Las Americas airport is located to the east of Santo Domingo, near the city of Boca Chica. It has one single runway numbered 17/35, and the main terminal is placed more or less on the middle length of it.The single building has three floors. First floor is arrivals, second floor departures and the third floor has airline offices and some fast food restaurants. To the left of it is the old control tower and further away the cargo ramp. At the very left corner are some stored aircraft (Aeromar and TAL DC-6 and AeroChaco L-1049). To the right side of the terminal, is the former Dominicana hangar where they keep a full Dominicana colours DC-6 inside (HI-292CT), behind the hangar some more stored and wfu planes, like Dominicana B707 and many Trado DC- 6.
Traffic at SDQ is dominated by American Airlines (almost 100% Airbus A300, occasionally they might have an MD11 depending on load factors) and American Eagle (Atr-42 and -72), with many flights during the day, morning hours mostly American, TWA and Continental, with some eventual Air Santo Domingo or other local carrier. After 13.00 some interesting traffic, as Aserca and Aeropostal from Venezuela (both DC-9, daily), Copa Airlines (B737-200), TWA B767-300ER daily from JFK, and at least two daily flights from San Juan(MD83). Iberia and Air France fly in at least 5 time a week (DC10 and B747-200/-300 respectively), and on the charter side, Canada 3000, Corsair, Sobelair, Condor, AOM, Lauda Air Italy, Martinair and Air Europa ad to the count. All those use to arrival at the afternoon as well, specially from Thursday to Sunday. The freight terminal also sees some activity, with UPS and DHL being the major players on the cargo side, besides Fine Air, and local carriers flying props. Domestic airlines like Air Santo Domingo, SAP and others operating mainly with Let 410 are also regular visitors at SDQ, though their main operating airport is Santo Domingo/La Herrera.
Some spotting guidelines:
1. Outside the terminal:
Airport perimeter is quite big, and widely fenced, even so, some nice approach shots can be made whenever runway 17 is in use, they just fly over the road. To reach this spot, if coming from Santo Domingo city, just don't turn right to the airport but follow straight ahead, after passing under a bridge keep the right and look for the ALS masts. In case of coming from Boca Chica, the spot is located before the bridge that gives to the airport access road, and the ALS masts are at your left side. For runway 35 no suitable spot for approach shots available, as no way to get near to the approach path.
2. Inside the terminal:
The best spot to make photos is indeed at the Wendy's fast food restaurant (3rd floor) or at the Pizzarelli pizzeria (2nd floor). There are glasses but they are just slightly tinted and will not affect negatively the photo's quality. At Wendy's you have to buy something to stay near the windows, at the pizzeria not, although it is good idea to do so. Light here very good after 14.00 (beginning of May) until sunset, planes just taxi in front of you, and for photos, 400mm for departing B757 on the runway and around 50mm for MD11 taxing by the apron. During the morning forget about this place, as sun in front of you.
3. Ramp access
Airport authority is normally very nice and friendly, including towards the enthusiast. So, this means that getting a ramp access pass is not impossible, but I suggest you to write or fax in advance asking for it. This is the only way to make good photos of the old aircraft stored at the airport.
As a suggestion, a good place to stay is at the nearby city of Boca Chica, you will find cheap hotels and guest houses. It is also much easier to get to the airport from there than if staying at Santo Domingo, some 25 km away. Other important advise is to keep open eyes with the people and with prices, specially hotels and taxis, ASK and FIX the price before. If you want, just e-mail me and I will be happy in provide you some addresses and some more hints.
Puerto Plata counts for the second most important charter airport on the Dominican Republic, and is located more or less 20km away from Puerto Plata city, and roughly 10Km from Sosua.The airport has a single runway with thresholds 08/26, and the terminal building is placed on the south side, on the last 1/3 near the 26 end. One main taxi-way gives access in and out the apron area, and landing and departing traffic make back-track on the runway as no parallel taxi-way. The airport building has two parts, the main terminal(two storey building) and the satellite, where 5 jet-way parking spots are available. To the right of the building is a small ramp used by domestic airlines, with many planes passing through during the day. There are two derelict airframes(DC-7 like) near the 26 threshold, but I could not identify them.
