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-140 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.
A Boeing 737 launches into the morning sky over San Jose in February 2024.
XA-BBB has just started to roll down runway 25 at San Jose Juan Santa Maria on scheduled flight AM657.
SANSA 208B TI-BDL, straight over your head ! ....... Note; - The flaps are large. They are 3/4 of the total wing length, making them very effective when extended.
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.
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That afternoon we booked a flight with SANSA to Puerto Jimenez.
It was a warm and beautiful February 2024 afternoon, when I photographed this SANSA Grand Caravan at the San Jose domestic terminal.
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.
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 Cessna Caravan has a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-140 turboprop engine with a three-blade, metal, constant-speed, full-feathering McCauley propellor.
SANSA work horses, the Cessna 208B Grand Caravans.
A Green Airways Cessna Caravan nosing up to the camera on the domestic ramp at San Jose.
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 three bladed Hartzel whining away.
Carmonair Piper 34 Seneca TI-API is seen resting on a lazy, hot afternoon.
A trio of Grand Caravan’s on San Jose domestic terminal ramp.
TI-BKC ready for work at San Jose, CR.
In 2023, the 208 Caravan unit cost was US$2.32 million and US$2.61 million for the 208B Grand Caravan EX.
The POD on the right wing is where the weather radar unit is mounted.
Here, SANSA Grand Caravan TI-BGA is caught between flights on a sticky day at San Jose domestic terminal ramp in February 2024.
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.
TI-BHL is seen here arriving from Quepos, Costa Rica.
The fresh air intake is the dark triangular shaped area near the intersection of the wing strut and the wing.
TI-BHL getting fuel at San Jose, Costa Rica.
TI-BDX taxies into her base.
TI-BCX having another busy day.
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.
Boarding time for flight RZ1092 with destination Puerto Jimenez.
The flight deck just minutes before our departure.
A anonymous Embraer at the COOPEAS ramp looks to be parted-out.
We were taxiing towards Runway 25 for an afternoon departure.
Our Super Caravan making her way to runway 25 MROC.
Air Transat, Spirit and Delta are daily visitors at San Jose.
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.
Costa Rica is a beautiful country!
Pressurization is not an option on the Caravan.
On our way to Puerto Jimenez.
- The End -