Leg 19 TAPA - Saint Johns (Antigua) to TFFF - Fort de France (Martinique)
TAPA - Airport Info
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ICAO code: TAPA
Airport name: V.C. Bird International
Location: St-Johns, Antigua
Useful information
Airport elevation: 62’
Time zone: AT (UTC -4)
Lighted runways : Yes
Maximum runway length: 9003
Runway surface : Asphalt
Instrument approach (ILS, LOC, LDA, and SDF):
VOR DME RW07
VOR DME RW25
VOR RW07
VOR RW25
Antigua Info
Antigua's tourist office boasts that the island has 365 beaches, 'one for each day of the year'. It has great reefs and wrecks for diving and snorkelling. On neighbouring Barbuda you can track the island's fabled frigate birds and visit the Caribbean's largest rookery.
Barbuda is a quiet, single-village island that has less than 2% of the nation's population and gets very few independent visitors, mainly ardent bird watchers and a few yachties enjoying its clear waters and tranquil beaches. Antigua is a touch more happening, but the pace is still deliciously slow.
Antigua's Sailing Week is a major week-long yachting event that begins on the last Sunday in April, attracting about 150 boats. In addition to a series of five races, there are rum parties and a formal ball, with most activities taking place at Nelson's Dockyard and Falmouth Harbour. In June, Barbuda has a celebration of its own called Caribara.
Carnival, Antigua's big annual festival, is held from the end of July and culminates in a parade on the first Tuesday in August. Most Carnival activity takes place in St John's. Calypso music, steel bands, masqueraders, floats and street 'jump-ups' are all part of the celebrations. If you have enough energy by the last day to be up and dancing in the streets at 4am you can jump up during J'Overt, the climax of Carnival. The other major musical event is the annual Antiguan Jazz Festival, which takes place in October.
TFFF - Airport Info
ICAO code: TFFF
Airport name: Le Lamentin
Location: Fort de France, Martinique
Useful information
Airport elevation: 16’
Time zone: AT (UTC -4)
Lighted runways : Yes
Maximum runway length: 10826
Runway surface : Asphalt
Instrument approach (ILS, LOC, LDA, and SDF):
Runway 09: Glide Slope (3º) Localizer (109.9)
Aiport NAVAIDS:
NONE
Martinique Info
Martinique is a slice of France set down in the tropics. Islanders wear Paris fashions and eat croissants. Zouk music pouring out of tape players, bars and nightclubs will remind you, however, that Martinicans have a culture of their own, solidly based on West Indian Creole traditions.
Urbanization has spread to much of the island, and most of Martinique's large towns feel like modern suburbs. Nevertheless, nearly a third of Martinique is forested and other areas are given over to pineapples, bananas and sugar cane fields. There are also plenty of hiking trails into the mountains.
Fort-de-France
The turbulent city of Fort-de-France can be very engaging. From the to and fro of the lively markets to the flapping sails in the harbour, the place seems to be in a constant state of excitement, and you will soon find yourself caught up in it!
The city's focus is the Savane, a large park with fountains, tall palms and occasional open-air concerts. The city's other large waterfront space is the Park Floral, where you can shop for coconuts and other island-grown produce at the public market; there's also a fish market nearby.
Downloads
TAPA scenery - vc-bird2.zip ( on www.flightsim.com )
Antilles 2004 (very good, lots of airports included) www.jg-laurent.com/index.php ?lang=en
Another group for Guadeloupe - caribsds.zip ( on www.flightsim.com )