Santiago Airport

suarezn · Nov 1, 2002

Hey all,

I was wondering about this airport they have in Santiago. I usually fly into Puerto Plata, as my hometown is about the same distance from POP as Santo Domingo, and I don't like to deal with the annoying buscones in Santo Domingo. Not that they don't exist in POP, but to a much lesser extent. I will be making my yearly trip to the DR this December. Unfortunately the only tickets available for the dates I can travel are to Santiago. Have any of you flown through there? What kind of planes fly into that airport? Normal bigger planes or little turbo props? How big is this airport anyway? How far out of town is it?

Any info will be appreciated...

AZB · Nov 1, 2002

767 300 boeing lands there with ease. Airbus 300 also comes here on regular basis. I can imagine even a L1011 or a DC 10 can also land without problems.
Santiago is becoming a major airport and expanding rapidly.

Poetin · Nov 1, 2002

@AZB: If you tell me the length of the runway, then I can tell you what A/C can land and take-off there.

Poetin · Nov 1, 2002

Did a little bit of searching...

Name: Las Americas Intl
IATA: SDQ
ICAO: MDSD
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Latitude: 18?25' 46" N
Longitude: 69?40' 7" W
Elevation: 59
Runway Length: 11002 Feet

This is more than sufficient for even an 747. Hoever, it depends on other factors like the maximum weightload the runway or the taxiways can have.
I remember that once Air Force One visited Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Because of the security reasons the huge C-5's were parked at Schiphol East. However, The apron overthere can take as much load the weight of an MD-11. It was quite funny when the C-5's started to "sink" through the tarmac...

suarezn · Nov 1, 2002

Poetin: Las Americas is the main airport in Santo Domingo. I was asking about the new one in Santiago.

Stephen · Nov 1, 2002

I think Puerto Plata airport is safer!

Escott · Nov 1, 2002

I found Santiago to be a little less easy to go in and out of. POP is still my fav after trying Santiago. Same size planes to both but ease of car rental and ease of movement at pop.

AZB · Nov 1, 2002

peotin, I used to live near dobbins airforce base in atlanta. man o man when this giant metel fortress C-5 galaxy came close to the runway to land, the below (I-45) traffic would come to a stand still. I would have loved to see how it was sinking in the tarmac in amsterdam. This plane is gigantic but beautiful in its own way.
It can take in 7 grey hound buses back to back as payload.

Poetin · Nov 2, 2002

Yes, they are huge! I think one of my former collegues from Ogden Av. Services actually took some pictures of the patched tarmac. If I'm not mistaken the AN-225 Mria is the largest A/C in the world.

Hillbilly · Nov 2, 2002

SANTIAGO AIRPORT

To Suarezn; AZB and POETIN:
Santiago = STI
Length = Abt 8500 feet (2620mts) and expanding another 1000' by 45 meters wide
Alt: 570'
Aircraft: 727, 737, 757, 767 have all landed here.
PanAm, Continental and American, and AeroMar all fly into Santiago.
There are no obstructions at either end of the runway and IFR equipment is being installed.
It will become the hub of American and Continental in the near future....
People are nicer, Aduanas is more courteous, Baggage handlers are super nice. At less than a year old, they are already expanding the facilities for Immigration, Customs, and the runway.
Odds and ends: Taxis are RD$200-RD$250 into town, depending on location w/in Santiago proper.
Airport is about 12 kilometers from city center, about 10-15 minutes by car or cab. Road in and out is now finished.
Parking is RD$10.00.
This is the only really "private" International airport in the country.
It was built and paid for and is administered by people from Santiago.

Have no fear suarezn HB is here!!

_{JAZZCOM: Even "fat, loud & ugly Americans" are welcome in Santiago. Especially if they talk to HB, first!}

Pavan · Nov 2, 2002

One Correction HillBilly...it is ILS not IFR. IFR already exists.

Hillbilly · Nov 2, 2002

right: Instrument Landing System rather than Instrument Flight Rating?

thanks,

HB

suarezn · Nov 2, 2002

Thanks Hillbilly. Appreciate the info. I probably WILL fly into Santiago and depending on the experience I have there I may make it my airport of choice in the DR.

SDecatur · Nov 2, 2002

Hillbilly said:
right: Instrument Landing System rather than Instrument Flight Rating?

thanks,

HB

If you want to split atoms, IFR is "Instrument flight rules" not rating, thus someone who can fly in IFR conditions is Instrument Flight Rules rated

I'm just full of junk today: The Antonov AN-225 is the worlds largest and heaviest lift aircraft, second is the Antonov 124, foloowing in third is the C 5 variants

Pavan · Nov 2, 2002

Obviously the Russian theory...bigger is better.....BTW the SU 30 MKI is credited to be the world best fighter today....only aircraft which does the ?Cobra?and tracks and attacks 12 targets at a time....

