Planning a circumnavigation of the Caribbean Sea. Which airports should I land at?

kicktireslightfires

kicktireslightfires

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Jun 11, 2020
Messages
364
Display Name
kicktireslightfires
Planning to take a month to do a solo circumnavigation of the Caribbean Sea in my plane. Would love to hear from anyone with experience flying the Caribbean and Central America and Mexico. The attached map is a very tentative route that I can easily change. Planning to go this January or February.

The whole trip will be done VFR. I can land in less than 1,000 feet so any hard surface runway will suffice. I use 100LL and have 600nm range so I can do most of the eastern Caribbean island hoping without having to refuel. I would probably top up with 100LL in St. John's (TAPA) and wouldn't need to refuel again until Grenada (for the 380nm hop to Bonaire). Yes, I'll have a raft with me and plenty of safety equipment including PLB and Iridium satellite phone so I'm not looking for feedback on that; just seeking advice on where to land and maybe what to see. For anyone wondering about the Grenada to Bonaire leg, the FAA lifted the Venezuelan airspace restriction last year so no permit is necessary to fly from Grenada to Bonaire. It would be lovely if this thread could stay positive with helpful advice. Thanks in advance!

Trip.png
 
What are you flying?

Off the top of my head, cool airports I don’t see on your flight plan: TJCP, TNCS, TKPN, TDCF. Not sure how well the Grenadines have recovered but there are some great airports there: TVSB, TVSM, TVSC. If you want to try St. Barts I can give you the name of an instructor who does it, he’s part 121 in the area and instructs on the side. Don’t try it on your own, they will check your papers. SVRS is great.

Oh, and can I come with you?
 
Sounds awesome. I hope you write up a nice article about the trip and share it with us. Here is my 2 cents:
- We loved T&C. Grace Bay beach is incredible, and the food was amazing. The fees are steep, but life is short.
- We loved Santo Domingo. The airport was easy (the handler was pricey, but oh well) and the town has a ton of history.
- We also loved San Juan. Super easy airport and visiting the old town was amazing.

Any chance you can fly over Angel Falls in Venezuela?
 
Personally, TNCM and TFFJ are on my bucket list. TNCM so I can land over the beach for funsies and probably spend a few days there watching airplanes while chilling on the beach. Then, get certified to fly into TFFJ and do that because it looks like a really cool challenge.
 
That looks amazing. For the Mexico to Key West leg, how do you deal with Cuban airspace?
 
Wow. That looks awesome. I have nothing to contribute but my jealousy! Safe travels!
 
I think with Cuba you have to be on an IFR flight plan. I think there is a cost for the permit. You could ask Jim at Caribbean Flying Adventures. He has escorted trips through that area. I'm scheduled to go to Honduras in February with one of his trips.
 
LesGawlik said:
I think with Cuba you have to be on an IFR flight plan. I think there is a cost for the permit.
Click to expand...
There is a Cuba Overflight Permit that has to be obtained. You alluded to it but also implied that all you need is an IFR plan.
Tools said:
Can this be done basic med?
Click to expand...
BasicMed is currently accepted by the following countries, per AOPA:

* United States
* United States territories (Puerto Rico, USVI, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam)
* United States free-associated countries (Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau)
* Mexico
* Bahamas
* Dominican Republic

So, you can do some of it, but not all. Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico... And then you've gotta turn around and head to Mexico.
 
Wow, what a trip. I’d love to fly from Fl to Caye Caulker in Belize; looks like a great airport on a beautiful island. Interested in following this thread for more information about Cuban airspace; always thought of this as the tripping point.
 
My experience in Belize was that other than Belize City, they aren’t very GA friendly. Most of the other airports are very small, require prior permission, and really don’t have the ramp space to accommodate anyone other than their commercial ops, which is mostly Caravans flying tourists. I had a trip flying a customer where we were able to hook up with some locals that allowed us to land at their private airport on a shrimp farm. Our other option was a crop dusting operation, but we were told that the runway was in pretty rough condition.IMG_8968.jpeg
 
Reviving this thread because I'm planning a very similar expedition for October 2027!

I'm a private pilot based at KTMB in South Florida, currently working on my instrument rating. I'm planning a roughly month-long Caribbean circumnavigation in a Cessna 172M.

The tentative route is:

Southbound: South Florida → Mexico → Honduras → Nicaragua → Costa Rica → Panama → Cartagena → Maracaibo

Venezuela: Maracaibo → Los Roques → Caracas → Puerto Ordaz → Canaima (Angel Falls)

Northbound: Trinidad/Tobago → Eastern Caribbean → Puerto Rico → Dominican Republic → Bahamas → South Florida

We're allowing approximately four weeks for the entire expedition, with some flexibility for weather and delays.

I'm particularly interested in hearing from anyone who has flown a similar route in a piston single, especially regarding:

  • Reliable 100LL availability and recommended fuel stops
  • Landing permits, customs and handling agents
  • Insurance coverage for Venezuela and northern South America
  • Airports worth visiting or avoiding
  • Any firsthand experience flying into Los Roques or Canaima

We're already working through the FAA, BIS and OFAC considerations, and I'm reviewing the flying club's operating rules and insurance coverage.

I'd love to hear how the original trip turned out and any lessons learned from pilots who've done something similar.

Thanks in advance!

Christopher
 
Aetheran said:
Reviving this thread because I'm planning a very similar expedition for October 2027!

I'm a private pilot based at KTMB in South Florida, currently working on my instrument rating. I'm planning a roughly month-long Caribbean circumnavigation in a Cessna 172M.

The tentative route is:

Southbound: South Florida → Mexico → Honduras → Nicaragua → Costa Rica → Panama → Cartagena → Maracaibo

Venezuela: Maracaibo → Los Roques → Caracas → Puerto Ordaz → Canaima (Angel Falls)

Northbound: Trinidad/Tobago → Eastern Caribbean → Puerto Rico → Dominican Republic → Bahamas → South Florida

We're allowing approximately four weeks for the entire expedition, with some flexibility for weather and delays.

I'm particularly interested in hearing from anyone who has flown a similar route in a piston single, especially regarding:

  • Reliable 100LL availability and recommended fuel stops
  • Landing permits, customs and handling agents
  • Insurance coverage for Venezuela and northern South America
  • Airports worth visiting or avoiding
  • Any firsthand experience flying into Los Roques or Canaima

We're already working through the FAA, BIS and OFAC considerations, and I'm reviewing the flying club's operating rules and insurance coverage.

I'd love to hear how the original trip turned out and any lessons learned from pilots who've done something similar.

Thanks in advance!

Christopher
Click to expand...
Would you be open to other planes joining you? I could help with trip planning as well.
 
MountainDude said:
Would you be open to other planes joining you? I could help with trip planning as well.
Click to expand...

My partner and I talked it over, and we'd definitely be interested in having other aircraft come along. There's strength in numbers, and we'd really enjoy the camaraderie!

We're tentatively aiming for October 2027, but the timing could shift depending on how the paperwork and other arrangements come together, so we're keeping things flexible at this stage. We'd certainly appreciate the offer to help with planning, too.

What do you fly, and would October 2027 potentially work for you?

Christopher
 
Aetheran said:
My partner and I talked it over, and we'd definitely be interested in having other aircraft come along. There's strength in numbers, and we'd really enjoy the camaraderie!

We're tentatively aiming for October 2027, but the timing could shift depending on how the paperwork and other arrangements come together, so we're keeping things flexible at this stage. We'd certainly appreciate the offer to help with planning, too.

What do you fly, and would October 2027 potentially work for you?

Christopher
Click to expand...
Sent you a DM
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top