Scarlett Martínez International Airport

Scarlett Martínez International Airport (IATA: RIH, ICAO: MPSM), also known as Río Hato Airport, is an international airport serving Río Hato, a town in the Coclé Province of Panama. The airport is 3 kilometres (2 mi) east of Río Hato.

Scarlett Martínez International Airport

Rio Hato Airport
Terminal building seen from the runway
Sunwing Airlines inaugural flight, 2015
Summary
Airport typePublic
ServesRio Hato, Panama
Elevation AMSL121 ft / 37 m
Coordinates8°22′33″N 80°07′40″W
Map
RIH is located in Panama
RIH
RIH
Location in Rio Hato Airport
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
17/35 2,450 8,038 Asphalt
Source: GCM[1] SkyVector[2] Google Maps[3]

International airport

In 2011 the government of Panama gave the order to proceed with a project to rebuild the airport. The restoration work included rehabilitation of the runway and airport terminal, and construction of a tunnel for the Pan-American Highway, which previously crossed the runway. The $53.2 million project was awarded through a public bidding process. The project was supervised by the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and lasted 14 months.[4]

President Ricardo Martinelli said the new Scarlett Martínez Airport at Río Hato would bring benefits and opportunities for area residents. The airport would allow Panama City's Tocumen International Airport to accept more flights for business and connecting flights in an effort to secure Panama's position as a hub for business and commercial activity in the region. It will serve to boost tourism along the Pacific beaches of Panama, where several beach resorts and condo developments are located. President Martinelli confirmed that the airport would be used by charter companies from the United States, Canada, and Europe. The airport was officially opened by President Martinelli on 13 November 2013.[5]

The runway is 0.5 kilometres (0.3 mi) inland from the Pacific coastline. South approach and departure are over the water. The Rio Hato VOR-DME (Ident: RHT) is located on the field.[2]

Airlines and destinations
AirlinesDestinations
Air Panama Charter: Panama City-Albrook
Air Transat Seasonal: Montreal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson
Arrendamientos Aéreos Charter: Panama City-Albrook
Sunwing Airlines Seasonal: Montreal–Trudeau, Québec City, Toronto–Pearson

History

Río Hato Army Air Base
U. S. Army Air Force Rio Hato Airfield, return ceremony to the Republic of Panama on February 24, 1948
24th Pursuit Squadron with eight Curtiss P-36A Hawks at Rio Hato Airfield in 1939

Established in 1931, during World War II Río Hato Army Air Base was used by the United States Army Air Forces Sixth Air Force as part of the defense of the Panama Canal. It was closed as an active Air Force facility in 1948 but was used as an USAF auxiliary military landing field as late as 1990 as part of Howard Air Force Base.[6][7]

74th Attack Squadron personnel with Northrup A-17 in 1939

Units assigned to the base were:

51st Pursuit Squadron, 21 August – 10 December 1941 (Boeing P-26 Peashooter, Curtiss P-36 Hawk)
52d Pursuit Squadron, 21 August 1941 – 23 March 1944 (P-40 Warhawk, P-39 Airacobra)
53d Pursuit Squadron, 21 August – 12 December 1941 (Boeing P-26 Peashooter, Curtiss P-36 Hawk)
3d Bombardment Squadron
8 December 1941 – 4 May 1942 (B-18 Bolo)
26 August – 8 December 1944; 19 October 1945 – 1 November 1946 (B-24 Liberator)
25th Bombardment Squadron, 8 December 1941 – 21 January 1942 (B-18 Bolo)
74th Bombardment Squadron
11 December 1941 – 9 January 1942 (B-18 Bolo)
7–21 August 1944; 1 May 1945 – 1 November 1946 (B-24 Liberator)
4 May 1943 – 7 April 1944 (B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator)
6 February 1945 – 1 November 1946 (B-24 Liberator)
4 May 1943 – 7 April 1944
6 February 1945 – 1 November 1946

Operation Just Cause

During Operation Just Cause, The United States Army 2d and 3d Battalions, 75th Ranger Regiment (TF RED ROMEO), departed Lawson Army Airfield, Fort Benning, Georgia, at 18:00 on 19 December 1989. Its mission was to seize Río Hato and neutralize the 6th and 7th PDF Infantry Cos. At 01:00 on 20 December, the battalion jumped from C-130s onto the airfield at Río Hato. Both PDF companies had been alerted and fired on the C-130s with small arms and anti-aircraft guns.[8] Despite PDF resistance, the battalion assembled, attacked the barracks, and established an airhead. By morning, the Rangers had accomplished all missions, captured 250 prisoners, and cleared the airfield for future operations.

Río Hato was also the first combat target for the US Air Force F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter during Operation Just Cause. On 19 December 1989, a flight of eight F-117s lifted off from Tonopah Test Range Airport, Nevada. Their target was a large open field beside barracks housing two companies of troops belonging to Battalion 2000, an elite unit known to be fiercely loyal to Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega. The plan was for the aircraft to drop two large 2,000-pound Mark 84 bombs, colloquially known as "the Hammer" close enough to the buildings to stun the sleeping soldiers so that they could not respond to the nearby nighttime parachute landings by the 2nd Ranger Battalion and elements of the 3rd Battalion. The explosion of the bombs at a designated point of impact just 50 yards from the barracks would do just that, and fused to detonate after they had penetrated a few feet of earth, they would not cause many casualties.[9]

Unfortunately, the fog of war was in the air. It also appears that, although the Pentagon brass understood the F-117A's accuracy, they did not fully understand what situation exactly the F-117A was suited for. As the two F-117As approached their target, the wind changed direction. Moreover, a last-minute change in the attack plan and confused communications resulted in the first pilot dropping his bomb where the second was to strike. The other pilot, thinking the attack had reverted to the original plan, dropped his bomb 325 yards wide.[10]

See also

References
  1. Airport information for Scarlett Martinez International Airport at Great Circle Mapper.
  2. "Cocle/Cap Scarlett Martinez Airport". SkyVector. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  3. "Scarlett Martinez International Airport". Google Maps. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  4. "New international airport opens in Coclé province". The Bulletin Panama. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  5. "Panama: New Airport in Cocle is Operational". Central America Data. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  6. Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4
  7. Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-10-07. ... It traces the lineage of each Army Air Corps and U. S.Air Force combat squadron in World War II and afterward to 1963, the fiftieth anniversary of the 1st Aero Squadron. It is a concise official record of those units: their assignments, stations, aircraft, and decorations. (...) an important source of ready information, this volume (...) serves as a reference tool for historians and researchers
  8. "Operation Just Cause Historical Summary". GS.Org.
  9. "Panamá Files - Revista Concolón". panamafiles.revistaconcolon.com. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  10. Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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