My last flight was to the island La Gomera. La Gomera is a small airport on the Canary Islands. When you approach the runway, it seems like you are going to land on an aircraft carrier (with a little imagination ;-)).
The runway is long enough to land with a Boeing 737, but the biggest planes landing there are from the local company called Binter usind ATR72 aircrafts.
The landings can be sometimes challenging, as the airport was built not on the best place (but there are no other options), so you can have a headwind over the threshold, 90 degree crosswind in the middle, and tailwind at the end of the runway.
So you have to take care when landing, otherwise the plane can suddenly drop down.
On this occasion the weather was quite nice, some crosswind, but the landing was pretty smooth.
Here is a short video of the approach and the landing from a wing wiev. I have mounted my gopro this time on the wing trying to capture the plane and the runway.
My last flight was a little bit different. I do mostly crosscountry flights, so there is no time to make manouvers like stalls, touch and go’s, etc. Probably the passengers would get scared to death, lol ;-).
This time I have decided to spend the time in the air practicing stalls, turns, touch and go’s, with flaps, without flaps, slips, etc. I was lucky to have a perfect weather, almost no traffic and wind calm, so I was able to enjoy a really nice views and a flight without turbulence.
On the right downwind for RWY 12 at Tenerife North Airport
Flying 1000 feet above the Air Europa Airbus 330, holding short of runway 12
After departure I have proceed to a visual point November and where a bunch of stalls and turns a zero gravity flight was waiting on me. After a coupple of stalls, steap turns, slow flight, etc. I have decided to try again a zer gravity flight. It was a pretty long time ago that I have practiced this.
Holding over November Point, sea calm…
3.000 feet above the sea with fuel pump on I have lowered the nose to pick up the speed to approximately 120-130kts, then started to climb and pulled back down the nose to feel the zero gravity. It worked good out, but my Iphone flew on the backseat so I had to search it, otherwise i wouldn’t be able to make more pictures on this flight.
My second attempt was better: I took a pen, repeated once again the manouver and the pen was floating nice in the air. By the third attempt the pen flew away so there was nothing more to demonstrate the zero gravity. I have captured this with my gopro mounted inside the plane. Actually it was nice to practice this and I liked the feeling in my stomach as well, lol ;-). I think it would have been better to have some passenger on board who would have been busy with the pen while I would be flying 🙂
After the third one I have retourned back to the airport for more touch and go’s.
It was a nice day full of practice, I am sure I’ll repeat it again… Safe landings!
My last flight was to Fuerteventura. I like to fly there, because I spent living for 2 years on the island, love the beaches, the nature, it is very quite, and I enjoy the views from the bird’s perspective while flying.
Our route: Tenerife-Fuerteventura-Tenerife
My friend Daldo flew the first leg: Tenerife Norte to Fuerteventura. We have departed via visual E point (above Tenerife’s Las Teresitas beach), and have requested 5.500 feet. As there was calima (winds blowing from Sahara, normally with very poor visibility and hot air), by the temperatures of around 30 degrees we have been keeping an eye on the engine’s temperature to be sure everything is working fine. The problem by calima is, that there is inversion, so the temperature increases with the increasing altitude, so we have to take into consideration so the air cools the engine as it should.
Established on 5.500″ with practically no wind, the engine parameters were fine and we were able to continue on course.
Lining up on runway 12 at Tenerife North Airport
After approximately 1 hour we have reached the south of Fuerteventura and have requested to maintain below 1.000 feet, as well notified to make a low approach over the Punta de Jandia’s airfield, which I believe was used in the II. World war.
Punta de Jandia’s airfield at the south of Fuerteventura
Here is a short video of the low pass, in the video you can see that it was a little bumpy.
After the low pass we have continued along the coastline direction Morro Jable/Jandía.
Punta de Jandía
As you can see, arriving at Jandía, the white beaches are giving us a very warm welcome; with their longitude of 15 kilometers they stay on our left until Costa Calma.
Beach and Lighthouse Jandía
Continuing the coast line, we have reached lightouse La Entallada, one of my favourite places on the island…
Lighthouse “Faro La Entallada”
After another 15 minutes flight we have reached the Fuerteventura airfield, and Daldo have managed to land smoothly with some crosswind on the runway 01R.
Seconds before touchdown at Fuerteventura airport, RWY 01R
On the stand we have checked, whether our Gopro was still attached to the airplane, and luckily it was!!!
Gopro Hero placed on the wing
We have walked to the operations (it is nice that you may walk without having to pay expensive handling costs as for example in Lanzarote) and after that to the terminal to pick up our car we have hired previously. We have decided to go to a place called Casillas del Ángel, some 15-20 minutes from the airport, to taste the local speciality which is goat’s meat at the Restaurante el Labrador. Unfortunately they had no more goat’s meat (which would cost around 15€/plate), so we took as alternative escalope (for around 7-8€/ plate) with french fries (home made) and some home made tortilla, which was really tasty. The portion was huge, so in our stomach there was no more space left for dinner :-).
Short stay on a beach called “Playa Blanca” near Puerto del Rosario and back to the airport, return the car, pay the landing fees at the operations and walk to our Piper to make a outside check and all preparations necessary for the flight (including switching on our Gopro, should be a part of the plane’s checklist as well, lol).
I was flying today the second leg; Fuertevetura – Tenerife North. We have be cleard to taxi to the holding point of runway 01R, where we made the engine run-up and waited for the departure clearence.
Holding short of RWY 01R at E10
After departure we have continued on the runway heading below 1.000 feet until Corralejo in the north part of the island, to see the beaches and the volcanos as well.
Playa de Corralejo
Leaving the island Isla de Lobos on the right side we have continued our climb to 4.500 feet heading Tenerife North airport.
Isla de Lobos
After some 50 minutes we have reached Tenerife.
Heading to Tenerife or to the sun?
Descending over capital city Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Descending over capital city Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Landing on the runway 30.
Landing on the runway 30.
Now our Piper can rest to be ready for our next adventure trip 🙂
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