Directors of AOPA and IDAC, left to right: Manuel Quiroz, Jose Thomas Perez ( Director of IDAC), Craig L. Fuller (President of AOPA), Cheo Zorrilla

Some parts taken from Original Article published in AOPA Online By Thomas A. Horne, AOPA

For the first time in history, The Asociation of Private Pilots of the United States, (AOPA) with aproximately 480,000 members has given “Green Light” to all his members to Fly and visit the Dominican Republic.

Jose Thomas Perez, Director of IDAC and Jim Parker from CFA

The Dominican Republic Launched his “Flying Ambassadors” program, the service provides 24/7 personal assistance with flight planning, customs procedures, fuel availability, documentation, and other formalities.

Jim Parker, an experienced United States Pilot, Living in the Dominican Republic of Caribbean Flying Adventures has been designated the Dominican “goodwill ambassador” by the government. You can Contact him via e-mail or by telephone at 305/667-6282.

The  ”Flying Ambassadors” program, was established by the IDAC, (The Dominican Institute for Private Aviation), The National Ministery of Tourism, the DA, ( Airports Department) and the Dominican Hotels Association ( Asonahores ).

Thomas A. Horne from AOPA Online stated in his Article:

“The Dominican Republic has it all, with 14 friendly, fee-free and hassle-free airports, spectacular, pristine beaches, casinos, night life, 75,000 hotel rooms, 10,000-foot mountain peaks, the highest airport in the Caribbean, the oldest city in the western hemisphere, and 26 ‘signature’ golf courses,” says the Dominican Republic Civil Aviation Authority”

Related Links:

In Fly Dominican Republic:
+ View All Dominican International Airports here
+ View All Dominican Domestic Airports here

From Caribbean Flying Adventures
+ Flying Ambassadors Program Details

Official Websites
+ IDAC ( Dominican Civil Aviation Institute )
+ SECTUR ( Dominican Ministry of Tourism )

Day 3 of EAA AirVenture 2010 in Oshkosh Wisconsin.

July 23, 2010, oskosh Airventure 2010

Detlef Heun & Liliana Tagliamonte, after more than a year of flying, arrived at Oshkosh Air Venture 2010, and are parked in Aeroshell Square.

They started their  flight in Punta Gorda, Florida and left the USA in their modified RV-7.  Then they flew to the Dominican Republic were they  became explorer like Columbus, all of  South America.

With this flight, the couple also promote  General Aviation everywhere they go.  Like ambassadors they will connect all pilots of the world together, since we have all the same in mind, independently of country, color or religion.

They  have only a very small budget. That means they cannot stay in hotels or rent a car. Some things are also possible with a low budget and of course with the help of fellow pilots and people who know what it means to backpack through the world.

Read their complete story in http://www.flight-around-the-world.org/index.html

Dominican Republic, San Isidro Air Force Base – July 16

The F.A.D, ( Fuerza Aerea Dominicana ) inaugurated the first service center certified by the IDAC, Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation, to provide  maintenance and repair service to national and international, private and commercial aircraft with new equipment and certified personnel.

The Vice President of the Dominican Republic, Rafael Alburquerque as well as the Director of the IDAC, Jose Thomas Perez, Aristides Fernandez Zucco (Director of the DA, Airports Department), Antonio Peña, Chief of the Armed Forces, and the Mayor General Carlos Altuna tezano directed the inauguration act, celebrated by the IDAC in the air force Base.

A Fly In of 14 private airplanes from Dominican Republic Aeroclubs, Led by Mauro Isoldi landed at the base to participate in the ceremony. The Group also have scheduled a Fly In to the neighbor island Puerto Rico to visit the San Juan Aeroclub.

Carlos Leroux, President of the Private Aviation Facilities Committee, congratulated the head of the new Service Center, Colonel Alvarez. Leroux prompted the importance of having this facility, for future national and international fly-ins, and the strategic location of it, and his capabilities to provide service to national and US planes traveling to the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean.

