Jaca, Spain - Expeditions and Oxygen Availability

Having flown there last year, a couple of us from Windrushers GC at
Bicester (UK) are taking a DG505 to Santa Cilia, Jaca this year
between about March 22nd and 30th. We know that Lasham have an
expedition that runs until the 30th and wonder who else is going to be
there.

More importantly we are trying to find out how to get oxygen tanks
refilled in the area. The airfield management reports that they do
cannot do this.

Best,

Paul

On 31 Jan, 13:42, Paul wrote:
Having flown there last year, a couple of us from Windrushers GC at
Bicester (UK) are taking a DG505 to Santa Cilia, Jaca this year
between about March 22nd and 30th. We know that Lasham have an
expedition that runs until the 30th and wonder who else is going to be
there.

A friend of mine from the Mynd is going out there with a club group.
Perhaps someone there woul dknow?

Ian

On 31 Jan, 18:10, Ian wrote:
On 31 Jan, 13:42, Paul wrote:

Having flown there last year, a couple of us from Windrushers GC at
Bicester (UK) are taking a DG505 to Santa Cilia, Jaca this year
between about March 22nd and 30th. We know that Lasham have an
expedition that runs until the 30th and wonder who else is going to be
there.

A friend of mine from the Mynd is going out there with a club group.
Perhaps someone there woul dknow?

Ian

I hired my own refill cylinder from British Gasses and took it to
Jaca. The nearest aviation o2 opportunity is in Pamplona, 100km drive
away. Over Easter you have the Easter festivals to contend with and
the fact that Air products is closed for the duration. They really
only wanted to deal with account customers and the turn around was
going to be several days. Pamplona Airport, which services light jets
was unable to help. Pau through on the French side, about 3 hours
drive at least, is an option but I cant make any reccomendations
having not tried there.

O2 Cylinders have been known to be refilled by the local mechanic from
his welding gear at the hangar shaped workshop at the intersection
with the main road in Santa Cila. ( I don't want to get into that
discussion! I use it and its fine for me. )

Another Ian

Thanks for the information below. We flew with a very friendly group
from the Mynd last time.

Futher question: any idea where we could find a list of locations of
landable fields (like the Southern French Alps book)?

Paul


On Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:51:07 -0800 (PST), nimbusgb
wrote:

On 31 Jan, 18:10, Ian wrote:
On 31 Jan, 13:42, Paul wrote:

Having flown there last year, a couple of us from Windrushers GC at
Bicester (UK) are taking a DG505 to Santa Cilia, Jaca this year
between about March 22nd and 30th. We know that Lasham have an
expedition that runs until the 30th and wonder who else is going to be
there.

A friend of mine from the Mynd is going out there with a club group.
Perhaps someone there woul dknow?

Ian

I hired my own refill cylinder from British Gasses and took it to
Jaca. The nearest aviation o2 opportunity is in Pamplona, 100km drive
away. Over Easter you have the Easter festivals to contend with and
the fact that Air products is closed for the duration. They really
only wanted to deal with account customers and the turn around was
going to be several days. Pamplona Airport, which services light jets
was unable to help. Pau through on the French side, about 3 hours
drive at least, is an option but I cant make any reccomendations
having not tried there.

O2 Cylinders have been known to be refilled by the local mechanic from
his welding gear at the hangar shaped workshop at the intersection
with the main road in Santa Cila. ( I don't want to get into that
discussion! I use it and its fine for me. )

Another Ian

On 2 Feb, 23:41, Paul wrote:
Thanks for the information below. We flew with a very friendly group
from the Mynd last time.

Futher question: any idea where we could find a list of locations of
landable fields (like the Southern French Alps book)?

Paul

On Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:51:07 -0800 (PST), nimbusgb

wrote:
On 31 Jan, 18:10, Ian wrote:
On 31 Jan, 13:42, Paul wrote:

Having flown there last year, a couple of us from Windrushers GC at
Bicester (UK) are taking a DG505 to Santa Cilia, Jaca this year
between about March 22nd and 30th. We know that Lasham have an
expedition that runs until the 30th and wonder who else is going to be
there.

A friend of mine from the Mynd is going out there with a club group.
Perhaps someone there woul dknow?

Ian

I hired my own refill cylinder from British Gasses and took it to
Jaca. The nearest aviation o2 opportunity is in Pamplona, 100km drive
away. Over Easter you have the Easter festivals to contend with and
the fact that Air products is closed for the duration. They really
only wanted to deal with account customers and the turn around was
going to be several days. Pamplona Airport, which services light jets
was unable to help. Pau through on the French side, about 3 hours
drive at least, is an option but I cant make any reccomendations
having not tried there.

