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Dominican Republic Trip

jahoosafat

Active Member
Hi - I'm planning on a potential trip from the DC area to Santo Domingo, DR in the middle of February in my RV-10. I've flown to Canada, and am familiar with the eAPIS and DVFR flight plan process for crossing the ADIZ. I'm interested in any perspectives of people that have flown in these areas regarding ATC and customs.

Here's my proposed route of flight: https://www.screencast.com/t/DMRHgKHt . I'm not IFR-rated (still in training), and so will be flying VFR the whole way. Getting out of KGAI in the middle of February and down the east coast is why I say "potential" trip. Otherwise, the wife and I will go commercial (headed to a wedding in the DR).

One thing that I'm not clear about is the MYEF (Exuma, Bahamas) -> MDJB (Santo Domingo, DR) leg. I plan to stop at MYEF to re-fuel, which will necessitate going through Bahamian customs, but ok. While there, I envision filing an ICAO VFR flight plan using Foreflight (wifi is available - or so I'm told). Once back in the air, I plan to get flight following from Nassau ATC and eventually have them pass me off to Las Americas approach and then into MDJB. Anything to trip me up there?

The other thing I'm not clear about is filing a flight plan out of the DR back to Exuma. Foreflight tells me that's not possible through them. I have a FltPlan account, but haven't used them for filing. I think they have the ability to file VFR flight plans in the DR. I suppose use FltPlan and then when in Exuma handle all of my eAPIS and DVFR filing for going back to Florida.

This is all pretty basic stuff, but I would benefit from the experience of others who have seen the curveballs that might come my way in the Caribbean. Thanks for any info.

Cheers,
Jeff
 
FWIW I have done that trip multiple times and it is no big deal. I will PM my phone so you can call for greater details.

:cool:
 
one thing to check right before leaving. check with exuma to make sure there is fuel available. junior has trouble some times getting his shipments and sometimes does not have 100ll available.

bob burns
RV-4 N82RB
 
Route/Fees

Might want to go direct to MYEF from KPMP.

The reason I mention this is that you will likely pay a $50 customs fee (unless things have changed) just to enter the Bahamas. If you go to Nassau and then get a permit to fly to Exuma then you may also have to also pay the $29 per person exit tax so you "might" save $60 by making only one stop in the Bahamas.

Since you are leaving the Bahamas to go to the DR you will likely pay the same fees on the return trip since you are coming in from a foreign country again.

I would suggest to contact the FBO at MYEF as suggested earlier to get info on fuel availability and price as well as the fees/taxes for landing in the Bahamas for a fuel-only stop.

One other thing that caught me off guard on my last trip is ADSB vs XM weather. On my first trip I only had XM weather. While there may not be many reporting stations in the Bahamas you can at least see all of the US info from the Bahamas (XM satellite based receiver). On my last trip I only had ADSB and you won't pick up any weather until you get close enough to the US coastline to pick up an ADSB tower. This got a little touchy on our last VFR return as the SE FL coastline had a lifting morning fog layer that I couldn't monitor until we were pretty close. It lifted as forecast so we got to remain on our VFR plan for the entire trip back. Too many things to fly over and see on this trip to be locked into an IFR flight plan!

Andy
 
Might want to go direct to MYEF from KPMP.

Also, the FAA will charge you ATC overflight fees for the legs between MYNN, MYEF and Dominican Republic Airspace. If you have the range I would recommend you fly from KFPR to MDPP (Puerto Plata, DR) then on to MDJB. This eliminates mandatory ATC charges and the ServAir FBO at MDPP does a wonderful job for all GA airplanes at MDPP. If not then not landing at MYNN (KFPR-MYEF-MDJB) reduces the amount you will be charged. Another option is to go KFPR-MBPV (Providenciales) for fuel then continuing on to MDJB. Provo is a bit expensive with their local charges but with the higher ATC Overflight fees in effect, overall it might be cheaper.

You can read more about these charges by going to our webpage (www.puertoricoflyer.com). Select the ADVENTURES page then download the Caribbean Trips FAQ file. There is a section in the .pdf covering FAA Overflight Fees with details. Remember to use the current FAA fees ($61.75 per 100Nm per leg) when calculating ATC Overflight fees for your trip.