The director of IDAC, Jose Thomas Perez, talked about how this is one more step towards the advances the country is making to encourage civil national and international aviation in the country.

The Service Center provides services for avionics, annual checks, maintenance, propellers, engince, turbines, calibrations and paint services for aircraft and helicopters.

Ver mapa más grande

Santo Domingo – La Isabela/El Higuero Airport
Afternoon Flight of the Socata Rallye, in the Dominican Republic.

The Rallye is a single engined, low wing monoplane of all metal construction, fitted with a fixed undercarriage. Power was from one of a range of progressively more powerful air cooled engines, ranging from a 100 hp (75 kW) Continental O-200 engine in the Rallye Club, to a 235 hp (175 kW) Lycoming O-540 in the Rallye 235. It has a bulbous cockpit which houses two people in the basic lower-powered variants and four in the more powerful aircraft, some of which are designed to be used as glider tugs.

PREPARATIONS FOR FLIGHT
Working on the Cockpit, doing maintenance work and setting everything up, while the weather worsen and heavy rain was falling to the south

Socata Rally in Hangar / Preparations

Rallye Cockpit Interior

Super King Air receiveing maintainance next to The Rallye

ENGINE START / TAKING OFF
The engines revved up nicely after preflight check and we proceeded to the taxi way, when the tower advised for a 10 to 15 minute delay due to heavy rain 3 miles to the south.

Heavy Rain South of the Airport

TAKE OFF
Finally we were cleared for take off in runway 01, to the north, with Eastbound cross wind, Magnetos Checked and after Full Throttle, the Rallye rotated at 60 knots gracefully but slowly climbing at 500 feet x minute, Spoilerons popped out from time to time while climbing.

Airborne in Socata Rallye

LANDING
After 2 low passes over the station and several 360 south of the airport, Full Flaps were applied and we reported close final leg, the Rallye made a ( butter like ) landing at about 50 knots.  A great finale for the day.

Low Pass by the Airport

Pilots for all over the world arrive in Constanza, The International Air Rally makes the first visit to the Dominican Republic.

The Media Team from the Air Rally included Kathy Mexted, AOPA Pilot from Australia, Robert Sirdey, Covering for Swiss and French magazines, mark helseth doing the videographie and blog, Catherine Tobenas covering for Canadian Owner and pilot Association , Quebec Aviators and Plein vol.

The Governor of Constanza, the IDAC, DA and Tourism Department received the pilots and greeted them in the Mountain Town of Constanza.

Santo Domingo, May, 2010

The IDAC ( Dominican Civil Aviation institute) stand in the Dominican Republic National Book Fair, was awarded for the second year in a row, as the “Most Visited Pabillion” .

The Pabillion Features the “RedBird” Flight/Motion  simulator, which was available for the use of the general public and thousands of students that visited the fair.

The Simulator will later serve as part as the official curriculum in the ASCA institute of Flight instruction, certified by ICAO.

The IDAC, together with the DA ( Airports Department) and the National Tourism Office, have been playing a major role in improving the general aviation industry in the Dominican Republic.

All department will be exhibiting at EAA, Oshkosh, AirVenture 2010, with a new stand that will features airport information as well as the country FEE FREE policies and also information of the destinations spots in the country for general aviation pilots.

Video of Red Bird Flight Simulators

Punta Cana Beach

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (April 15, 2010) – The Dominican Republic is the most exciting and welcoming destination for U.S. private pilots in the Caribbean. The DR Ministry of Tourism is rolling out the red carpet for U.S. aviation buffs who want to explore the largest bio-diverse Caribbean island located just 650 miles south of Miami.

“With 13 welcoming airports, including 8 international and 5 domestic, that do not charge any fees, it’s easy for private pilots from America to come and explore Dominican scenery and culture, including our spectacular beaches, mountains, waterfalls, and exciting music and dance,” said Magaly Toribio, Vice Minister of International Promotion for the DR Ministry of Tourism. “We want the DR to be the destination of choice for U.S. pilots.”

