Visiting Mallorca - Son Bonet LESB

Nice writeup! I often come to our house in Mallorca but mostly by CAT as I really don’t like flying the long distance over water in my Archer II. The picture with the castle in Andratx is really close to our house.

It was nice seeing you here Emir, and it was a good thing to have my reflective vest aired a bit.

Thank you for taking us along on your nice trip!

Some time in the next few days my wife and I will be flying to Son Bonet for a few days of romantic break after a difficult summer.

We are coming from the UK and will refuel and go through EU customs and immigration in Beziers LFMU, southern France.

We will thus be approaching Son Bonet from the north, under a Y flight plan, leaving IFR somewhere off the NW corner of Mallorca I assume. While I have read all the official briefing materials I would still appreciate some insights if at all possible:

• The standard Y flight plan has me cancelling IFR abouit 50NM north at waypoint KENAS. Will Palma approach allow me to stay IFR until much closer?
• The Son Bonet briefing materials suggest a circuit pattern to the NW of the field with a reporting point NN a bit further out to the NW. Should I plan to fly direct to NN and then to mid down wind to join the visual circuit either 23 or 05, or should I plan for a wider right base or left base join
• I see the hills to the NW of Son Bonet are pretty high. Should I plan on flying across these and descending to join the circuit or to go around the coastline via Andratx and Magaluf.
• If the clouds are fairly low, below 2500 ft, I imagine I will need to fly round the coast once visual
• Will Palma tower allow me to fly an instrument approach with break off to go visual to Son Bonet once VMC.

Thanks in advice for your help.

Will Palma tower allow me to fly an instrument approach with break off to go visual to Son Bonet once VMC.

Not sure about LEPA/LESB on Y-FPL? I asked LECH to cloud-break to LECN on V-FPL, they were really helpful issuing IFR clearance and VFR departure

Yes. If traffic permits (low season) ask gor an ILS 24R and when visual with LESB break to the right.

It’s possible to do an ILS24R at LEPA and break-off to the right (or 06L and break-off to the left of course). The only caveat is that you end up at the wrong side of the LESB pattern, and you would need to find a way to get to downwind other than overhead, as this is not done normally. So overfly the city, go to NW and then join downwind in case of 23 or from NW direct to base 05.

When you want to do a VFR appch from where you are coming from, my usual way when I was still flying IFR: Some 5 mins before reaching POS VOR ask to have your IFR cancelled. They will then instruct you to remain at 1.000 ft AGL at POS and for the remainder of the flight. Stay at min 2.000 ft MSL until POS to descend to 1.500 ft MSL after passing POS POS. Tell Palma that you wish to change to the local traffic info frequency 123.5 (A/A). That’s much more useful than staying with them. Track roughly South to remain clear of the mountains and start tracking parallel to the mountains direct to LESB, to stay at the right side of the motorway to Palma. You will likely hear traffic announcing flying from E to Santa Maria and vv, which is going to be your route. Always remain North of the motorway, at 1.500 ft AGL and report position E, inbound Santa Maria. Other than listening out for SB traffic, look for ULM’s that operate just after you passed E. Their pattern is on the South side of the motorway, so you are clear of that. When just North of Santa Maria, report position and go to NN to change to the pattern freq of LESB, 122.705 (A/A). From NN, direct to the field to join downwind for either 23 or 05. There will most likely be school traffic and they communicate their position properly, and you’ll be able to determine which rwy is in use. Alternatively you could dial in 119.25, Palma ATIS, way ahead of your arrival to know which rwy is in use. Almost always same at LEPA and LESB.

Another possibility, more scenic perhaps, and less traffic, is to cancel VFR before POS, and tell Palma you will be flying along the Northern coast at max 3.500 ft MSL. Change to 123.5, and proceed inland when you reach the port of Soller, direct NN. There is enough room to descend to be at NN at 1.500 ft AGL. Then proceed as above. ‘Officially’ one would fly a bit further ahead to the town of Valldemossa, and enter via N, but that’s a little detour. Your choice. As along as you communicate where you are and where you are heading all is fine.

Send me a PM if you want to know more. Hope I haven’t scared you into going somewhere else ;)

Thank you everyone. Especially Aart who I had hoped would add his wisdom. Extremely useful and hopefully will help me from blundering around.

In any case, if clouds are OVC/BKN and 3.000 ft or lower I’d do the ILS and break off. I’ve done that with OVC as low as 800 ft at LEPA. A bit tight, but doable and prob40 no other traffic at LESB then ;). As an addendum to the VFR appch from E and if little or no traffic you may opt for a long final 23 or direct downwind 05 from Santa Maria. The bigger and faster planes (PC12, CJ’s) usually do that. Just make sure to communicate where you are, and bear in mind you do not have the right of way. In practice though, any little C172 in the pattern will feel intimidated and will adapt rather than ‘take his right’. Wrong of course, but I’m just describing what actually often happens. Some do it politely, and ready to correct and go through NN, and some less politely press on to final 23 and claim some sort of a ‘right of the biggest’..