About Cuba

Introduction

The Republic of Cuba (Spanish: Republica de Cuba), is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos.

Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is the most populous insular nation in the Caribbean. Its people, culture, and customs draw from diverse sources, including the aboriginal Taino and Ciboney peoples; the period of Spanish colonialism; the introduction of African slaves; and its proximity to the United States.

Geography

Cuba is located in the northern Caribbean at the confluence of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Cuba is south of the eastern United States and The Bahamas, west of the Turks and Caicos Islands and Haiti, east of Mexico and north of the Cayman Islands and Jamaica.

Cuba is an archipelago of islands located in the Caribbean Sea. Cuba is the principal island, which is surrounded by four main groups of islands. These are the Colorados, the Sabana-Camaguey, the Jardines de la Reina and the Canarreos. The main island of Cuba constitutes most of the nation's land area or 105,006 sq km (40,543 sq mi) and is 766 miles (1,233 km) long, the seventeenth-largest island in the world by land area. The second largest island in Cuba is the Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth) in the southwest, with an area of 3,056 sq km (1,180 sq mi). Cuba has a total land area of 110,860 sq km (42,803 sq mi).

Beach on Cayo Largo del Sur

The main island consists mostly of flat to rolling plains. At the southeastern end is the Sierra Maestra, a range of steep mountains whose highest point is the Pico Real del Turquino at 1,975 metres (6,480 ft).

Climate

Landscape of Vinales Valley

The local climate is tropical, though moderated by northeasterly trade winds that blow year-round. In general (with local variations), there is a drier season from November to April, and a rainier season from May to October. The average temperature is 21 °C (70 °F) in January and 27 °C (81 °F) in July.

The warm temperatures of the Caribbean Sea and the fact that the island of Cuba sits across the access to the Gulf of Mexico combine to make Cuba prone to frequent hurricanes. These are most common in September and October.

More about Cuba

For detailed information visit wikipedia.

The Cuban airspace

When flying over the Cuban airspace,

  • monitor and broadcast your intentions on UNICOM 122.800 MHz unless another frequency is more appropriate.
  • the normal Transition Altitude is 3000ft and the default Transition Level FL040 but it could change depending of the QNH, airport, etc. So we recommend you for further information check the charts or the ATCs ATIS.
  • the altimeter settings are measured in hectopascal and the standard setting is 1013,25 hPA.
  • transponder codes used are,
    • Code 2000 - When departing from an uncontrolled airport.
    • Code 1200 - When flying VFR, uncontrolled.
    • Code 7600 - Radio Failure.
    • Code 7700 - Aircraft Emergency.
    • Others not allowed by ATS unit or IVAO must not be used like for example code 7500.
  • do not exceed the 250kts IAS below FL100, unless you have permission from ATS unit, or the classification of airspace you are flying in means you are exempt from the rule. Military aircraft may also exceed the restriction.

For further and detailed information visit the different sections of this website.