Botopasi Airstrip

Botopasi Airstrip
IATA: BTO – ICAO: SMBO
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Luchtvaartdienst Suriname
Location	Botopasi, Suriname
Elevation AMSL	242 ft / 74 m
Coordinates	4°13′03″N 55°26′49″W / 4.217511°N 55.447054°WCoordinates: 4°13′03″N 55°26′49″W / 4.217511°N 55.447054°W
Map
SMBO Location in Suriname
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 07/25 300 grass

Botopasi Airstrip (IATA: BTO, ICAO: SMBO), near Botopasi (Botopassi), Suriname with one 550 meters long runway. Sometimes also called Botopassi Airstrip.

History of the airstrip

This Botopasi Airstrip was constructed by the Surinamese Medical Missionary Service, the "Surinaamse Medische Zendings Vliegdienst", also called the “Medische Zending Suriname” and was frequently visited by the Mission Aviation Fellowship. It was the first airstrip at the Upper Surinam River and was destined to facilitate transport to Paramaribo from the clinics Pokigron, Ladoani, Debikè and Dyumu. The first landing took place the 14th of January 1963 by the American pilot Ted Lepper in his Piper Cub N 5406H. For many years the MAF ( “Missionary Aviation Fellowship”) remained the main user of the airstrip. Nowadays multiple flights are available by many charter companies.

Charters and destinations

Charter Airlines serving this airport are:

Airlines	Destinations
Blue Wing Airlines	Paramaribo, Zorg en Hoop Airport[1]
Caricom Airways	Paramaribo, Zorg en Hoop Airport[2]
Gum Air	Paramaribo, Zorg en Hoop Airport[3]
Surinaamse Medische Zendings Vliegdienst / Mission Aviation Fellowship	Paramaribo, Zorg en Hoop Airport
Hi-Jet Helicopter Services	Paramaribo, Zorg en Hoop Airport
Suriname Air Force / Surinaamse Luchtmacht	Paramaribo, Zorg en Hoop Airport

Accidents and incidents

• On 23 August 1986 a Cessna 172L Skyhawk with registration PZ-NAN from the Aero Club Suriname was damaged landing at Botopasi, the pilot was J. Jaeger. Fortunately the airplane could be repaired and returned to its home-base at Zorg en Hoop Airport.^[4]
• On 25 September 1986 a Cessna U206G Stationair 6, registration PZ-TAC from Gonini Air Service was hijacked at Apetina kondre airstrip by rebels of the "Jungle Commando" of Ronnie Brunswijk. The pilot (O. van Amson jr.) was forced to fly the aircraft to an unknown location. In May 1988 the airplane was at the Botopasi Airstrip in Suriname with a flat tire; apparently at that time in use by the jungle commando. The aircraft never returned to the owner and was canceled from the Surinamese Aviation register in 1993.^{[5] [6]}

References

1. "Scheduled Flights". Bluewing Airlines. 2013-02-18. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
2. "Where we fly". Caricom Airways. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
3. "Destinations". Gum Air. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
4. http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=170939
5. "Updates : September 25, 2013". Landewers.net. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
6. http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=163539