Anyone flew their private plane to Cuba?

[yvesg]

Hi folks. I am a regular traveller to Cuba with airlines and always hoped to go there with my Mooney. I attended this week's EAA webinar to learn more about it. The presenter has a company that provides packages for North Americans who wish to do this and not to worry about all the requirements (he takes care of all the required Cuban permits on your behalf against compensation). One thing that astonished me that the fellow stated is that it costs around $600 to land at any of the International airports there (each time you land).

I just want to know if there are any folks here who went there (any Cuba location) on their own abord a small private plane? What did you have to pay to whom?

The american fellow charges $3900 US per aircraft and for that price I can get to Varadero from Montreal or Toronto all included TWICE with my wife in a 4 star hotel.

Yves

[C-GKNT]

Yves,

$3,900/ aircraft maybe if you are flying a jet.

I didn't stop in Cuba but I overflew Cuba with my Mooney in 2010. I would contact Jim Parker http://www.caribbeanflyingadventures.com/ He is based in the Caribbean and arranges various escorted fly-ins. He also offers some limited flight planning assistance such as Cuba overflight permits, free with a membership on his site...so I would say that any fee that he charges is in line with the actual costs. He is generally on top of things like costs at the various airports. I had several discussions with him on which airport to use in Jamaica before my trip.

BTW I recall several $100's of dollars in fees just to land in Montego Bay and pick up my buddy on our way back. He stayed in Montego Bay while I went on to Kingston so that did NOT even include customs. So $600, while excessive, might not be out of line.

Glenn

[utczulugmt]

The following articles might also be worth a read:

How can I fly to Cuba?

Welcome to Cuba!

[Broken Slinky]

A big group of us do the Bahamas each year and talked about doing Cuba. We had looked into it a couple years ago. This was before the talks between the US and Cuba were more civil. The issues we came across were as follows:
Fuel: we couldn't get any definite answer if the few major airports had 100LL available. If they did have, it was very limited supply and we couldn't get a price on it. The smaller fields are private and for the most part an unknown.
Repairs: we heard a couple stories where if you had a breakdown there was no way to get parts shipped unless they came from somewhere other than the US. There was basically no source for aviation parts in Cuba. AMEs were a big question mark. You'd probably be doing any repair yourself unless you fly in your own AME.
US Customs: we were told that most likely they would not confiscate any US parts in your Canadian registered aircraft but they could. This wouldnt be an issue for guys with TBMs or jets who could just blast over the US but for smaller GA stuff you'd be subjected to US Customs.
Aircraft security: we were told of a few aircraft developing mysterious ailments after "fees" were not paid to the handlers at the airports. We didn't hear these stories straight from the source so I don't know how much stock to put in them.
Paperwork: it was a lot like the EAPIS and Customs procedure we follow to go from Canada to the US and back. A little more detailed but not impossible.
For the first few reasons we decided to stick to flying to Cuba commercially. Now that the US and Cuba are talking again, it may be worth revisiting the idea in a couple years. Really hope it gets opened to GA. Every visit we've had has been nothing but positive.

[anofly]

A fella from Hamilton went down in his Cheyenne I think a few years back. He was going down to "help' the Cubans with some technical problems.
He wrote it all in COPA, but basically there is no GA there (or at the time) and they extorted, bullied, blocked, billed, billed and billed him. He won't be going back or at least under the rules they have . There are basically no rules and whoever is on duty at the airport with a gun, can take whatever they want from you.
He was using Jet in the Cheyenne, so it did not matter re 100LL.
Many places once you leave North America, stick it to you big time. Lots of horror stories from Costa Rica etc,. Mexico is about my limit... Bahamas works fine, things get goofier deeper into the carribean wrt fees etc...
Someone went to Guyana or similar and the parking fee for a 310 was the same as a 737, 500 bucks a night, on the ramp. They don't tell you till you want to leave....

[redlaser]

Last time I was down that way with my personnel aircraft the Cubans requested a 48 hour notification of the flight plan, So you might want to plan ahead before arriving in Key West, I also rented a Life raft for flight over the shark infested waters, It's a short hop over the water but in a single engine, one never knows, Did a Flight to Cancun Mexico from Key West that flight was 2.5 hours over the ocean in a C 182, A good many Americans do that hop to Mexico every week.

[yvesg]

Here is the information another fellow pilot received from the Havana FBO. This is a real joke. I will keep going there via airlines...

Below find our handling charges for both airports (is per aircraft)
Handling USD 650
Landing Fees USD 15
Parking per day USD 2,75
Aeronautical Services per trip USD 127,73

Check in per Passenger USD 2
Visa on arrival USD 50
Airport departure Tax per Passenger USD 30

Regular cab ATO/HTL USD 75

Hangarage does NOT exist. We usually park in special position and give a tip o USD 20 in daily basis to
whom take care of airplane during H24... Let me know if agree to set everything

AV GAS USD 3,5 per gallon.

Cuba have not other taxes.

Anything that you may need, let me know, regards MO

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