San Jose Juan Santa Maria Airport
February 2024
In January 2024, my wife and I left cold and rainy Holland for Central America in search for better weather and some adventure. During this trip I also spend some time on aeroplane spotting at the various airports. The routing was Amsterdam - Bogota - Panama - Costa Rica - Nicaragua and back. Below a photo-report of what I've done.
International terminal of San Jose, Juan Santa Maria Airport.
LATAM Cargo is seen here in the early hours for her departure to Miami.
SANSA Cessna 208B Grand Caravan rolling out after arriving at SJO in February 2024.
United 737’s at San Jose, preparing for departure to respectively New York and Houston.
Early morning arrival at San Jose.
Night-stop at San Jose, Costa Rica.
SANSA Grand Caravan TI-BHM just cleared the active runway at San Jose.
A Volaris Airbus was overnighting at San Jose.
TI-BCX shortly after arrival at San Jose, Juan Santa Maria.
After her night-stop at San Jose, this United 737 is seen here under tow to her gate.
TI-BGB under tow on the early hours of February 23, 2024.
United early morning departure from San Jose to Houston, Texas as flight UA1172.
SANSA 1071, climbs away from runway 07 with destination Villareal, Costa Rica.
The exhaust deflector on this 208B eliminates cargo pod overheating and rduces cargo pod staining.
American 498 is seen here blasting out of San Jose on February 23, 2024.
A Southwest 737 under tow. Later that morning she would oper flight WN1203 to Houston/Hobby Airport, Texas.
During the day of my visit this Embraer 190, N298JB, left for delivery to Alliance in Australia. The ferry flight to Adelaide, as SXI2418, was staging through San Diego, Oakland, Honolulu, Majuro and Brisbane.
COOPESA is a well established MRO supplier at San Jose, Costa Rica.
Just visible in the background is a former JetBlue Embraer and the tail of Flybondi Boeing 737-800 LV-KCE.
XA-AEE arrived at San Jose from Mexico City as SD9497 on September 28, 2023.
XA-AEF arrived at San Jose from Mexico City as AM9497 on August 6, 2023.
AZUL Embraer 195 PR-AXX arrived form Belo Horizonte at COOPESA for maintenance as AD9835.
Z-LBIS is former Ukraine International UR-PSY and arrived at San Jose in October 2022 for an intended cargo conversion.
This former JetBlue Embraer 190 arrived from Marana on November 11, 2023 for pre-delivery maintenance and painting in Alliance colors.
Prime Air (Sun Country) Boeing 737-800 arrived with COOPESA for maintenance on February 20, 2024, under call-sign Sun Country 5519.
Air Canada Dreamliner C-GHPU awaiting things to come.
Gulfstream V VP-CUA braking at San Jose, Juan Santamaria Airport.
VP-CUA clearing the active runway at San Jose.
Grand Caravan TI-BKC seen here at San Jose Juan Santa Maria shortly after arriving on a scheduled flight from Tambor, Costa Rica.
Aloha Air Cargo Boeng 767-300F, N399CM, is seen departing from San Jose for the 2.5 hour flight Miami.
N399CM was operating for Northern Air Cargo under flightnumber NC601.
SANSA Cessna 208B TI-BKW rolling from runway 07 at San Jose Int'l, CR, Feb. 23, 2024.
HP-3610DAE is seen here departing as D5/5232 to Miami, Florida.
Green Airways Cessna 208B Grand Caravan TI-BKC is seen here pulling out of SJO.
A United Boeing 737 -800 model is seen here departing San Jose runway 07, on February 23, 2024.
Avianca Airbus 320 N764AV launches herself into the sky while operating flight AV641 to Guatemala City.
The powerful PT6A-114A is pulling strongly.
Avianca Airbus 320 N939AV, is seen here operating flight AV655 from Washington D.C., to San Jose, with an intermediate stop at Guatamala City,
Avianca Airbus 320 N764AV, is seen here operating flight AV641 from San Jose (SJO) to Guatamala City (GUA), on the early morning of February 23, 2024.
American Airlines Boeing 737-800 N320TF, is seen here operating flight AA498 from San Jose (SJO) to Miami (MIA), on the morning of February 23, 2024.
United Airlines Boeing 737-800 N17285, is seen here operating flight UA172 from San Jose to Houston, Texas, on the morning of February 23, 2024.
SANSA 208B TI-BDL, straight over your head !
Built in 1930, this Curtiss Robin is called "The Tico Spirit" and is the oldest aircraft in all Costa Rica.
TI-BGZ is preserved in front of the domestic terminal.
A SANSA Cessna Caravan nosing up to the camera on the domestic ramp at San Jose.
The Cessna 208 Caravan is a utility aircraft produced by Cessna. The project was commenced on November 20, 1981, and the prototype first flew on December 9, 1982. The production model was certified by the FAA in October 1984 and its Cargomaster freighter variant was developed for FedEx.
The 4 ft (1.2 m) longer 208B Super Cargomaster first flew in 1986 and was developed into the passenger 208B Grand Caravan.
The strutted, high wing 208 typically seats nine passengers in its unpressurized cabin, is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A tractor turboprop and has a fixed tricycle landing gear
The prototype first flew on December 9, 1982. The production model was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in October 1984.
