AEROMEDIA
The Italian Aerospace Information Web
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Aero Club Torino's 2026 Canary Islands Raid Successfully Completed

On July 24, 2026, the participants of the 2026 Canary Islands Raid happily returned to Aeritalia. They had set off ten days earlier with seven aircraft: a Partenavia P.66C Charlie I-IABK, a Piper PA-28RT-201T Turbo Arrow IV F-GJRR, a BRM Aero Bristell UL HD I-D888, and four Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II I-BJOE, I-CNPG, I-SEFA, and I-DARD. Some 30 people took part, comprising instructors, private pilots, and student pilots. The journey covered over 3,000 nautical miles and totalled more than 200 flight hours, taking them through Italy, Spain and Morocco, and all the way to the Canary Islands. Eleven airports were visited along the route.
On July 15, the group took off from Turin bound for Sabadell, Spain, for the first refuelling stop. They then departed for Mutxamel Airport, near Alicante, where the first day's leg concluded.
On the second day (July 16), the route led to Jerez de la Frontera (Spain) for refuelling and customs formalities before continuing toward Morocco. From Jerez, they crossed the Strait of Gibraltar to reach Essaouira-Mogador. The second leg of the journey concluded there.
On the third day (July 17), one of the trip's most anticipated moments arrived: the departure from Essaouira for the Canary Islands. The first stop was Lanzarote-Arrecife, where customs formalities and refuelling were effected. This was followed by a flight of about an hour to the southwest, passing over the island of Fuerteventura - where a touch-and-go was also performed at El Matorral Airport - before a final short leg across the sea to Maspalomas-El Berriel Airport on Gran Canaria, where the group stayed for three days, from July 18 to 20.
On July 21, the return flight began, heading back toward Lanzarote-Arrecife Airport for refuelling and customs formalities. This was followed by another flight over the sea to reach Marrakech, Morocco, concluding the day's leg.
The following day (July 22), the aircraft took off from Marrakech bound for Jerez de la Frontera for further European customs formalities and refuelling. This was followed by a second flight to Malaga, where the night was spent.
On July 23rd, the route differed from the outbound leg, with a flight from Málaga to Palma de Mallorca. Finally, on July 24th, we undertook the last day of flying: a transfer from Palma to Perpignan-Rivesaltes in France for a final refuel, followed by the triumphal last leg to Turin.
Going beyond the mere statistics and the numerous stops, this expedition was, above all, an extraordinary learning and personal experience. Tackling such long legs, crossing different countries, and dealing daily with planning, navigation, refuelling, customs procedures, and varying operational conditions offered a significant opportunity for growth for all participants. It was a wonderful experience, defined by collaboration, cooperation and a passion for flying. An adventure that will remain forever part of the personal and professional experience of every pilot who took part.
In some respects, the Aero Club Torino's 2026 Canary Islands Raid retraced - some 63 years later - the Turin-Canary Islands Raid effected by the Aeroscuola Cerrina.

In the picture: a group of participants in the 2026 Canary Islands Raid during their stay at Maspalomas-El Berriel Airport on the island of Gran Canaria. (Aero Club Torino)

(Aeromedia, July 2026)