Cuba Oriente

[MM 426]

Cuba Oriente
For Saturday, May 4, 2024
Michael MacKuen

We begin a quick tour of Cuba. For hundreds of years the island was divided administratively into a eastern and a western part. Today we visit the eastern half, Cuba Oriente. We begin in the mountains along the southeastern coast and then turn to fly over miles of agricultural heartland. And finally, we will reach the island beaches and coral reefs along the northern shore.


Over the Jardines del Rey

We begin at Moa Orestes Acosta [MUMO], the site of Cuba’s large deposits of nickel and cobalt. The nickel is mined and processed jointly by Cuban and Canadian companies. This nickel constitutes about 4% of the world’s supply and it represents one of the main exports of Cuba. (The nation’s main foreign-currency earnings come from nickel, sugarcane, tobacco (cigars), as well tourism and the provision of medical personnel abroad.) A short flight takes us to the old town Baracoa [MUBA] near the eastern tip of the island. Christopher Columbus landed here in 1492 and declared the bay surrounded by forested mountains as “the most beautiful place in the world.” It became the island’s first settlement and first capital. Over the years those high mountains isolated the town which was not connected to the rest of the country’s road network until the 1960s (and even now only by a single windy mountain road). That isolation made it attractive for pirates, for illegal traders, and for revolutionaries.

We climb up over the mountains that are covered with the dense Cuban “moist forests” fed by steady year-round rainfall. Then a descent to the coast and the American naval base at Guantanamo Bay [MUGM]. Acquired during the Spanish American War, this has long been the main US Naval base in the Caribbean. And since the Gulf War (2002), it has hosted the detention facility that imprisons captured terrorists even today. We continue on to Santiago de Cuba (to note the Santiago Cathedral). Santiago is Cuba’s second city (about 500,000) and had traditionally been the capital of the eastern half of the country. It has its own culture and is remains the main city of the east. We land at  Santiago de Cuba [MUCU]. Just west of the airport lies the Castillo of San Pedro de la Roca, built to protect the city from pirates and, later, from the English and French. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site as the “most complete, best-preserved example of Spanish-American military architecture”.

We proceed along the coast and get a good view of the Sierra Maestra, the islands highest and most densely forested mountains. For four hundred years, this rugged country has been the haven for a number of insurgencies and rebellions – including the revolution led by Fidel Castro. The leaders had failed in a 1953 attempt to incite revolution in Santiago. But they returned in 1957 to the mountains where they received support from both urban and rural allies. By the end of 1958, they had gained support from all social classes, had mobilized thousands of fighters, and had captured large chunks of the island. The dictator Batista fled and the Castro insurgents prevailed. They eventually established the current communist-party-led authoritarian regime.

Turning at Pico Turquino, Cuba’s highest peak, we land at the regional airport Manzanillo Sierra Maestra [MUMZ]. Note the very long runway. After a moment, we proceed over the Cauto River (Cuba’s longest) and its extensive delta to the small rural airstrip and its hamlet at El Domitorio [MULA]. With the low-lying wetlands nearby, this is real sugarcane-growing country. Again, quickly up into the air and on to the provincial capital Camagüey [MUCM]. As we head northwest, the countryside becomes a blend of sugar and cattle, with ranches, rodeos, and a Cuban-style cowboy culture becoming more prevalent. The city Camagüey was one of the original Spanish settlements. When English privateer Henry Morgan burned the town in 1668, it was redesigned like a maze so attackers would find it difficult to invade. The old city, with its colonial architecture and layout, has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Camagüey is now the nation’s third largest city. The suburban airport serves the city as well as the vacation beaches to the east and north.

We head north out to the coastal archipelago Jardines del Rey. These islands lie along the coral reef system that lines Cuba’s north shore. We go out to Cayo Cruz and turn over Cayo Romano and then on to Cayo Coco Jardines del Rey Airport [MUCC]. The airport receives 200,000 passengers a year, mainly Canadian tourists. (Cuba as a nation hosted about 2.3 million tourists in 2023. About 37 percent were Canadians, about the same from Western Europe, and about 6 and 5 percent were Russians and Americans.) These are “postcard” islands with turquoise blue waters and white sand beaches. Both Cayo Cruz and Cayo Coco (especially) host an array of  resort hotels; uninhabited Cayo Romano is more of a bird watchers’ delight. The archipelago is a natural habitat for several species including the beautiful Caribbean flamingos. A good place to stop. The bar is likely filled with charmingly polite people from Halifax and Toronto.

Documentation
The flightplan can be found here.

Aircraft
This is a flight of about 360nm. You want something that will “fast cruise” at 175-180kts. Popular options include among others the Beach Bonanza (especially the turbo), Beech Baron, Mooney Ovation, Piper Seneca, Cessna 310, and Cessna 414. This time I shall take the Flysimware C414AW in the handsome N110VE Livery by Ryan Butterworth. You should, of course, fly what you like.

Additional Scenery
All the airports and the POIs are in the default simulator. Several addon airports will enhance the scenery appreciably. Thanks to the talented addon creators.

Baracoa Gustavo Rizo [MUBA]. Cuba1962
Guantanmo Bay NS [MUGM]. Mountainair
Manzanillo Sierra Maestra [MUMZ]. Jacques Botha (DangerousBanana)
Camaguey International [MUCM]. AndyCYXU
Cayo Coco Jardines del Rey [MUCC]. Cuba1962
Temporarily, you can obtain the package here (77MB).

Time and Weather
For takeoff on Saturday, set the simulator at 7:00am local for May 4, 2024.
We typically prefer real weather and will follow form if the weather is good. If not, I recommend Josh’s ”NZ” or the default “High Clouds” preset.

Multiplayer Particulars
Date and time: Saturday, May 4, 2024. 1800 UTC
RTWR Multiplayer Discord Channel
Microsoft Flight Simulator Multiplayer: United States East server.

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!