One other thing that caught me off guard on my last trip is ADSB vs XM weather. On my first trip I only had XM weather. While there may not be many reporting stations in the Bahamas you can at least see all of the US info from the Bahamas (XM satellite based receiver). On my last trip I only had ADSB and you won't pick up any weather until you get close enough to the US coastline to pick up an ADSB tower.
Depending on altitude, you won't get XM weather much past Crooked Island anyways so it isn't a big a difference.

BTW: I see you are planning a stop at KSGJ. That is my home airport and my hangar is very close to the SS Fuel Farm so maybe we can meet up and go for lunch.

:cool:
 
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The "officials" at the airport will expect to have their palms greased. Don't carry anything over a $10 bill in your wallet. The amount expected depends on rank. Keep the majority off your cash separate from your wallet. When my brother overnighted there taking my airplane to St Croix he had to show the last " official" a empty wallet. Landing fees can be quite high in the DR also.
 
The "officials" at the airport will expect to have their palms greased. Don't carry anything over a $10 bill in your wallet. The amount expected depends on rank. Keep the majority off your cash separate from your wallet. When my brother overnighted there taking my airplane to St Croix he had to show the last " official" a empty wallet. Landing fees can be quite high in the DR also.

Your post is interesting and sounds typical of those that haven't actually done it lately. I have flown there maybe 5 times in the last 8 years (2017 was the last time) and have never had anything like that happen to me or the other pilots that have flown down with me. Also, there are no landing fees, Customs fees or Immigration fees in the DR for GA airplanes at public airports and haven't been any for over 10yrs. Maybe you are confusing it with a big FBO at a US airport. :D

FWIW: here is a picture of a CH750 STOL I was ferrying to Puerto Rico sitting on the Puerto Plata ramp (MDPP) on my last overnight stay there.

8a9c.jpg
 
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Excellent info from everyone. I would note a clarification to Galen's overflight ATC fees: the fee is $60 per 100nm but the minimum total in a calendar month that you need to accrue before the FAA wants you to pay these fees is $457. So you can fly almost 800nm in a single calendar month without needing to worry about calling Miami Center for flight following or other info and then getting hit with a big fee. Further, the FAA rule published in the federal register specifically refers to an example submitted by the AOPA during the comment period where a GA pilot flies out of FL, does a re-fuel in Nassau, and then proceeds to the DR. While not saying explicitly that the re-fueling stop doesn't "count", the published rule strongly implies that this would be treated as a fly-over as long as the re-fueling stop was for a short duration. So the trip would actually be considered FL -> DR, rather than 2 trips (FL -> Bahamas ... Bahamas -> DR), which is important because these ATC fees don't apply if you take off from or land at a US airport. I think Galen has a slightly different view on this, but that's what I found in my brief search of the issue.
 
Same here.

+1. We flew in a gaggle of small planes to the Dominican Republic with one of Jim Parker's groups a few years back and couldn't have asked for better treatment from the various government types. They seemed to really value, and want to grow, tourism by GA. Which is so smart that one wonders how the Bahamas managed to lose the thread on that.

If the DR folks were trying to distinguish themselves from the nickel and diming in the Bahamas, well, it worked!

I also thought the DR was a great tourist destination, which I hadn't really appreciated previously. We really enjoyed it. Much, much more interesting topography and flora and fauna than the Bahamas. I'm glad the Bahamian islands there to provide fuel stops along the way, but aside from that.... :)


Your post is interesting and sounds typical of those that haven't actually done it lately. I have flown there maybe 5 times in the last 8 years (2017 was the last time) and have never had anything like that happen to me or the other pilots that have flown down with me. Also, there are no landing fees, Customs fees or Immigration fees in the DR for GA airplanes at public airports and haven't been any for over 10yrs. Maybe you are confusing it with a big FBO at a US airport. :D

FWIW: here is a picture of a CH750 STOL I was ferrying to Puerto Rico sitting on the Puerto Plata ramp (MDPP) on my last overnight stay there.

8a9c.jpg
 
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