A dream island hopping holiday...

 Well the idea came about after several drinks on the patio of John’s house in Bangkok and a long discussion about one of our previous flying trips to the USA.

John and I have done several flying trips together in the past so it was inevitable we would end up stumbling onto something a bit more challenging. It had always been a dream of mine to island hop around the Bahamas in a light aircraft ever since I read an article in a Pilot magazine about two Brits doing the same many years before. To me it epitomized the reasons we learn to fly in the first place. The challenge, the adventure and loads of good weather flying.

As I currently joint own a Cessna172P it seemed sensible to plan for the same type of plane to rent in the USA. However John and I are both gadget freaks (I admit to being by far the worst) and I had been drooling over the pictures in the magazines of the latest glass cockpit aircraft currently being produced. Therefore my hunt began to find a flight club in the Miami area of Florida that rented new C172SPs decked out with the latest Garmin G1000 equipment.

As it would turn out that was to be the easy part. We quickly tracked down Dean International at Kendall-Tamiami Airport in Miami Florida who were extremely helpful and had a 1 year old SP fully decked out to our requirements. We had decided that, since we were traveling such a long distance, we didn’t want the weather to be a factor and hence chose November as being outside of hurricane season and would fit in well with our work schedules. With the aircraft booked for 12 days in November nothing could stop us and we then got on with the more mundane tasks of getting flights and hotels booked.

As mentioned earlier John lives in Bangkok Thailand and as I live in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia we would be traveling literally to the other side of the world for this trip. Of course we quickly realized we must have been dreaming to think we would get away with a boys only trip around the Bahama islands . Once our wives heard of our plans the suitcases were dusted down and our boys trip went out the window.

As I also have an 8 year old boy we had now a problem with seating when using a C172. However, through past experience, I know my wife often gets excited about trips to new places and eventually drops out closer to the time due to other commitments. Therefore we continued with the original plan on the basis that someone would eventually cancel.

As it happened no-one did. The lure of those beautiful azure coastlines in all the photos were too much of an attraction I guess. So we decided to stick with the 172 and drop the ladies at strategic places along the way so they could maximize the shopping experience while the boys did their own thing. Of course it would mean a bit of shuttling back and forth into and out of USA but we were going there to fly so no problem right??? Wrong, as we were to later find out.

So it was after torturously long flights and connections that we all ended up in a motel in the Tamiami area of Miami. We were all British citizens and hence visa free except my Taiwanese wife who therefore needed to pursue a visa for the Bahamas.

Day 1

John had to close out a business meeting he had planned and the non pilots went off to track down a visa office (and several shopping malls). I arrived at Dean International in Kendall-Tamiami airport in beautiful blue skies and blustery winds for my checkout on N114FB.

The extremely small premises that Dean operate from belies the size of their fleet and operation. It was a credit to them that they could manage to operate from such a small office and get pilots processed through so quickly with all the paperwork and equipment needed for local and island flights.

Fortunately their office is tucked away inside a beautiful Fixed Base Operation (FBO) with all the weather briefing and coffee services one would expect in the US. Numerous Bizjet crews and passengers seemed to be drifting through the FBO constantly and it was wonderful to be deluged in that kind of professional aviation environment again after so long.

I hold a current FAA CPL/IR and had been doing some CDROM based courses on the G1000 so was expecting the checkout to be very routine. In fact Dean International had emailed me their FAA checkout form prior to my departure so I had studied all the air law questions they needed answering to satisfy their insurance requirements and filled out the forms before leaving.

So it was after ploughing through the paperwork for about an hour with, Chip, a Dean instructor that we headed out onto the ramp for the checkout. The noise and the smell of jet fuel assaulted the senses in just about every way possible in only ways a pilot can love.

N114FB looked resplendent on the ramp parked between numerous different models of older 172’s and well away from those sleek Citations and Challengers.

Immediately we took the covers off the aircraft and started the checklists it was obvious that flying glass was going to be a very different challenge than using the steam driven gauges I was used to in my old classic. Checking the routine items paled into insignificance compared to the work involved checking the various electrical bus switches, voltages, currents etc. I was grasping for anything I may be able to relate to as a base to work from.

But believe me it is all worthwhile when you see those two 10 inch screens burst into life displaying more information than likely is available to Space Shuttle crews orbiting the earth. In fact even after the preparation I had gone through completing the online course I found it difficult to take in where everything was and how to get the info that would be at my fingertips in my old 172 at home.

