private plane

[reefmaker]

I'm looking for a good FBO at a Dominican Republic airport to leave my private plane while on vacation. Is it safe to leave a plane there? Who can I contact? etc.

 

[Dolores1]

Depending on where you will be flying to. There are four airport operators:
Aerodom (Puerto Plata (Ted Foster/t.foster@aerodom.com), Las Americas-Santo Domingo airports, Maria Montez-Barahona airport, soon El Catey for Samana -- Ken Hassard/k.hassard@aerodom.com).
La Romana airport (you should get an answer from Sandra Lopez at slopez@ccampo.com.do, Cibao airport (Santiago) and Punta Cana airport (email Giovanni Rainieri at grainieri@aviamltd.com.

 

[Hillbilly]

I think you might want to check with cobraboy regarding the economics of flying your own plane down here.

He has quit and now flies commercial. You can ask him why via a PM.

Just do a quick search of :cobraboy; and click on his name to send him a Private Message..

HB

 

[cobraboy]

I've flown to the DR in a private plane 8 times in the last 2 years. I fly IFR PIE->WPB->Nassau (fuel stop)->POP.

Initially, the service by AeroDom in POP was outstanding. After a while, the costs kept escalating (the fuel is understandable) for reasons that didn't make sense to me.

Finally, I couldn't justify the costs for 2 flying-the non-fuel ground costs went from US$7 to US$50 per day. Between fuel and ground fees (and not counting engine/avionics/maint. reserves), a trip went from US$700 to US$1800. Too much for two passengers flying to split.

The straw that broke the camels back was I ended up being a target for corruption from an airport station manager (who saw a "rich gringo" he chose to try his game on). Since then, I DO NOT trust anyone in the DR with the security of my airplane when I'm not near it. It wouldn't take much for someone to screw with it out of revenge...and not fully understand until you're feet wet, unable to put it on dry ground. And if found in the pre-flight, there's hardly any mechanics and/or parts available in the DR for a quick turn-around. Nor would it take much for some drugs to suddenly be "found" by his sympathetic aviation security pals.

Aerodom senior management has been very good with the situation. It was not their fault; they are as much of a victim of their ex-employee as I was. But I just don't feel "comfortable" anymore. As a pilot you know that is the worst time to fly.

I now fly Spirit from Tampa to SDQ for $325+-.

 

[tflea]

Cobra - Fees

Cobra,
I would be interested in more of your experience in fees rising because
those fees officially haven't risen for parking, landing, lightng, navaids, etc.
for a loooong time. Fuel, yes. And if you were being sabotaged plz inform me
through PM of whatever you care to share.
POP airport has plenty of overnighters regularly with zero incidents reported lately (12 months).
Prefer PM over info on this site plz.

 

[Island777]

Cobra,
I am sorry to hear of your difficulties but not surprised as I have seen very few GA aircraft at POP. I fly a C182 IFR and hope one day to bring it to the DR. Anyone else out there with experiences to share about flying in the DR?
-Islander777

 

[tflea]

No response

So plz advise me I ask again....flyng to POP. Fees should
NOT be rising, it is not the norm nor the law. I post this because
someone else is asking after reading your post. It is not factual.

 

[cobraboy]

So plz advise me I ask again....flyng to POP. Fees should
NOT be rising, it is not the norm nor the law. I post this because
someone else is asking after reading your post. It is not factual.

tflea, I PM'd you 10 days ago.:ermm:

BTW-all 100% factual. And when does the "law" in the DR trump individual corrupt behavior?

 

[Island777]

POP GA Rates

Thanks to Dolores I contacted Ted Foster via email and found him very responsive, receiving three emails from him since yesterday. He informs me that daily parking at POP is $10 usd or $300/month. There is no landing fee or lights fee for a Cessna 182. Does anyone have experience at the other airports in the DR?

 

[cobraboy]

(Here is my PM response to tflea re: my recent experiences flying my 182S into POP

I don't have my "receipts" anymore. But the ex-station manager kept adding categories of fees: landing, meeting the aircraft, unloading, cart usage, daily storage, security, push back fee (it's a 182S), etc. At first there was an all-encompassing storage fee. Then over time more were added. Initially he took AMEX for payment. Then suddenly it was all cash, US$. Same with fuel. I have NEVER been to an FBO where plastic wasn't taken. Smelled fishy.

The station manager sent me several emails asking for US$800 for his mothers "operation" (where have I heard that one before?). If I sent him the $$$, he'd pay me back on my next trip. Problem is he no longer worked for AeroDom.

AeroDom worked with me well on the deal, but I just don't trust the locals. I had no sabotage, but my gut tells me not to trust the local employees or security. the old station manager was very popular with them.

My last trip, I paid US$5.65 for fuel, 70 gallons at a time.

These are my experiences. I'm sure opinions vary. But I'm not going to have faith in my plane after it's been in the hands of folks who I do not trust.

