Winter can be a tricky time for GA pilots in the Northern hemisphere. The weather is rubbish, the temperature cold, the threat of icing ever present; so, skills fade. What if there was somewhere a pilot could go that the weather couldn't spoil but wasn't a ridiculous distance away?

For the month of February, why not carry yourself off to the Canary Islands, get a bit of sun, scour YouTube and the University of Google for helpful content and learn a new flying skill. As it turns out, the entirely fictious El Berriel Flying Club hires out an infinite variety of aircraft for self-study courses in

• Tail Dragger Conversion
• Biplane Conversion
• Warbirds
• Aerobatics
• Twin Engine Flying
• Helicopters
• . . . anything else you fancy trying for the first time

Please make a note of the materials you use and drop a paragraph or two onto the forum chat about your experience so others can benefit. And, of course, this is the perfect opportunity to contribute a screenshot for the screenshot competition! Let's see if we can create the biggest competition ever.

You have the entirety of February to do as much or as little as you want. Start and end your adventure at El Berriel (GCLB) on Gran Canaria and don't forget, flying and sangria don't mix!

All the islands have airports, and, basing yourself out of GCLB, you are encouraged to explore as many of them as you can.

• La Palma
• Canaries
• La Gomera
• Tenerife
• Gran Canaria
• Fuerte Ventura

Neil Hartley, a club member, has kindly proposed some possible flight plans and these will be made available on the forum for members to copy and adapt as appropriate.

You may use any aircraft (including helicopters) classified as GA (within the EASA "light" category) or for this event any warbird you fancy. See club rules for details.

Before starting, check the weather. In accordance with VATSIM rules the wind direction should be the same as real-world. This event is strictly VFR, so all other aspects of the weather should be adjusted to avoid the disappointment of being rained or fogged in.

This event should be fun for all, both pilots and controllers. If your enjoyment is impaired by "un-sportsmanlike" ATC, let someone know so senior club members can pass on your concerns. If you get something wrong, such as entering controlled airspace without authority, learn from the experience and follow instructions - even if requested to 'disconnect'.

Don't forget it is better to ask a club member or ATC when unsure rather than flying on causing confusion and mayhem!

Some areas may have ATC; however, Unicom should keep you out of trouble

Take care not to let our TeamSpeak Chat cut across ATC. Stop any conversation immediately the R/T comes alive, and then continue if "he wasn't talking to us". This is difficult because when talking on TeamSpeak you cannot hear the R/T. So be aware that ATC might be trying to contact a member. If anyone hears R/T which appears to be ignored and it is a club member being called, on TS, say "ATC is calling XXXX/one of us". Then everyone stop talking until ATC calls again and makes contact. Remember that if ATC tells you "standby" It means "Wait, don't call me, I will come back to you as soon as I can." - Busy with a more urgent problem.

Half a star will be awarded for taking off from GCLB and half a star for landing back at GCLB during the month of February.

Spanish AIP: https://aip.enaire.es/AIP/AIP-en.html#GCLP

For X-Plane users, if using OrthoPhotos you will require SimHeaven for Africa not Europe: https://simheaven.com/

Event Idea: Neil Hartley
Event planning: Colin Parker
Briefing: Colin Parker