In no time at all we were calling up for taxi clearance and navigating our way around the spaghetti of taxiways to find runway 27R. No easy task in itself at Tamiami with its 3 heavily utilized runways.

Immediately on the climb out I was feeling a bit more comfortable with my surroundings but those big screens kept dragging my eyes from outside the windows. The rate of climb indicator was much more sensitive than I was used to and it took me some time to stop over controlling in pitch to compensate for small variations. So much so that I felt like I was flying on instruments to just keep flying straight and level. If I looked outside for a few seconds I immediately drifted off altitude again. The moderate turbulence wasn’t helping while we tracked over the Everglades but I knew I was causing most of the problems and was very frustrated with my performance so far.

After the routine stalls and steep turns we headed back to Tamiami for some circuit practice and boy did I need it. I was beginning to feel that I had started my PPL all over again. However after a few approaches in different configurations it was starting to feel more natural again and the aircraft was just about doing what I wanted it to.

After a sweaty bumpy hour in the practice area and the pattern we taxied back in and shutdown. The plan was to take some lunch and then do a cross country flight to demonstrate the G1000 map functions and use of the autopilot.

After sandwiches and coffee we were refueled and ready again to battle the elements.

Chip went through the steps required to insert a flight plan while we were tracking north up the west side of Miami airspace. All seemed logical and, as in all GPS operations, the friendly “Direct to” button came in very handy although Chip did demonstrate loading of flight plans in various ways. I was sure I would have more time later to polish the usage of this function.

I usually fly in my own C172 with a Garmin 296 so all my typical flight routes are pre loaded in my library and it a simple task to drop one in and call for departure. Having a built in GPS system on a rental makes it more difficult as you need to load the flight route by hand.

I was amazed to find I was painting other traffic on the map display and proximate traffic gave off traffic warnings on the audio. One glance out the window and the traffic was confirmed visually. This was just like flying the big jets. I could feel the love affair with 4FB starting already. Traffic Information System (TIS) is an option on the G1000 that everyone should have but relies on specific radar services usually only available in and around the terminal areas. 4FB was also fitted with a 2 axis autopilot and electric stab trim. We quickly went through the operation of these functions during the trip too.

Enroute we carried out a diversion to Palm Beach International and requested a touch and go on the field. ATC vectored us for runway 9R and requested us to do a curved approach to avoid jet traffic approaching 9L. I was watching the inbound jet on the TIS and was ensuring we didn’t get in his way. Until we got onto finals I didn’t realize how small the runway 9R was and how close it was to 9L. The picture attached is looking down 9L and you can see 9R as the very small strip 75ft wide on the right of the picture.

Certainly one of the most accurate approaches I have had to fly in some time. Fortunately it went off well but we couldn’t do a touch and go due to traffic so they made us backtrack for departure on 9R again.

The east coast of Florida is littered with Class D airspace which all requires permission to enter and transit. As soon as we departed Palm Beach to the east and over the sea they were handing us off to Boca Raton to enter their airspace. From there is was Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale exec, Ft Lauderdale, and all the way down the coast under the Miami Class B. This requires some quick preparation and some nifty frequency selections to stay on top of it. To keep below the flight path of departing aircraft we stayed at 500ft all the way down the coast line. The view of the beach areas and the stunningly expensive seaside properties was simply magnificent. Chip gave me an excellent running commentary of all the properties as we passed and pointed out the sights we should visit if we get any ground time. No doubt my wife was somewhere down there with my credit card as I was watching!!! We tracked down the edge of Miami beach at 500ft and waggled the wings at the scantily clad sun worshippers watching us passing.

A quick right turn inland and we were back on approach to Tamiami after 2 hours logged cross country time.

After shutting down and getting log books suitably annotated I wrapped up 4FB for the night and took the keys with me. Dean had provided most of the forms I needed for the trip so it was back to the hotel to study the customs procedures.

Day 2

During the previous evening the ladies decided they would like to spend the next day touring Miami and specifically wanted to do the Everglades on an Airboat. This seemed like a great opportunity for John and I to get familiar with 4FB on our own before launching off internationally.

John has an FAA PPL which unfortunately is shelved due to medical reasons. Hence a whole day of flying together around Florida should prepare him well for the trip ahead.

