Flight to and from Cuba.

zondap13

zondap13

Well-Known Member
So today I got a good question from one of my students asking me if flying to Cuba is legal. I looked under 14 CFR part 91.709 and it shows a very "easy" process. I am was born in Cuba and I know that they don't make anything easy so I researched some more and have not found anything that makes sense. If anyone has made a flight to cuba or even know the whole process of flying GA over please let me know. Thanks
 
I'm gonna wager that it's not...most likely on our part, not theirs, since i know that they allow us to avoid getting our passports stamped by them when we enter from another country. I'd say give it 5 years. Being cuban you probably know all about how much has changed fairly recently.
 
Overflying Cuba is fairly straightforward. Many GA planes overfly Cuba when traveling to Grand Caymen.

Now, landing in Cuba would probably be much more complicated, but not to much so.. Any of the international flight planing services could probably take care of the paperwork for a small fee.
 
If you end up going to Cuba, let us know how it goes and the process you took. I remember flight training out of Miami and being able to pick up the cuban radio station over the radios. I would love to go and visit sometime.
 
Yeah it would be great to go they have some nice things over there. I found out that there isn't many if any insurances that will cover you. Looks like the only way to actually go would be to go through Cancun or any other outside country and file from there. People that have actually gone through the process actually have gotten the permission that took them 1 month to get then go it cancelled few days before the trip.
 
I read an article about flights from Tampa to Cuba. They seemed to say not just anyone can book a flight. You need to have a specific reason to go there and then it probably isn't that easy. I doubt it would be easy for a GA plane to land there.
 
Honestly, go to one of the larger no u.s. islands, and catch a flight.

There is no faa regulation that would cover, have effect or cover operations in cuban airspace. Entry requirements are up to cuba, not the us. Having an N registered plane may, or may not give you issues.

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amjon said:
I read an article about flights from Tampa to Cuba. They seemed to say not just anyone can book a flight. You need to have a specific reason to go there and then it probably isn't that easy. I doubt it would be easy for a GA plane to land there.
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Daily flights from MIA too
 
TUCKnTRUCK said:
Honestly, go to one of the larger no u.s. islands, and catch a flight.

There is no faa regulation that would cover, have effect or cover operations in cuban airspace. Entry requirements are up to cuba, not the us. Having an N registered plane may, or may not give you issues.

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The US restricts citizens from being there. I highly doubt Cuba has an issue with it. You cannot even get a Cuban stamp in your book without having issues when you return to the US.
 
amjon said:
The US restricts citizens from being there. I highly doubt Cuba has an issue with it. You cannot even get a Cuban stamp in your book without having issues when you return to the US.
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Right. The faa still has absolutely no say with entry procedures to cuba, in the same way that the faa still has no regulatory control over canada, Mexico, europe etc. Reading the far's wont help you with entry to cuba. The faa really doesn't care about cuba, they have no reason to. DOS on the other hand does.

Depending on the current political climate, cuba may, and will prohibit entry to us registered vessels/ planes etc. If you happen to show up at the wrong time, they simply will not let you enter cubana airspace. With the n number, port of departure doesn't matter. If you take a flight in on a non american airplane, then you normally wont have an issue. You can also arrange trips through the DOS, normally you need yo have a lot if pull, or money for that though.

Us entry is no biggie, you just toss the visa. A stamp could be problematic though, you are correct.

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USMCmech said:
Overflying Cuba is fairly straightforward. Many GA planes overfly Cuba when traveling to Grand Caymen.

Now, landing in Cuba would probably be much more complicated, but not to much so.. Any of the international flight planing services could probably take care of the paperwork for a small fee.
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You might want to be careful overflying Cuba. This is from the website posted above.
The Cuban Air Force shot down two U.S.-registered civilian aircraft in international airspace in 1996. As a result of this action, the President of the United States and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an “Emergency Cease and Desist Order and Statement of Policy,” which allows for vigorous enforcement action against U.S.-registered aircraft that violate Cuban airspace.
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Isn't this a question that you would:

A. Do nothing
B. Talk to the person.
C. Tell a supervisor
D. Call the authorities.
 
amjon said:
You might want to be careful overflying Cuba. This is from the website posted above.
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Cuba overflights are allowed. There's a set of rules that you have to follow particular by letting them know prior to doing the flight. There are some freight feeders that fly mail into Cuba daily from the US.
 
amjon said:
You might want to be careful overflying Cuba. This is from the website posted above.
Click to expand...

It is one thing to violate Cuban airspace, and quite another to legally enter. If you have worked out entry it is a non event, unless they decide they don't like you... then you get to go around.

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