Colombia's Carribean Coast

[Viking01 183]

Hi everyone,

For this flight, we are on the Colombian Coast of the Caribbean Sea and end in Venezuela.

We depart from Corozal’s airport Las Brujas (SKCZ). From here we head north and land at Cartagena (SKCG). The city is one of the major ports on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region, along the Caribbean Sea. Cartagena's past role as a link in the route to the West Indies provides it with important historical value for world exploration and preservation of heritage from the great commercial maritime routes. As a former Spanish colony, it was a key port for the export of Bolivian silver to Spain and for the import of enslaved Africans under the Asiento system. It was defensible against pirate attacks in the Caribbean. The city's strategic location between the Magdalena and Sinú Rivers also gave it easy access to the interior of New Granada and made it a main port for trade between Spain and its overseas empire, establishing its importance by the early 1540s. Modern Cartagena is the capital of the Bolívar Department, and had a population of 876,885 according to the 2018 census, making it the second-largest city in the Caribbean region, after Barranquilla, and the fifth-largest city in Colombia. The metropolitan area of Cartagena is the sixth-largest urban area in the country, after the metropolitan area of Bucaramanga. Economic activities include the maritime and petrochemical industries, as well as tourism.

We continue along the coast and land at Barranquilla (SKBQ). The city is the largest in the Caribbean coast region; as of 2018, it had a population of 1,206,319 making it Colombia's fourth-most populous city after Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali. Barranquilla lies strategically next to the delta of the Magdalena River, 7.5 km (4.7 mi) (originally 25 km (16 mi) before rapid urban growth) from its mouth at the Caribbean Sea, serving as a port for river and maritime transportation within Colombia. It is also the main economic center of the Atlántico department in Colombia. The city is the core of the Barranquilla metropolitan area, with a population of over 2 million, which also includes the municipalities of Soledad, Galapa, Malambo, and Puerto Colombia. The city is home to one of the most important folk and cultural festivals of Colombia, the Carnival of Barranquilla, which was declared a National Cultural Heritage by the Congress of Colombia in 2001 and recognized by UNESCO in 2003. Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport, built in Barranquilla in 1919, was the first airport in South America. The city is served by domestic and international flights and was Avianca's first hub.

Our next stop is Santa Marta (SKSM). Founded on July 29, 1525, by the Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas, it was one of the first Spanish settlements in Colombia, its oldest surviving city, and second oldest in South America.

We head east and land at Buenavista (SKBN). From here we return to the coast and land at Riohacha (SKRH). The city was founded by conquistador Nikolaus Federmann in 1535 and was named after a local legend, "The Legend of the Axe". Because of the powerful rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the area is mostly desertic. It is inhabited primarily by Amerindians, predominantly the Wayuu ethnic group. During colonial times, Riohacha was a very important port, as divers could retrieve vast numbers of pearls from the harbor. In the second half of the 20th century, the city developed as one of Colombia's medium important, maritime commercial ports.

We make a short stop at La Mina (SKLM) and land at Maracaibo’s International Airport La Chinita (SVMC), Venezuela, today's destination. Maracaibo is the second-largest city in Venezuela, after the national capital, Caracas, and the capital of the state of Zulia. The population of the city is approximately 2,658,355 with the metropolitan area estimated at 5,278,448 as of 2010. Maracaibo is nicknamed "The Beloved Land of the Sun" (Spanish: La Tierra del Sol Amada). The city is considered the economic center of western Venezuela, owing to the petroleum industry that developed on the shores of Lake Maracaibo. It is sometimes known as "The First City of Venezuela", for being the first city in Venezuela to adopt various types of public services, including electricity, as well as for being located in the shores of Lake Maracaibo, where the name of Venezuela allegedly originates.

 

The flight plans can be found here.

 The flight has 365 miles and 6 landings. We want to cruise at about 220 knots. I will be in the SWS PC-12. As always, please fly what you like.

 

There are three add-ons available:

https://flightsim.to/file/13233/skcg-aeropuerto-internacional-rafael-nunez

https://flightsim.to/file/24259/aeropuerto-internacional-simn-bolivar-sksm

https://flightsim.to/file/16219/svmc-la-chinita-international-airport

 

We try real weather. Please set your simulator for a 4 pm departure.

 

These flights are also posted at DigitalThemePark and use DTP's Teamspeak Channel for communication.

 

If you want to help others enjoy the multiplayer experience, don't forget to enter your aircraft details on the multiplayer spreadsheet (linked here). Please be kind enough to enter the title exactly as it stands in the title=”xxx” line of the aircraft.cfg file. Your courtesy will save others a lot of time and effort. Thanks!

 

[ttbq1 347]

are you sure the pic belongs t any of the airports included in the flightplan?

Thanks for this!

[Luis Hernandez 570]

Looks like Maracaibo. I can say that photo is of no Colombian airport at all.