In this post you can see some of the pictures taken from during todays flight.
Chasing our Shadow
Cleared to land RWY 03L at GCLP
Reaching Gran Canaria’s coast
On departure.
Line up and wait…
Over Gando.
As it is close to Christmas, we were flying with Christmas Heads on. Like the song: Santa Claus is comming to town… I’ll share with you some other pictures from this flight as well.
Last saturday the weather forecast was not the best one, but we have decided to go to the North Airport (GCXO) and see if it was truth… Unfortunately yes….
Not the best flying weather
This airport is situated some at 2.000 ft and the base of the clouds in the Canaries is normaly around 2.500-3.000 feet, and the best place is over the airfield… Normaly around midday the weather improves, when there is sun and a little wind, the clouds usualy disappear.
We have used the time to prepare the aircraft, I have polished the windows and have installed the Gopro inside the cabin. Since I saw a coupple of nice videos made from the cockpit, I have decided to install it inside.
Todays place for my Gopro Hero3
The weather started to improve, so we have pushed our plane out the hangar…
Piper ready for pushback…
After the rain everything looks more colorful
The leg to El Hierro was flown by my friend Daldo and we had a passenger on board Oliver, who loves flying as well.
The crew on the way to El Hierro
The crew 😉
The flight was very smooth, almost no wind and no turbulence, so we have descended near La Gomera to see closer the rocks called “Los Organos”.
Los Organos, La Gomera
We have enjoyed a short round flight around the island El Hierro.
El Hierro in sight
El faro de Orchilla
Flying along the coast at El Hierro
Landing at El Hierro Airport (GCHI)
Arrived at El Hierro Airport
After the landing we went to Valverde for some lunch, came back, paid taxes, made the flightplan and departed direction Tenerife. On the way back, I was at controls and Oliver was able to fly for a while as well. He did a good job! With his experience from flight simulator he was flying the plane (almost) better than me ;-).
Our flight back, Oliver at controls
On the way back I have performed 2 low passes at La Gomera Airport, one at the former La Gomera’s Airport “El Revolcadero”, following the next low pass at Tenerife South Airport (GCTS).
There were plenty of clouds on the way back, but luckily Tenerife North Airport awaited us with some nice weather so we could landed without to having divert to the alternative airport.
Return flight El Hierro-La Gomera-Tenerife South-Tenerife North
When holding over Playa de las Américas we had very nice views over the zone.
Holding over Playa de las Américas
It is actually strange to see, that the people were cutting from the volcano to built their houses on this hill…
Los Cristianos from the air
Landing at Tenerife North Airport (GCXO). I was happy that my friend Daldo used his new Iphone 5S to make the video of my landing, with its 60 frames per second you do not see the propeller. I have edited the video with iMovie, sincronized both videos (Gopro and Iphone 5S) and this is the result:
After the landing at Tenerife North Airport, a nice Learjet was parked on the general aviation platform (reg. D-CGRC). I´d love to have a jet like that, but unfortunately my garage is not big enough :-).
Pista el Revolcadero was an privately owned airfield which entered service in 1959. Since 1995 La Gomera counts with a new airport, which was built only 2 km before the old field “El Revolcadero”.
El Revolcadero made me and still makes me very curious about its past.
Pista El Revolcadero, La Gomera
Sorry for the quality of this picture, but the frame just photographed our propeller as well :-).
La Gomera Airport is a pretty complicated airfield due to its location and wind conditions, and overflying the field is very bumpy. Today the weather conditions were very favorable; almost no wind: 4-5 kts), so after the take off from the La Gomera Airport (GMZ/GCGM) we have proceeded to El Revolcadero to make a low pass.
During the low pass we could spot the old hangar and the former tower (and the only one tree as well :-)). I am quite sure, that this short runway, and its surface turned every landing in the past in to a big challenge (and adventure)…
Tower and hangar on the “El Revolcadero” field
El Revolcadero’s Tower
On my next trip I would like to walk to the field to visit it closely. If you have heard any stories about the field, or you have some nice pics or recommendations, I’d be pleased to see them.
I will leave you a short video taken from the airplane, so enjoy the flight and experience together with us.
Chasing our Shadow
Santa Claus at the controls…
Reaching Gran Canaria’s coast.
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