www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I dont know how many of ya'll travel within Costa Rica by air, this week alone 3 small planes crashed...not sure of the fatalities or causes, but just saw on Yahoo news that one survivor was rescued in the Pacific from one of the crashes. Remember boys, we are in a 3rd world country, and maintenance is usually battled with some rubber bands and duct tape. Be careful.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u ... arica_dc_1

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A Costa Rica Toast:
Here's to Looking like Movie Stars, Partying like Rock Stars and phucking like PORN STARS!

The " Grace L. Fuerguson Airline and Aluminum Storm Door Company" is at your service. Actually, I have flown both Sansa and Nature Air and all of their planes seem newer and better maintained than the United, AA and Delta Jets that I come over on. I have no info on the bush pilotsand NO I Don't Mean CRT Bush Pilots.

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My life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming...." MAN....WHAT A RIDE!!!!"

Neither of the crashes were by scheduled air carriers both were by charter companies using small Cessna's.

Sansa & Nature air have very good safety records as does Grupo Taca.

I think you are a lot safer flying in CR than taking a van to either coast.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Good point, Ding Dong......last year my son and I rode in a Toyota van from one of the transportation companies to Tamarindo. There were also several young tourist couples in the van with us. The driver was upset because he didn't want this particular run, and he left us know it by the way he was driving......like a total maniac, driving down the road at 75 miles per hour, dodging pot holes, passing on hills, etc. My son who speaks Spanish finally told him to slow down, which I truly believe saved some lives that day. When we got to Tamarindo, I took his name and licence number and threatened to call his supervisior. The driver pleaded with me to not call, and I didn't. Hopefully he will think before he endangers someone else like that again. I might add that this was the exception to the rule. On the many other times we traveled with a van service, the drivers were very good and professional.

GUY'S. READ past Small plane crashes.....

In every story. The weather was bad.

A student pilot was at the controls during a major RAIN STORM With Cloud cover.

Most air incidents are PILOT ERROR. From the two articals I read;

it sounds like both planes should have stayed on the ground and waited out the weather.

Recently flew from Pavas to Liberia on Nature air which was my 3rd expierience with them. Again no Issues whatsoever simply board the plane, hit the runway and we are outta here!

We were sitting in the airport in Liberia waiting to return to Pavas/SJO and the Women who checked us in came up to the breakfast / Restaraunt. we were all there and their was a total of 5 for the flight. It was 840AM and the flight was at 9:30AM She said well your all here do you guys want to go? We all looked at each other and said sure, Ended up landing in Pavas the time we were supposed to take off.

Nice easy laid back and I found their safety record of which I checked quite good.... No problems with Nature Air or Sansa IMHO

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"Success isn't having $$ it is knowing how to Spend It"

Have to concur on the Pilot error issue Papi. Most crashes, even of small planes, cant really be blamed on the planes. Piloting skill tends to be the most important factor. Personally, I love small plane flying...as long as I trust who is at the wheel...just like riding over the mountains by taxi here also. In 4 years here, I have heard of NO commercial craft crashes.

I have observed that most small aircraft in CR are flying under instrument conditions for a major part of the flight. Not much has been said about that for about 3 mos the main airport at San Jose did not have radar service. Most of us didn't even know that. It has been restored. Imao there is much more danger with no radar than the local commuters flying under instrument conditions.

jeesh...did I say anything about commercial travel, pilot error, weather, what have you. I simply said, be careful. It is common knowledge here that private plane tour travel is very dangerous, and 3 crashes in a week is evidence. I am sure Sansa, Nature Air etc have better maintenance, and quality control. Nuff Said.

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A Costa Rica Toast:
Here's to Looking like Movie Stars, Partying like Rock Stars and phucking like PORN STARS!