I hope Ted Foster has cleaned up the sordid situation at POP. My personal experience of 8 flights into POP within 18 months has left a really sour taste in my mouth, and does nothing for my or my passengers feeling of personal safety or confidence. You just can't pull an airplane over to the shoulder of the road like in a car while you're over the ocean if somebody monkeyed with it, and it escapes the pre-flight.

One more thing: ATC is the DR totally sucks. The radar coverage is abysmal, the NavAids poor, the communications-both radio equipment and controllers English-nears danger, and the tower at POP is useless-I could never understand what the guy said, and just landed like I wanted to. I've done 3 approaches and one prolonged hold into POP in real convective IMC down to 700 feet, and let me tell you: it ain't flying in Kansas, that's for sure. Thank God for an approach certified GPS.

FWIW-I'm Commercial, SEL-Multi/Inst., with a bunch of hours including some King Air time. I'm not a Sunday afternoon "Hundred Dollar Hamburger" guy.

 

[mountainfrog]

Private flying in the DR was also talked about here:
http://www.dr1.com/forums/general-stuff/49639-flying-dr.html?highlight=cessna

I cannot recommend it.

m'frog

 

[tflea]

Cobra

Sorry I did not receive your PM for some reason.
Dolores posted my email at work if you care to share
your info. Its a shame your past experiences.
I don't doubt your observations at all, you lived it.
I just don't want it to continue. Aerodom doesn't do
the ground handling but if someone from any of the
handlers is jacking up fees I wanna know about it.
Pushing out a 182? Now that is strange. Someone
did see a gringo coming, but hopefully if he comes again,
he'll be more comfortable.

 

[cobraboy]

Sorry I did not receive your PM for some reason.
Dolores posted my email at work if you care to share
your info. Its a shame your past experiences.
I don't doubt your observations at all, you lived it.
I just don't want it to continue. Aerodom doesn't do
the ground handling but if someone from any of the
handlers is jacking up fees I wanna know about it.
Pushing out a 182? Now that is strange. Someone
did see a gringo coming, but hopefully if he comes again,
he'll be more comfortable.

My experience morphed over 8 trips. Will I fly there again? Possibly. It's not particularly cost-effective now when I can get a $330 RT fare on an airliner.

We'll see. I just wish it was as easy as having a bad experience with a rental car company. Flying 600 sm non-stop over the ocean/Bahamas in a plane "secured" by corrupt airport officials does little for my confidence.

 

[cobraboy]

(Here is my PM response to tflea re: my recent experiences flying my 182S into POP: )

I don't have my "receipts" anymore. But the ex-station manager kept adding categories of fees: landing, meeting the aircraft, unloading, cart usage, daily storage, security, push back fee (it's a 182S), etc. At first there was an all-encompassing storage fee. Then over time more were added. Initially he took AMEX for payment. Then suddenly it was all cash, US$. Same with fuel. I have NEVER been to an FBO where plastic wasn't taken. Smelled fishy.

The station manager sent me several emails asking for US$800 for his mothers "operation" (where have I heard that one before?). If I sent him the $$$, he'd pay me back on my next trip. Problem is he no longer worked for AeroDom.

AeroDom worked with me well on the deal, but I just don't trust the locals. I had no sabotage, but my gut tells me not to trust the local employees or security. the old station manager was very popular with them.

My last trip, I paid US$5.65 for fuel, 70 gallons at a time.

These are my experiences. I'm sure opinions vary. But I'm not going to have faith in my plane after it's been in the hands of folks who I do not trust.

I hope Ted Foster has cleaned up the sordid situation at POP. My personal experience of 8 flights into POP within 18 months has left a really sour taste in my mouth, and does nothing for my or my passengers feeling of personal safety or confidence. You just can't pull an airplane over to the shoulder of the road like in a car while you're over the ocean if somebody monkeyed with it, and it escapes the pre-flight.

One more thing: ATC is the DR totally sucks. The radar coverage is abysmal, the NavAids poor, the communications-both radio equipment and controllers English-nears danger, and the tower at POP is useless-I could never understand what the guy said, and just landed like I wanted to. I've done 3 approaches and one prolonged hold into POP in real convective IMC down to 700 feet, and let me tell you: it ain't flying in Kansas, that's for sure. Thank God for an approach certified GPS.

FWIW-I'm Commercial, SEL-Multi/Inst., with a bunch of hours including some King Air time. I'm not a Sunday afternoon "Hundred Dollar Hamburger" guy.

Here is a good example of what I mean about poor/non-existant radar coverage:

Where'd That Plane Go?

When you're in the IMC soup flying into a foreign country, the LAST thing you want are planes flying all around with no ATC radar separation, especially when you can't understand what they are saying because of poor language skills and radio equipment. Air Traffic Control around the world has one singular responsibility: keep chunks of aluminum flying around at between 80 and 600 knots from colliding with each other...