Traffic is normally good from Wednesday to Friday (mid May), when the airport still gets a good number of European charter flights, just to mention a few, Airtours(A330), Lauda Air, Condor, Britannia (D- and G-) all with B763, AirPlus Comet with A310, and so on. Scheduled daily flights are provided by American Airlines (MIA, JFK and SJO) and TWA (B757) from JFK as well. Sky King also flies 5 time per week with one Beech 1900C to Providence.
As far as for spotting, the airport has an open air observation deck, located on the second floor at the main building, just go upstairs near immigration (departure). The terrace is located just in front of the mentioned taxi-way, so that's no way to miss any plane from there.
During my visit(early May) the light wasn't that good, and after 15:00 you will be against the sun, but according to the terminal placement in relation to the runway (on the south) side I guess that light is perfect during the winter months.
Punta Cana Int'l Airport is located more or less 40 km away from the city Higuey, near to the shore. The "city" of Punta Cana is actually made up by Summer Resorts and Hotels.
For the airport, it has one single runway, with thresholds 09/27 and the bungalow styled terminal "building" is placed on the south side. There are no jet-ways and the place can handle 4 wide-bodies at once. To the left from the main terminal, after a car park area, is the Domestic and General Aviation Terminal, very small and simple. The access to the main ramp is made through two taxi-ways, one right in front from the terminal and other more to the west. Incoming traffic to the Domestic ramp use a eastwards placed smaller taxi-way.
Punta Cana is the main charter gateway from the Republic and traffic here is huge, specially from Friday to Tuesday, and on high season they count 300 to 450 charter flights per week. Main airlines serving the place have scheduled and charter flight status, and just to mention a few: Condor (B763, sometimes three flights at the same time), Sobelair, Martinair, LTU, Britannia (D-), Balair (all with B763), LAPA and Aerolineas Argentinas (B757/B747), CityBird with MD11, Air Portugal (A340 scheduled service on Sundays), Iberworld and Air Plus Comet with A310, Air Transat with L1011 and B757 and so on. As said, the traffic is very dense although the arrivals/departure intervals is not that short, and mainly from the early afternoon ahead. On top of that, count with a regular coming and going of Air Santo Domingo and SAP planes.
Now for the bad news, forget about spotting at the terminal, besides two limited possibilities, the first at the Domestic terminal, where you can almost walk free into the ramp (security will not let you, but one can stay on the open there), this place is NOT GOOD for making photos, it's ok for registration logging. The second place is after immigrations, the waiting hall has no windows and is better placed than the Domestic terminal, it is quite easy to make some nice photos from there.
For serious photographers two spots are worth of mention, the first one is the approach path of runway 09, used most of the time. To get there leaving the airport turn right and follow the access road, after 1 or 2Km there's a sharp right turn and then another straight, some 500 m. after the turn you will be with the ALS on your right side, just place yourself according the light, and this probably the only place during the winter, staying south(before) the runway.
The second spot is a dirty road that follows the airport fence on the north side of the perimeter, the fence is more or less 100 m from the runway, so you are quite close from the action there. The only problem is that on those 100m. there are a lot of bushes and small trees, which make finding a suitable place for photos rather tricky, but not impossible. The fence is not that high and the best placement that I found is in front of the SECOND windsock, which happens to be exactly opposite to the terminal, and right in front the middle taxi-way, used by all departing traffic. This place might not be good during the winter months as probably against the sun, but on the summer some good photos can be made, with a lens range from 300mm (for taxing traffic on the apron) down to 35mm for planes on the runway.
To reach the dirty road, still coming from the airport, some 800m after the ALS the road makes another sharp turn, this time to the left, turn right on the fence's corner and there's the dirty road, just follow it and soon you will pass the first windsock, continue all the way until you get to the second one. I did not explore the runway 27 approach, and this landing direction seems to be rarely used.
On both places I saw no security activity and I guess that they will hardly hassle you there, lately you are outside the airport premises. Locals are normally friendly and will not bother you either, but keeping the cameras on low profile is a good procedure, just in case. IMPORTANT: Both spots are better reachable by car, and specially for number 2 bring food and lots of water(you will be far away from everything). Sun blocker is mandatory as well, for both spots.
As other airports in this country, ramp access is not impossible, and specially in the case of Punta Cana, the airport is privately owned by the same group that owns some hotels and resorts on the region. Writing or faxing a request in advance would be from great help, and this should be addressed to Mr. Frank Ranieri, which happens to be the owner if the airport.