O2 Cylinders have been known to be refilled by the local mechanic from
his welding gear at the hangar shaped workshop at the intersection
with the main road in Santa Cila. ( I don't want to get into that
discussion! I use it and its fine for me. )

Another Ian

The team at the airfield has a little bound booklet with about 20
emergency fields, photos and observations. published by the
C.R.V.V.M.P at Antichan-Saint-Girons Aerodrome.

Its called the 'Guide des aires de Securite dans les Pyrenees' or the
'Guia de las areas de seguridad en el Pireneo'

Publishers telephone is +33 (0) 5 61 04 84 15

Before you go make sure Santa Cila has copies in stock. Its invaluable!

The office at the aerodrome sell a booklet covering
the landing fields on the French side (F1-9) and Spanish
side (E1-10 -all east of the main Aragon valley).
Unless it has been revised in the last year or so it
is out of date and a good local update briefing would
be wise.

I have walked several of the fields and looked at all
of them from the air so the following should give you
something to look at before you go but get briefed
at the site in case of changes:

From Santa Cilia most of the XC flying is on the Spanish
side so only the Spanish fields are usually relevant.
3 of the 'fields' (E3,6&8) listed are actually agricultural
zones with a choice of fields and these are a bit further
south in the lower mountains about half way along the
Pyrenees.

Of the remaining 7, three (E4,7 & 9) have difficult
approaches - one into a 200m field (E4 Campo - we tramped
around this field looking for the landing field before
we realised that was it).

One field (E2 Ainsa) is now a different field from
that in the book.

Following the usual XC route from west to east, E1
(Javierre), E2 (Ainsa), E5 (Castejon de Sos microlight
strip), [E9 east edge only in an emergency,] and E10
(Sort) are all reasonable and spaced so that you can
be within range of one of them at usual operating bands.
East of those are La Seu de Urgel and Cerdanya/Alp
airfields.

Its fine really and landouts are rare outwith the long
local landable Aragon valley. In Cambridge format
the fields are at:

42:28.707N,000:04.151W,770M,TL,E1-JAVIERRE ,
42:25.769N,000:08.145E,650M,TL,E2-AINSA , (old field)
42:14.315N,000:21.419E,450M,TL,E3-GRAUS ZA ,
42:24.504N,000:24.548E,700M,TL,E4-CAMPO ,
42:31.578N,000:28.907E,900M,TL,E5-CASTEJON ,
42:14.265N,000:43.130E,550M,TL,E6-AREN ZA ,
42:25.465N,000:43.977E,850M,TL,E7-SUERT ,
42:08.414N,000:56.304E,450M,TL,E8-TREMP ZA ,
42:36.712N,001:07.900E,1000M,TL,E9-ESTERRI ,
42:23.224N,001:07.090E,750M,TL,E10-SORT ,

Google earth shows most of the fields quite well and
is an excellent aid to recognising them from the air.

Watch out for irrigation stand pipes covering some
crop fields.

John Galloway

At 23:42 02 February 2008, Paul wrote:
Thanks for the information below. We flew with a very
friendly group
from the Mynd last time.

Futher question: any idea where we could find a list
of locations of
landable fields (like the Southern French Alps book)?

Paul


On Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:51:07 -0800 (PST), nimbusgb
wrote:

On 31 Jan, 18:10, Ian wrote:
On 31 Jan, 13:42, Paul wrote:

Having flown there last year, a couple of us from
Windrushers GC at
Bicester (UK) are taking a DG505 to Santa Cilia,
Jaca this year
between about March 22nd and 30th. We know that Lasham
have an
expedition that runs until the 30th and wonder who
else is going to be
there.

A friend of mine from the Mynd is going out there
with a club group.
Perhaps someone there woul dknow?

Ian

I hired my own refill cylinder from British Gasses
and took it to
Jaca. The nearest aviation o2 opportunity is in Pamplona,
100km drive
away. Over Easter you have the Easter festivals to
contend with and
the fact that Air products is closed for the duration.
They really
only wanted to deal with account customers and the
turn around was
going to be several days. Pamplona Airport, which services
light jets
was unable to help. Pau through on the French side,
about 3 hours
drive at least, is an option but I cant make any reccomendations
having not tried there.

O2 Cylinders have been known to be refilled by the
local mechanic from
his welding gear at the hangar shaped workshop at the
intersection
with the main road in Santa Cila. ( I don't want to
get into that
discussion! I use it and its fine for me. )

Another Ian