There was never a landing strip in Cofete, nor did any aircraft land there, as confirmed by former residents, whose names appear in the book. During World War II, British and American intelligence services suspected a possible base in the area, but aerial and maritime inspections ruled it out.
There is no document proving the existence of a landing strip in Cofete. There is no image or document whatsoever in the German or Allied archives. Nor is there testimony from the neighbours, who would have noticed everything. The American aerial photographs from September 1945 demonstrate that Casa Winter did not yet exist. Therefore, any connection between the residence and airport infrastructure is ruled out.
It is logical: if airport infrastructure had really been needed in the area, it would have been built in technically more suitable places, not in Cofete, which presented manifest deficiencies for such operations.
In fact, two landing strips were later built in geographically more appropriate locations, both situated further south in the area of Puertito de la Cruz, with a technical orientation more suitable for takeoffs and landings than Cofete would have offered. The first was built by Gustavo Winter in 1950 as an emergency runway due to poor communications on the Jandía peninsula. The second was built in 1970 —near Playa de los Ojos— by Punta del Sol S.A., which was then the landowner.
Source: Old Jandía Airfield - Google Maps
To access reliable sources, original documentation, maps, historical photographs, and verified testimonies about Casa Winter, consult the book 'Casa Winter Cofete. A German, a Place, a House...'
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