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Flying to Canary Islands direct... not through Morrocco (Video)

I asked some weeks ago about advices on flying with my family to Canary Islands through Morrocco… i finally did it over the water from the South of Spain (Jerez), although not direct.
I have done a short video of the experience. I hope you like it… specially those planning to fly there.



LEMT, Spain

I was there two years ago. Lanzarote is beautiful but going to less frequently visited El Hierro and La Gomera is really great experience. If you’re still there, maybe you can do a short hop to these neighbouring islands. Thanks for sharing the video.

LDZA LDVA, Croatia

Unfortunately I had to return after one week. I just visited Lanzarote and Tenerife, flying over Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria. As you see, the smaller islands are something that should not be missed.
I think the best approach would be bringing the plane there for a longer period and using airliners to return to the mainland (to do things like work and taking care of the family :-D ) and returning to fly over all the archipelago… even flying to Morocco (I want to visit Essaouira some time… but the border and handling issues and costs are a stopper for me at the moment)

LEMT, Spain

Iicordoba wrote:

I think the best approach would be bringing the plane there for a longer period and using airliners to return to the mainland (to do things like work and taking care of the family :-D

That wasn’t option for me because reaching Canaries from Croatia by CAT can be more complicated than by GA. So I dedicated 3 weeks to my trip spending few days in Jerez and Cadiz and flying to Lanzarote, El Hierro, La Gomera, La Palma, Fuerteventura and then back home. Each of these islands is really unique and every is worth of visiting. People are super friendly and smaller islands ( El Hierro and La Gomera) are not too crowded. I believe Tenerife and Grand Canaria are also nice but they are too touristic for my taste and it’s kind of more complicated to arrange landing and parking there.

LDZA LDVA, Croatia

Very nice, thanks for sharing!

Crossing Morroco IFR should be easier, right? Might wait until getting my IR before thinking on such an adventure.

EHLE, Netherlands

hmng wrote:

Crossing Morroco IFR should be easier, right?

It depends when? and how high you can fly?

ATC insist that one file & fly higher in oxygen levels for IFR which is a pain (or +FL200 by night to pick-up Casablanca/Agadir radars)
Flying VFR in Morocco is like IFR, it’s easy you file the published route, if it’s open you are cleared end-to-end

I always flew VFR there, it’s always VMC all year around, no Alpha to worry about and all in English
Occasional IMC comes with +40C dew point and rarely worth going inside

The minor advantages of IFR: you are using Eurocntrol IFPS vs dealing with ARO, IFR routes have H24 availability and you have shorter notice periods on international IFR flights

Last Edited by Ibra at 12 May 12:18
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

hmng wrote:

Crossing Morroco IFR should be easier, right?

I do assist lbra: Flying VFR at Morocco was easy going. No hassles at all. The only airport which was a bit complicated was Marrakesh. But even there it worked out well after a short while.

EDDS , Germany

Great!

Great video editing style and nice destination, as well!

We did a trip from Granada to Tangier a few years back – brings back good memories!


By the way – we will be flying to the Algarve at the beginning of June and might be stopping by your home airfield LEMT, @icordoba!

Hungriger Wolf (EDHF), Germany

Please send a note if you make it to LEMT and hopefully we can have a coffee there!! I am not sure what days I will be in LEMT though as I have a couple of trips outside Spain in June.

Regarding the thread suject… I had not a problem with my VFR flight either as others also comment… but I didn’t enter Morocco land as explained in the video introduction. I also planned specifically not to enter Casablanca TMA and included ODAXA as a waypoint in my flight plan.

What happened in both flights (come and go) is that when I was going to get close to Casablanca TMA I got a friendly request from ATC asking me to turn to LAPNO (a bit further from the land) and avoid ODAXA. They told me they had military activity in the proximity. Of course I complied!!! Specially with a request involving the word “Military” :-)
(Maybe I missed some NOTAM but I had checked them and I didn’t see any military activity in my route).

LEMT, Spain

icordoba wrote:

Please send a note if you make it to LEMT and hopefully we can have a coffee there!!

Wilco!

Hungriger Wolf (EDHF), Germany
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