Ampuria Brava   LEAP

Date of Visit =July 1998

Pilot: = George D. Ritchie - BT Flying Club

e-mail = George.D.Ritchie

Field Report = This is a lovely friendly GA field south of Perpignan, and north of Gerona. Details are in Bottlang, but are not available from AIS.

We visited in July 1998, when going on holiday to a campsite nearby. It is a field used extensively for parachuting, up to 12500', but welcomes visiting aircraft. There is a little paddock where they park long stay visitors. When I was there, there was a couple of German, a Swiss, a Belgian and ourselves. Landing fee was about £4, parking £2 per day, and fuel was £0.40 per litre (no, it is not a miss-type, £0.40 per litre). We fuelled on arrival, but were told we need not pay for it until we left two weeks later.

Met breifings are obtained (I think from Perpignan), and are as good as any French ones.

Ampuria Brava has customs between May and September, so you can fly direct from France or England.

We were holidaying with Keycamp - who do camping holidays where they provide mobile homes, or ready erected tents with proper beds, cooker, lighting, fridges etc. Was a lovely site only a £6 taxi ride from the airport. It is right on the beach, but in the middle of a nature reserve, and has the Pyrenees as a backdrop.

Ampuria is a lovely boating port, and probably has hotels if you don't want to camp.

For us, wife, 2 kids aged 5 and 1, it was one of our best holidays ever. Flying from RAF Henlow (near Luton)in our Cherokee 6 300, it was a 3 hour flight to Limoges, picnic lunch, then 1 hour 50 mins to Ampuria, at FL75, VFR all the way.

On the return, Ampuria to Le Touquet was 4 hours 20, and Le Touquet to Henlow 1 hour. Thus, it is a reasonable days flying for a single pilot.

Strongly to be recommended.

Finally, I think Eurocamp are taking over Keycamp. Brochures for both are available at any high street travel agent.

I am happy to speak to/give further info to pilots contemplating a visit. Email me your details, and I will contact you.