Hello fellow pilots!
I am excited to announce that after a short break, Region of the Month, a topic series dedicated to encouraging people to fly in the many beautiful places in the world that don’t get enough attention in Infinite Flight, is back! In this third installment I will be writing about the beautiful Azores islands and showing their best scenery, airports, and routes. So sit back, relax, and enjoy!
About the Azores
The Autonomous Region of the Azores is a collection of Portugal-owned tropical islands located in the northeast section of the Atlantic Ocean. There are a total of 9 major islands in the cluster. These are Flores and Corvo, to the west; Graciosa, Terceira, São Jorge, Pico, and Faial in the centre; and São Miguel and Santa Maria to the east. They take up a total of 901 squre miles and primarily consist of farm land and forest area (although much of it has been cut down). The Azores were formed volcanically similar to the Hawaiian islands because they sit on a triple junction between three of the world’s large tectonic plates. Although most the volcanic activity is now idle, the islands are full of massive calderas and volcanos, including Mount Pico, the Azores’ highest point. Although they are small, the Azores are an absolutely beautiful place to visit both in real life and in Infinite Flight. Make sure to visit this European Hawaii on your next flight!
Areas
Even though they are close together, each island in the Azores is very different from the next and is easily recognizable. Here are my top 3 islands:
1. Sáo Miguel Island
Sáo Miguel is located in the Eastern Group of islands. It is the largest island by a long shot (almost 2 times the size of the second largest) and holds over 50% of the Azores’ population. On this island you will find many different volcanic craters and mountains, as well as a flatter urban area in the middle section. Sáo Miguel contains the most interesting geological features of the area, in my opinion, and is very abundant in them.
2. Pico Island
Pico is clearly the most visually striking island in the Azores, especially from the air. The center of attention, of course, is Mt. Pico, a 7,000 ft. tall stratovolcano located on the Eastern end of the island. The highest point in the Azores isn’t the only mountain on Pico though, as it is home to the area’s largest mountain range, which basically makes up the whole island with not much room to spare. I strongly recommend flying around this centrally located island for some incredible scenic views.
3. Flores Island
Located to the far west of most of the islands, Fores is commonly referred to by tourists as the most beautiful island in the Azores. It is much smaller than the islands mentioned above and is home to only 3,000 people. It is best known for its abundance of flowers, hence its Portuguese name of Flores. Although you can’t really see the flowers in Infinite Flight, it is still lots of fun to fly around because of its unique landscape, which includes lots of small, deep canyons that open up toward the ocean.
Airports
The Azores have a total of 9 airports, one on every island. Each is a small single runway airport with an absolutely beautiful approach over the ocean. Here are my favorites:
1. João Paulo II Airport (LPPD)
Chances are that if you have ever gone to the Azores, you have flown into this airport. LPPD is located in Ponta Delgada, the largest city in the area, and is the only significant commercial airport in the islands. In fact, it is the only airport that offers international flights or international airlines. It is also the hub for Azores Airlines, the official airline of the area, and the only airline that serves its other airports. This small international airport is perfect if you are planning on doing a long hall flight out of or into the Azores. Info on routes and airlines can be found here.
2. Corvo Airport (LPCR)
This tiny airfield made the list because of its extremely short runway which is just over 2,000 feet long. LPCR is located on the smallest island of the Azores (Corvo), which, with its steep landscape, hardly has enough room for a runway. The airport sits on the one flat area of the island and spans the entire length of it. This is a great airport to fly a TBM or a C208 out of and check out the small but beautiful island. Just be careful you don’t overrun the runway or you will be in the ocean! More info here.
3. Lajes Air Base (LPLA)
Lajes Field, or Lajes Air Base, is the largest airport in the Azores by area and is a base for both the Portuguese and United States airforces. It is located on Terceira, a mid-sized island located in the middle section of the area. Lajes provides support to 15,000 military aircraft including KC-10s and F-22 raptors. It is also offers a few civilian flights to nearby islands. Find out more about it here.
Routes
Although there isn’t a massive aviation industry in the Azores, they are a ton of fun to fly in and out of. Here are 3 routes that I recommend you try in the next few months:
1. Azores Airlines (Generic) A320 - LPPI to LPPT
Besides LPPD, LPPI is the only airport in the area that offers a flight off of the island. This 3 hour flight leads to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, the homeland of the Azores. It is operated by Azores Airlines, which unfortunately we don’t have in Infinite Flight, so I recommend you use the generic livery. This is a beautiful flight to do if you want to see the 2 largest sections of Portugal.
Flight Plan
LPPI NOTMA LM 3858N/2421W BAVAS 3900N/2000W GUNTI 3834N/1010W BUSEN EKMAR 3845N/925W 3915N/910W 3912N/903W 3902N/859W 3858N/902W LPPT
2. Daher TBM 930 - LPAZ to LPPD to LPLA to LPGR to LPSJ to LPPI to LPHR to LPFL to LPCR
In this VFR flight, you will do touch & goes at every airport on every island of the Azores. It is a great way to enjoy the entirety of the area. This is also the perfect flight to do with the new TBM 930.
3. Delta 767-300 - KJFK to LPPD
This is the only flight to the Azores operated by a US airline, and is only operated on a seasonal schedule. It takes off in New York, one of Delta’s hubs, and lands in Ponta Delgada, which is, as I said earlier, the only international airport in the area. The main attraction of this flight is the beautiful approach: you get fly to over 7 of the 9 islands before landing.
Flight Plan
KJFK BETTE 4041N/7152W DOVEY 4200N/6000W 4200N/5000W 4100N/4000W FRS 3838N/2834W SOMUL VMG LPPD
Thanks for Reading!
Thank you so much for reading the October edition of Region of the Month. Make sure to check out my previous articles on Montana and Ethiopia! This series takes a lot of time to research and write, so I want to make sure everyone enjoys it. Please let me know what you think of it by commenting below or sending me a PM. Also, in case you missed it, I will not be writing this series as regularly anymore. You will see new articles every 2 to 3 months now instead of every month like I used to do. More info here:
Have a great rest of your month everyone! Hope to see you flying around the beautiful Azores!