Missing...........full of info not needed!!!

Poetin · Nov 2, 2002

Not only Su-30MK but the whole Flanker family.

We're talking about Su-27 (UB and others), Su-30MK(I), Su-32/34FN, Su-35, Su-37 (I love this one. Thrustvectoring and stuff. Su-35 also has TV however Su-37 is more advanced) And ofcourse the Berkut (Forward Swept Wing version of the Su-37). I might have missed one tough...

Martin · Nov 2, 2002

I doubt that American Airlines will use STI as a hub. An airline hub need O&D traffic to succeed (origination and destination traffic ie. a large city.) American uses San Juan as a mini-hub because of that.

STI is a teriffic airport as far as pilots are concerned. I landed there on June 15th, the first flight into Santiago for American Airlines in the Airbus A300-600R. Great facilities and of course the people are the best. Poppy Burmudez and his investors built the airport and expect the airport to be very sucessful with passengers as well as cargo.

Yes, the airport is expected to get an ILS (Instrument Landing System)as the weather can get tricky certain times of the year in the Cibao valley. I also flew the first night flight from JFK to STI on 2 July, 2002 and, after two approaches and missed-approaches, went to Santo Domingo for fuel and to wait for the weather to clear. Finally made it there about 4:30 am (Time to Spare? Go by Air!) Oh well, we tried our best.

I would recommend the Santiago Airport over Puerto Plata anyday.

Martin

SDecatur · Nov 2, 2002

More useless drivel

missing_dr said:
Obviously the Russian theory...bigger is better.....BTW the SU 30 MKI is credited to be the world best fighter today....only aircraft which does the ?Cobra?and tracks and attacks 12 targets at a time....

Missing...........full of info not needed!!!

Where do you get the info the Flanker can track and engage 12 targets at one time?

The only SU 30's in "operation" (none are currently flying due to avionics problems) are with the Indian Air force. I think you may have meant they are using a Radar that allows them to track and link targeting info to other platforms. the only multi targeting fire and forget missle system in the world is the US Navy's Phoenix deployed on the F 14 Tomcat

The 30 would indeed be a formiddable fighter if it could penetrate the beyond visual range to "knife fighting" , where close in proximity would give the thrust vectoring SU 30 an adavantage, if it would fly

Thankfully it has what is considered the best ejection seat in the world, which has been dramatically demonstarted by its "sisters" at far too many air shows, the few times the family of 27,29,30,32,35 SU's have been in the air

The "Cobra" maneuver is a clever "show stopper," quite useless in combat with modern jets. In the unlikely event two mach 2 interceptors were close enough to pull what is effectively a live stall, the ensuing explosion of a gun intercept would destroy both aircraft

An airplane is only as good as it's pilots, AND the ability to stay in the air, a serious problem for all Russian and export variants

Pavan · Nov 2, 2002

I guess someone lied to me and then I also guess some lying idiot sold those good for nothing aircrafts to my country. Then the Isreali?s got involved with the Indian Government and did something to the bird to give it the designation SU30-MKI and some more avionics which makes them the only SU-30 deriviatives to be able to fly and stay operational.

But I do know that the F-14 Tomcat is not the only aircraft which does what you say it does. The Israeli version of both F-15 and F-16 do that as well as the French Dassault.

The only time I heard that the SU30 crashed in an air show was at Franbrough when a bird for sucked in...for some reason turbines still cannot eat a bird.

SDecatur · Nov 2, 2002

Missing, I didn't mean to imply the 30 crashed, but the other varianst have all too often and it is usually pilot error, trying to pull the so termed "Cobra maneuver" at low altitude and the tam's won't spool up quickly enough to recover

I do repeat that there is no system comparable to the Phoenix system, the Eagles, Falcons and Mirages all use Sparrows, Falcons or variants of the AMRAAM. They are RADAR guided, but the aircraft must maintain lock where the AIM-54 coupled with the Hughes AWG-9 can track 24 targets simutaneously while attacking 6 targets, first by downloading the IP from the AWG 9 into the AIM 54 which uses the AWG 9's passive control for IC then switches to onboard active seeking, an ability lacking in any other AA missle I know of.

My experience is only 12 years of actual duty and 3 years at Fallon, but I only know what I am told

as for your country being "lied to," I don't think that is the case, just simple Russian technology that doesn't work very often. I would like to know of any SU 30 squadron that is actively flying, none of the Worlds military intelligence seems to be aware of them

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