MAP: JOHN DYKES FLYING IN COSTA RICA It's possible, if not easy, for foreigners to fly here If you want to undertake an epic adventure and fly south through Mexico and into Central America, Costa Rica is a great place to spend a few weeks. N-registered aircraft can be flown by FAA-certificated pilots anywhere in the country after obtaining a local permit, which usually takes only a day or two. Flying a TI-registered aircraft involves a license validation that can be done before you leave home. Then it's a matter of connecting with a flight school at Pavas or with the folks in Aranjuez. Airport procedures across the country are largely the same as they are in the United States. Flying in and out of San Jose will require flying charted visual routes that air traffic control treats much more like IFR. Expect to maintain an exact altitude and course, in other words. But once out of the Central Valley, you will be almost completely unencumbered by airspace. A call to Coco Radio (like flight service) before the flight to file a flight plan, and a quick call afterward to close it, is all it takes. However, the terrain and weather are unforgiving. Best to get some local instruction first. -IJT THE LANDING at the Carate Airport on the southwest coast of Costa Rica brings some anxiety that the nearby LagunaVista Villas soon releases. aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 53http://www.aopa.org/pilot