in this post are suitable for an IFR tourer. The list is by no means comprehensive, there are many more where we either haven’t been to yet or where a Mooney can’t land at. It would be nice if someone in the know would add a post about some of these, @aart maybe?

To get information on these small fields, Aterriza.org is the best place to start searching. They even provide VACs for a really modest fee. I would always contact the operator of the aerodrome before flying there, almost all of the ones mentioned below officially require this anyway. I do write where there was fuel when we visited, but you will certainly want to check this yourselves when you call ahead. This is a little caveat, of course, at least a little Spanish is required in most of the places.

As many will want to do something after landing beyond adding the four letters to their logbook, I have added a picture or two as a teaser for some nearby attractions.

All the aerodromes in the following list had trivial fees when we visited. I’ve ordered them east to west for absolutely no good reason.

San Luis, LESL (for Menorca)

LESL was a no fees/no services place when we were there, now they apparently charge a few Euros. The field was deserted during the week but there were a couple of visiting planes on Sunday.

When the bar is open, they can provide a phone number to call a taxi, otherwise Google will work as well.

The island of Menorca is well worth visiting but you’ll need a rental car for that. The main airport is very close and a taxi ride to get one there is probably the easiest way to get one.

Below: Mahón seen from the pattern, final 19 and Ciutadella de Menorca at the other end of the island.

Mutxamel, LEMU (for the Costa Brava area)

LEMU, Muchamiel or Mutxamel in Catalan, is one of the very good ADs for small GA in Spain. There is Avgas and sometimes even a radio operator that speaks English. There is a club with a school, and an open bar. Quite a few based as well as visiting aircraft can be seen. Moreover, there are many commercial helicopters based here. Be aware that the runway usually in use slopes down quite a bit, but it’s long.

A taxi to Alicante isn’t expensive if you just want to spend a night in town. Otherwise you’ll need a rental car. The AD operator can provide a contact to have one delivered to the field but that comes at a price. We took the taxi to town, and the next day we rented a car for cheap at the main airport.

I probably don’t have to write anything about Costa Brava, everybody has already been there for the beaches but don’t miss out the hinterland!

Below: final 12, marina in Alicante and Benidorm (of which I hadn’t heard before, but it’s very popular with Brits as I learned from @Peter 😀)

Requena, LERE (for Valencia)

LERE is dominated by a large FTO. There is Avgas and it’s a good place for a chat even if you don’t speak Spanish – the instructors speak English.

The town of Requena which is a short taxi ride away, is good to spend an afternoon (or have the typical Spanish late lunch). Otherwise you can use it for Valencia that can be easily reached by train.

Below: final 30, lunch in Requena and Valencia seen from the cathedral.

LETL is not a small AD at all, it’s a bone yard! However, small GA is welcome and there is Avgas. We’ve been there before the virus hit, so nowadays what is parked on the apron will be even more impressive, I guess. It would be nice to stroll around between the biggies, but they don’t let you, of course.

The town of Teruel is a hidden gem and rarely visited by tourists even before the pandemic. I highly recommend to spend a day to explore this place.

Below: final 18, the apron and Teruel’s main plaza.

Casas de los Pinos, LEPI (for nothing at all)

There is really absolutely no reason to fly to LEPI at all. It’s in La Mancha region which is a high plain in the area. There is nothing in the surroundings and the field was deserted when we were there. If you decide to fly there anyway, as we did, you can stay in the nice and rustic hotel right next to the runway. However, the food at the Comedor was only average.

There was Avgas in drums but I’m not sure if they are selling it to visitors and if so, at what price.

Below: final 30, the closed bar and La Mancha in spring.

Garray, LEGY (for Soria)

LEGY is home to many gliders. We met very friendly people there, including the dutch manager. They have Avgas and there is bar with decent food.

The AD manager will call a taxi to Soria for you if you want. Soria has some really nice restaurants and enough to see to fill a day.

Below: final 27, Iglesia de Santo Domingo in Soria and Ermita de San Saturio just outside Soria.

Beas de Segura, LEBE

My feelings for the aerodrome of LEBE are somewhat ambivalent. On the one hand it is really sad and in decay: the bar destroyed by a fire, the flight school closed, no fuel anymore and only two based aircraft left. On the other hand we were treated exceptionally friendly. They even run a Facebook page, where they wrote about the arrival of a Mooney 😀

Beas has only one hotel (Hotel Avenida) where you can stay. It’s decent and the owner is a microlight pilot himself. He’s a funny guy and will pick you up and take you back to the field if you stay with him.

Beas is not really noteworthy but the Sierra de Segura just east of town is easily one of the most spectacular areas in Spain. However, you’ll need a rental car and that might be difficult to arrange in Beas.

Below: base 27, the town of Beas de Segura and landscape in the Sierra de Segura.