“Come and experience the famous warm Dominican welcome and explore unique geographical and cultural diversity throughout our amazing country,” said DR Minister of Airport Authority, Fernandez Zucco.  “The DR will be exhibiting at two major U.S. Fly-ins this year where pilots can visit us at the DR exhibit booth and meet officials from the DR aviation and tourism industries,” he added.

“It’s safe to fly to the DR. Within the 620 miles distance between Florida and DR, you’ll find 56 airfields under FAA regulations with the path closely patrolled by the U.S. Coast Guard. The longest leg over the sea is about 120 miles,” said Zucco.  And the country is Fee-Free. All government user fees for general aviation have been eliminated by Presidential Decree for all private aircraft that weigh less than 30,000 lbs. or have a maximum capacity of 12 passengers.,”
In order to enter the DR, visitors from the U.S., Canada and Europe don’t need a visa. They just need to pay US$10.00 at the airport for a tourist card.

Visit the DR at the Annual Sun ‘n Fun Fly-in taking place April 14-19 at Lakeland, Florida’s Linder Regional Airport (www.sun-n-fun.org).  You can also explore the DR at the 2010 AirVenture Show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin at the EAA Museum (www.airventure.org) from July 26- Aug. 1.

For pilots, getting around the DR is easy with 13 well-appointed airports located in every region of the large island:

International Airports
Las Americas International Airport (SDQ) – serving the capital city of Santo Domingo, Boca Chica and Juan Dolio

La Romana International Airport (LRM) – serving the Casa de Campo resort and Bayahibe hotels.

Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) – serving the Punta Cana and Bávaro resort region.

Gregorio Luperón International Airport (POP) – serving the Puerto Plata resort region.

El Cibao International Airport (STI) – serving the city of Santiago.

Presidente Juan Bosch International Airport, also known as El Catey (AZS) – serving the ecologically-rich Samaná Peninsula.

La Isabela International Airport (JBQ) – Also in Santo Domingo, offers domestic flights within the Dominican Republic and flights to some Caribbean islands.

Maria Montez International Airport (BRX) – serves Barahona in the bio-diverse Southwest.

Domestic Airports

Montecristi (MDMC) – serving Montecristi on the North Coast.

Cueva de las Maravillas (SPM) – serving the La Romana resort region in the Southeast.

El Portillo (MDPO) – serving the Samaná Peninsula on the North Coast

Constanza (MDCZ) – serving Constanza in the Central Region.

Cabo Rojo (MDCR) – serving Cabo Rojo in the Pedernales Province in the Southeast.

The Dominican Republic’s first tourist was Christopher Columbus in 1492. Rich in history, the DR has developed into a diverse destination offering both Dominican and European flavors to more than one million U.S. visitors each year. Upscale resorts, fascinating history and culture and sophisticated cities filled with warm Dominican people make the DR a chosen escape for celebrities, couples and families alike.  Visit the DR Ministry of Tourism’s official Web site at: www.GoDominicanRepublic.com.

Original Article from: Public Relations for DR Ministry of Tourism

Caribbean Air challenge 2010

Constanza, Dominican Republic, April 2010.

The Dominican Republic continues to increase aviation tourism of private planes with pilots from the United States, Canada and as far away as Australia.

TheAir Rally adventure flight with 19 aircraft took off from Florida and landed in the Isabela International Airport in the Dominican Republic, after visiting  Exuma and Grand Turks.

View the Air Rally official Blog and read more  here

THE ARRIVAL IN SANTO DOMINGO.

The Air Rally where welcomed at La Isabela Airport by a specialized staff of the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation and Airports Department. Juan Belliard, coordinated the operations of arrival and departure of aircraft.

FLIGHT TO CONSTANZA

Santo Domingo 6:30 AM

Below a hazy 1,500 feet ceiling the Airports Department, the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute, the Secretary of State for Tourism and the flight information page www.flydominicanrepublic.com and the crew from the Air Rally where present at the airport to coordinate the flight to Constanza.