General aviation is relatively new to Cuba. To obtain a Cuban landing permit, it is necessary to produce a copy of the aircraft airworthiness certificate, among other documents. When Cuban Civil Aviation authorities in Havana viewed their first “special” airworthiness certificate with “experimental” and “amateur built” across the top of the certificate, alarms bells began clanging.
There are no “experimental” aircraft in Cuba, unless you want to count the 1946 Antonov AN-2 Bi-planes that are still operating on the island, say officials with Caribbean Flying Adventures.
After an education campaign by officials with Caribbean Flying Adventures, who have worked with the Cubans for 15 years to obtain Cuban overflight and landing permits for U.S. and third country aircraft, U.S. experimental aircraft now have the green light to apply to Cuba for landing permits.
Submit a copy of the your registration, airworthiness certificate, insurance binder showing liability coverage for worldwide, western hemisphere, Islands of the Caribbean or West Indies or Cuba, your latest annual inspection sign off — plus some other required details about your trip and persons on board — and you will be ready to launch in your personal “time machine” to Cuba, which is just 90 miles from the Florida Keys.
Officials with Caribbean Flying Adventures note they have arranged landing permits and tours for more than 370 aircraft in the past two years.
The U.S and Cuban regulations governing private flights to Cuba are clearly defined, but not easy to find. Caribbean Flying Adventures is up-to-date on the latest changes, including the recent announcements by the Trump Administration, they note.
Private pilots can continue to fly their planes to Cuba if they are traveling under the “People to People” educational category authorized by the U.S. Treasury department and touring under the auspices of a People to People organization.
Caribbean Flying Adventures is an authorized People to People organization and can arrange approved U.S. government Cuban tours for individual aircraft, charter aircraft, or group tours, officials note.
