Departure
97%
vs 95% ▲ 2
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Vilar de Luz Airfield, also known as Maia Airport, is a general aviation field in the Porto District of northern Portugal, home to the Porto Air Club and to Nortávia, described as the only flight school in the north of the country. Located a short distance north of Porto near the town of Maia, it offers a single paved runway aligned 16/34 and is a popular destination for light aircraft and flying training in the region.
Vilar de Luz Airfield (LPVL), commonly known as Maia Airport, is a general aviation aerodrome in the municipality of Maia in Portugal's Porto District. It is the base for the Porto Air Club and for Nortávia, noted as the only flight school in the north of the country, making it a genuinely active general aviation hub rather than a quiet backwater strip, and a field of interest to simulator pilots flying light aircraft in northern Portugal.
The airfield lies at coordinates 41.2792 N, 8.5172 W at an elevation of 751 feet, within the Porto District in the municipality of Maia, a short distance inland from the city of Porto itself. No specific airspace classification, controlling FIR detail or neighbouring controlled zones are given in the available material, so pilots should cross-check current Portuguese AIP charts for controlled airspace boundaries around Porto before planning a visit.
The field has a single physical runway aligned 16/34, described as a hard-surfaced strip. Runway 16 is listed at 4,479 feet and runway 34 at 4,279 feet; the differing lengths reflect a long displaced threshold on runway 16 (referred to in some notes as runway 17), where the initial section of pavement is now crossed by a municipal road. There is no ILS approach available.
The published common frequency for Vilar de Luz is CTAF 122.4 MHz. No specific navaids or instrument approach procedures are documented for the field.
Vilar de Luz Airfield continues to support active general aviation flying, hosting the Porto Air Club and Nortávia, which is described as the only flight school in the north of Portugal. The runway's usable length for runway 16 is affected by a long-standing displaced threshold, with a municipal road now crossing the early part of that pavement, a point worth noting for approach and landing planning. The airfield has also been recreated for Microsoft Flight Simulator, with SimWorks Studios and Area 77 Simulations releasing detailed scenery that includes a modelled control tower with both exterior and interior detail, so scenery is available for simulator pilots wishing to fly here virtually.†