The other place mentioned is Salamanca – LESA. Has anyone been there and is the airport problematic? I know Zaragoza is extremely militant over the PPR issue – one has to get it signed in blood and in writing by return fax.
Salamanca is a military aerodrome and has fairly complicated restrictions for non-based aircraft – check 2.20 in the AIP carefully. This information is missing in Jepp.
We once landed there when we shouldn’t have (though tower cleared us…), fortunately we weren’t jailed but had to be gone again in half an hour or so.
Many thanks. I have emailed and faxed them. Both fax numbers are dead…
In the AIP (page 5, bottom) the restrictions appear to be only on VFR flights. For IFR they just say “delays”…
Got a reply from Santander. That airport seems easy.
For IFR they just say “delays”…
I was there maybe 5 years ago and VFR. Apparently it bugged them we were not spanish nationals. Maybe it has changed since.
I can’t see anything about PPR/PNR in the AIP section. Would be somewhere else? I cannot find 2.20 specifically.
I think the following was explained here before but i can’t find it… what does V and I mean:
V = verano = summer
I = inverno = winter
Peter, while I’ve never been to Salamanca, there are several mil airports in Spain that have an arrangement that roughly works like this:
Once (sometimes twice) a day they have an Iberia flight. Half an hour or an hour either side of that flight, the airport becomes ‘open’ to civ a/c. This means that you can land ahead or behind the Iberia but then either have to leave straight away or stay until the next day. Badajoz is one of these places.
Cordoba is also a good destination. But be aware that now the airport closes at 15:00 LT, which is completely inconvenient.
This is just unbelievable. I used to go there a lot, but haven’t been in a year or so. The Spanish really do absolutely everything to kill GA.
OK… I have worked out what 2.20 means. It is the LOCAL REGULATIONS section. But still nothing there about PNR/PPR although the generally tight tone suggests one needs to get a specific permission even for IFR.
Peter I’ve been several times in LESA lately. There is no PNR/PPR at all, just respect the hours of operation (check NOTAM as usual, because some days it’s enlarged by NOTAM) and that’s all. Very quiet airport except on weekdays mornings when the military airbase is active. There is also a big pilot civil school based there, but this time of the year it’s holiday for them. And very few regional flights
Yo need to call a taxi to go to Salamanca. Expect a 20 minutes ride. Salamanca is small but very interesting to visit. Much more lively outside summer time because of the University located there.
172driver, AENA is in some kind of internal war and ‘transformation’ and one of the outcomes of this has been the ‘extrange’ hours of operation put in place in some of the airports. Cordoba is one of them. Anway it’s also true that It can be asked for an extension directly to the Operations department and in the case of LEBA is specially easy to get it. At a cost, for sure. But not too high (I recall something around 50€) for 1-2 ton aircrafts
I have been to LESA 3 times over the last few years. Twice IFR, once VFR. No PPR. Sleepy airport indeed, but not too much hassle. Do be religious about opening hours though. Salamanca is surprising. Monumental, and one of the oldest universities in Europe.