La Caminera, LENE (for Hotel La Caminera)

LENE belongs to the five-star hotel on the hill just next to the runway. It is the only reason to fly there and landing and transport up the hill is free if you stay at the hotel. They apparently cater to the biz jet crowd as there is Jet A and no Avgas but the runway is surprisingly bumpy for that.

There is an 18-hole golf course but I don’t play golf so I can’t say anything about that. Moreover, the hotel features a large spa where all sorts of treatments are offered. You can arrange for a wine tasting in the bodega and finally there is a Michelin-starred restaurant, La Retama, which was the main reason for us to stop by. Dinner was excellent and prices for the room as well as for the food were much more reasonable than what you would pay somewhere else in Europe.

Below: final 26, the hotel seen from the small apron and our dinner at restaurant La Retama.

Juan Espadafor, LEJE (for Granada)

LEJE is surprisingly quiet given its proximity to one of Spain’s main tourist attractions. The surface is tierra compactada but it was really good when we landed. Solar farms crept closer and closer to the field over the past few years and there were rumors that the field is closed, but at least currently it isn’t (yet?).

Granada is not far by taxi, the owner of the airfield gave us the phone number of a driver who provides the service at a very reasonable fixed price. IMHO Granada is probably the most beautiful City in Spain. I must confess I’m in love with this place ever since I visited for the first time more than thirty years ago.

Below: final 26, sign at the gate and Alhambra in Granada.

Casarrubios del Monte, LEMT (for Madrid)

LEMT is one of the most active GA airfields in Spain with many aircraft in the pattern. There are RVs and gyrocopters as well as certified models and it’s a good place to meet Spanish pilots. It’s a rather professional operation with a staffed office, someone on the radio and of course there is Avgas, too.

Casarrubios can be used as an alternative to Cuatro Vientos to visit Madrid, but it’s quite far. We just used it to refuel.

Below: downwind 08, an RV doing touch and gos and Plaza Mayor in Madrid.

La Axarquía, LEAX (for the Costa del Sol area)

LEAX again is an active place. There is the Real Aeroclub that runs the field, a school and a few private aircraft based there. Avgas is available and there is a repair shop with a friendly owner who filled up our brake fluid for free.

You can walk to Veléz from the field but it takes an hour so a taxi there or to Torre del Mar is probably better. There are local rental car companies, but they were closed when we arrived on a Sunday. There are frequent buses to Malaga and on to the main airport where rental cars are cheaply available 24/7.

Costa del Sol is a major tourist destination and as with Costa Brava, most people come for the beaches but I find the mountainous hinterland much more appealing.

Below: approaching reporting point PTM, right downwind 12 and Marbella seen from Cruz de Juanar.

Fuentemilanos, LEFM (for Segovia)

LEFM is bustling with gliders. There is a campground for visiting pilots next to the field which was packed with guests from all over Europe when we were there. Again it is easy to make contact with pilots not only from Spain. There is a good bar and Avgas is available. We were there in the middle of the Summer and I found the runway hard to spot in the fields.

A friendly Spanish glider pilot gave us a lift to Segovia. IMHO this town is not to be missed, not just for the suckling pig that is a local speciality. You’ll need a full day to see just the most important sites.

Below: right base 34, a Mooney and many gliders on the apron and the town of Segovia

Córdoba, LEBA

LEBA is under AENA administration but it’s a decent place, nevertheless. Fees for landing and parking are a bit higher than in the other places mentioned in this post but still acceptable and at least handling isn’t required. There is Avgas and AFIS on the radio – it’s a friendly and much more easy going place than other AENA airports. Still, you need a printed FPL to pass security, but they will print it for you in the office if you don’t have it.

Córdoba city is only a short taxi ride away and this town is also one of my favourites in Spain. One more reason to mention LEBA here is that I consider it the ideal jumping-off point for the Canaries if you have the range.

Below: the city of Córdoba seen from the approach, final 03 and the Mezquita at night from across the Guadalquivir.

Trebujena, LETJ (for Sanlúcar de Barrameda)

LETJ is now owned by FTE Jerez and permission has to be requested with them. I think most training flights just come over for pattern work so this place isn’t that lively on the ground. The radio was operated by a nice lady when we were there. She apparently manages the place and offered us a T-hangar for the night at no additional cost.

Trebujena is tiny and actually not really worth visiting. However, you can organise a transport to Sanlúcar de Barrameda, a town on the estuary of Guadalquivir with a really nice atmosphere.

Below: final 08, our Mooney in the hangar and Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

La Juliana, LEJU (for Seville)

It’s a couple of years ago that we’ve been to LEJU and it’s the only place mentioned here where I’ve read negative comments recently. Anyway, when we were there it was a very friendly place. There was Avgas although payment was difficult because of a computer problem. It was a busy place with parachute dropping and a lot of pattern work.

One of the guys there took us to the next village by car where there are regular buses to Seville. On the way back we took a taxi. Seville is famous, so I probably don’t have to write much about it. It is well worth a visit, of course.

Below: final 09, the cathedral with the famous Giralda and the Torre del Oro, both in Seville.