PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Latin American Aviation Weblinks
View Single Post
Old 26th Jun 2007, 10:46
  #23 (permalink)  
Panama Jack
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: "como todo buen piloto... mujeriego y borracho"
Posts: 2,005
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Angel

If you are talking about where there are gliderports in Panamá or Costa Rica, sorry, I don't know that there are any (sadly), nor for that matter anywhere in Central America.

If you are asking about suitable aerodromes and locations for gliders, then I would think that in Costa Rica, in the Guanacaste region around Liberia (this is the northeast region near the Nicaraguan border) would be ideal due with it's ample flat farm-land (places to land out) mixed with hills in the surrounding area and many thermals.

In Panama, it is typically more humid, and while there is no shortage of Cu's and thermal lift, the cloud bases are lower due to the temp/dewpoint spread. There are a few aerodromes that may be quite suitable around Rio Hato, Penonomé, and Chitré, just a couple hours drive from Panama City. The Azuero Peninsula is the dryest part of Panama and offers the best flying conditions as far as visibility and ceilings, it's been a few years but it seems to me that it was bumpy everywhere when I flew around in the BE90.

Truth be told, I've fantasied numerous times about what it might be like to have a motor-glider in Central America.
Panama Jack is offline