A cargo variant for Federal Express, with a longer fuselage and a cargo pod under the belly, was developed as the 208B Super Cargomaster and flew for the first time in 1986. Stretched by 4 ft (1.2 m), it received its FAA type certification also in 1986. A passenger model, the 208B Grand Caravan, was derived from the Super Cargomaster. It was first delivered in 1990.
Since then, the Caravan has undergone a number of design evolutions, including upgrading the avionics in 2008 to provide a glass cockpit with the Garmin G1000 system.
In 2023, the 208 Caravan unit cost was US$2.32 million and US$2.61 million for the 208B Grand Caravan EX.
The Cessna 208 is a high-wing braced cabin monoplane powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop in tractor configuration.
208B Grand Caravan. Officially named the 208B Caravan but marketed as the Grand Caravan. The 208B is 4 ft (1.2 m) longer than the 208; extending the cabin by the same amount. The 208B has a PT6A-114A engine.
The Cessna 208 Caravan is a utility aircraft produced by Cessna. The project was commenced on November 20, 1981, and the prototype first flew on December 9, 1982. The production model was certified by the FAA in October 1984 and its Cargomaster freighter variant was developed for FedEx.
The 4 ft (1.2 m) longer 208B Super Cargomaster first flew in 1986 and was developed into the passenger 208B Grand Caravan.
The strutted, high wing 208 typically seats nine passengers in its unpressurized cabin, is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A tractor turboprop and has a fixed tricycle landing gear
The prototype first flew on December 9, 1982. The production model was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in October 1984.
A cargo variant for Federal Express, with a longer fuselage and a cargo pod under the belly, was developed as the 208B Super Cargomaster and flew for the first time in 1986. Stretched by 4 ft (1.2 m), it received its FAA type certification also in 1986. A passenger model, the 208B Grand Caravan, was derived from the Super Cargomaster. It was first delivered in 1990.
Since then, the Caravan has undergone a number of design evolutions, including upgrading the avionics in 2008 to provide a glass cockpit with the Garmin G1000 system.
In 2023, the 208 Caravan unit cost was US$2.32 million and US$2.61 million for the 208B Grand Caravan EX.
The Cessna 208 is a high-wing braced cabin monoplane powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop in tractor configuration.
208B Grand Caravan. Officially named the 208B Caravan but marketed as the Grand Caravan. The 208B is 4 ft (1.2 m) longer than the 208; extending the cabin by the same amount. The 208B has a PT6A-114A engine.
The Cessna Caravan has a 675 SHP Pratt & Whitney PT6A-114A turboprop engine with a three-blade, metal, constant-speed, full-feathering McCauley propellor.
The engine access doors on the sides of the airplane create ample space for technicians to work on the airplane without busting their knuckles.
The engine was designed with a very clean arrangement that appears easy to maintain and service.
As you look at the intakes on the front of the engine, you will see the larger pilot-side intake which is for the engine air, and the smaller copilot-side intake which is used for the oil cooler.
The fresh air intake is the dark triangular shaped area near the intersection of the wing strut and the wing.
One of the added benefits of the single exhaust arrangement is that you can “hot load” the airplane. This means that, using proper procedures, you could keep the engine running, while items are loaded in the cargo side of the plane.
The oleo nose strut is built to withstand heavy abuse from unfriendly runways, with a structural reinforcement extending rearward along the lower fuselage to provide additional support. The main gear is tubular spring steel, and designed to accommodate both paved runways and unimproved strips.
The flaps are large. They are 3/4 of the total wing length, making them very effective when extended.
Pressurization is not an option on the Caravan.
The airplane lunges forward and it comes off the runway just as easy as any high-wing Cessna with a little back pressure and some right rudder to counteract the left turning tendencies.
The POD on the right wing is where the weather radar unit is mounted
The engine access doors on the sides of the airplane create ample space for technicians to work on the airplane without busting their knuckles.
The engine was designed with a very clean arrangement that appears easy to maintain and service.
As you look at the intakes on the front of the engine, you will see the larger pilot-side intake which is for the engine air, and the smaller copilot-side intake which is used for the oil cooler.
The fresh air intake is the dark triangular shaped area near the intersection of the wing strut and the wing.
One of the added benefits of the single exhaust arrangement is that you can “hot load” the airplane. This means that, using proper procedures, you could keep the engine running, while items are loaded in the cargo side of the plane.
The oleo nose strut is built to withstand heavy abuse from unfriendly runways, with a structural reinforcement extending rearward along the lower fuselage to provide additional support. The main gear is tubular spring steel, and designed to accommodate both paved runways and unimproved strips.
The flaps are large. They are 3/4 of the total wing length, making them very effective when extended.
Pressurization is not an option on the Caravan.
The airplane lunges forward and it comes off the runway just as easy as any high-wing Cessna with a little back pressure and some right rudder to counteract the left turning tendencies.
The POD on the right wing is where the weather radar unit is mounted
We were taxiing towards Runway 25 for an afternoon departure.
Our Super Caravan making her way to runway 25 MROC.
- The End -