2 reviews
Erm before we get into the trip report, some of the details are off since I couldn't find the airline (Maya Air), departure airport (Belize Municipal), and the arrival airport (Caye Caulker). Guess Maya Air and Caye Caulker is that remote 😂.
Here is the routing for this specific journey
2M2064- Belize City- Caye Caulker- FO Chair- Cessna Caravan
The main purpose of this trip down to Belize, featuring the Copa Airlines 737 max 9 & the 737-700 in Business Class, was to fly on Maya Air in the cockpit of a Cessna Caravan. Flying in the First Officer's seat is a privilege no matter which aircraft you are on, but it was especially special on this flight with Maya Air.
The routing for this trip is as follows:
After reading some reports online about Maya Air, I was a tad concerned with delays and such. However, our plane only left 10 minutes late, and everything else ran very smoothly.
Let's get into it!
Fares are notoriously lower at the Belize City Municipal Airport than at the international airport. There seem to be added taxes when departing from the international airport, so my advice is to fly out of the Municipal. It's also just a cooler experience.
56$ for a flight in a first officer's seat? I don't see that as a bad deal at all. Keep in mind that the ferry that runs between the two islands set me back about 20$ and was 7x longer. Tropic Air's fares sit around 159$ for the same route.
After leaving the Airbnb in Belize City, I made my way to the airport barefoot along the streets. Never in my life have I walked to an airport; this was crazy to me. Looking back, if I could do this over again, I wouldn't change a single aspect.
A couple of minutes later, I arrived at the entrance to the airport.
The first building is Tropic Air, and the second is the cargo.
Lastly, there was the big Maya Air sign at the end of the buildings.
Check-in was like nothing I had ever experienced either (in a good way). Two desks and the agents checked to see if they could put me on an earlier flight (sadly the earlier flight wasn't stopping in Caye Caulker).
They took my bag, and with an hour to kill, it was time to do some plane spotting! I would recommend arriving 20-30 minutes before your flight at the Municipal airport.
This has to be one of the coolest boarding passes I have seen, although it is a shame I couldn't keep it😒.
During my hour of waiting, a couple of planes landed and took off. It's surreal to see runways shorter than 3000 feet in person.
Our inbound aircraft arrived at 8:25 for our scheduled 8:30 am departure.
Boarding commenced 5 minutes late (it is island time), as passengers were escorted by an agent to the plane.
I spoke with the agent and let her know I had contacted Maya Air about flying in the cockpit. She happily guided me to the right side of the aircraft instead of the back left door.
If you want to fly in the co-pilot seat, it is not guaranteed. However, when checking in, ask them and see what they say!
Just like that, I had taken my seat for this very short flight over to Caye Caulker. The captain informed me how to strap in since it had been a minute since I had flown in the cockpit🤗.
Interestingly, there is no ATC (at least what the captain said) at the Municipal Airport and when heading to the islands.
Engines were rolling by 8:40 am, and we were on the way to the runway.
It's one thing to see these on my cockpit visits, but a whole other experience of taking off and landing with the instruments in front of you on a commercial airline😱.
A couple of minutes later, we arrived at the runway. The captain checked right and left (before crossing the road), and we made our way onto the runway.
Takeoff was approximately 8:45 am, and what an amazing takeoff it was. In the Caravan, I could feel the slight crosswind we had as our tail blew west.
To the ordinary person, this flight may be uneventful. However, to me, this flight was so special as we emerged across the beautiful waters of Belize.
I got into a conversation with the captain a little about the flight and what they do instead of ATC. For those wondering, there is no IFE, inflight snacks, or anything else provided. It's a 10-minute flight to experience these views; who needs all that?
Just like that we were on final approach into Caye Caulker. Such a shame since I wanted to keep flying longer😂.
We touched down at 8:55 on the small runway of Caye Caulker in Belize. The captain buttered the landing!!
It was a short taxi to our remote stand for parking (very different to JFK on a Monday morning😂.
An agent came to open the door for me and retrieve my luggage for me from the cargo hold. Everyone at Maya Air is so nice, including their instagram team!
Here are some more pictures of this Maya Airplane!
The agent bid me farewell, and I was off to the town of Caye Caulker by foot again! For those wondering, it's about a 15-minute walk to the center of town from the airport😂. How lovely life is in Belize.
Erm, but a little preview: what kind of rum is this? A long night incoming.
Just wanted to share the Airbnb I stayed in Belize City. A very nice place.
And if you are wondering about the safety of Belize City… it is very safe north of the river. I thoroughly enjoyed my one night there. Put it this way, I walked back to my Airbnb at 11pm a night barefoot, it's very safe in the north.
0 complaints here to Maya Air; in fact, the opposite. For the price I paid compared to Tropic Air (56$), I think Maya Air offers a great product on the hops around Belize. Maya Air was on time and very friendly, and it allowed me to sit in the co-pilot's seat for the flight. I would seek out flying Maya Air again in a heartbeat and cannot wait until I return to Belize to do so. Thanks for the flight!
3 Comments
Oh wow, that must've been a unique experience. I can't imagine doing it barefoot!
I love the wooden interiors. It's got that old museum feel to it haha.
That is so cool! It's so rare to fly in the co-pilot seat on any plane so it's awesome that they allow you to do that.
What an amazing experience, thanks for sharing!
Highly recommend Belize, Caye Caulker is a gem and I heard they have some Mayan Ruins to the north👀.
Island life in Belize😅.
Something about an antique vibe is beautiful, so this didn't disappoint
Breathtaking experience. Perhaps they'll allow you as well if you head down to Belize!
Thanks for your comments! Eagerly waiting on the rest of your Africa trip! Have a great day.
Thanks for sharing!
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