John makes an extremely good autopilot and is easier to operate than the one fitted. Just keep him supplied with water, a chart and the promise of a suitable supply of Gin in the evening and he will do all that is commanded.

Our plan was to set off for a visit around Lake Okeechobee about 1hr to the north. The weather looked severe clear albeit a bit windy.

Kendall-Tamiami has 3 main runways and is a very busy airport. It didn’t take me long to get lost in the spaghetti of taxiways trying to find the assigned runway 9R. To the bemusement of the ATC controller they offered us 9L as is seemed to be closer to where we were generally heading. One of the great joys of flying in the USA is the light hearted, easy going nature of the helpful ATC staff especially when they hear a British voice on the field. It is a credit to them that they put up with us. However I promised myself to pay much more attention when reading the airport diagram in future.

John and I used to keep a log of minor screw ups we had performed in the past but it was getting too embarrassing to keep. Fortunately almost all were on the ground. The best place to be unsure of position!!!

Having my autopilot doing all the hard work I set about playing with the G1000 system. It really is a work of art and provides excellent situational awareness in flight. It’s a shame that this aircraft hadn’t got the ground taxiways facility installed yet. That may have saved me the embarrassment on the ground a few minutes earlier.

Within 5 minutes after departure we were getting “Traffic Traffic” warnings through the audio and the large Map display highlighted the traffic departing and arriving the pattern. It was extremely easy and very comforting to then look out the window and see the aircraft exactly where it was reported. Having never had this function on an aircraft before I was stunned at how much traffic is around you at any one time without you being aware. This has to be one of the major flight safety benefits provided with Glass cockpit.

We tracked to the west of the Miami Class B airspace and set course to the north for Okeechobee which took us right out across the Everglades. From the air it looked like miles and miles of rice fields hiding the potentially treacherous terrain below. The photos from the ladies later that evening of the alligators hidden away in the reeds and swamps didn’t provide any further comfort either.

Navigating our way to Okeechobee with a sectional chart and huge GPS map was pretty simple and we soon found ourselves calling in from 10 miles out. Pahokee airport sits on the east side of the lake and, like 90% of all American airports, is uncontrolled so a general call on the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) to advise position and intention is all that’s required.

On dialing the frequency into the Garmin we were met with calls from about 8 different aircraft in the airport vicinity however by the time we arrived overhead they had all moved off somewhere else and we had the field to ourselves. Maybe our reputation preceded us!!!

It is common practice in USA to join on the 45deg downwind so we dropped in over the lake onto the downwind and John managed a very acceptable landing on runway 34.

After shutdown I proceeded to fit in to my favorite part of flying in the USA. Sitting down with a soda and start talking airplanes with the locals on the airport. The flying community in America is very close knit and you are instantly accepted as part of the club if you turn up in anything from a rented Cessna 150 or a Gulfstream. The foreign accent encourages an even more welcoming response.

After a short break we were back in the air for a tour round the lake and then set course for the southern end of the Jacksonville airspace and back down the east coastline. I spent the time eastbound preparing all the frequencies I would need to call coming down the coast as I had done the day before. It was pretty frantic for a while but we were getting quite slick with the changes and the radio work by the time we found our way back to Tamiami.

So by 4pm we were back on the ground and secured 4FB for the night. Dean had all the life rafts and jackets ready for our trip so we collected them and deposited them in 4FB to save time the next day. It is a requirement to have a jacket for every passenger when flying in the Bahamas and highly recommended to carry a raft too.

Back at the hotel bar we met up with the rest of our group to hear of their adventures around the Everglades and several shopping malls. I could see weight and balance was going to be a big problem on this trip.

Day 3

The big day. We planned to take John and his wife over to Grand Bahamas Island first so they could find some suitable accommodation while I flew back and collected my wife and son. Hence my wife got to stay in bed a little longer while we set off after an early breakfast.

First problem after we arrived at the airport was we were 50lbs overweight on the weight and balance. What a surprise! I requested the FBO to defuel 4FB by 10gals however they advised there would be an extra charge for this and the excess fuel would be dumped so we were left with having to leave a few bags behind. I could collect them on return trip as our weight would be much less and I would have less fuel.

A swift call to 1-800-WXBRIEF gave us a promising weather briefing and allowed us to file our International flight plan. We were a little concerned, being foreigners in USA, that we needed to depart immigration at Tamiami prior to departure. A quick call to the customs shed assured us that it wasn’t necessary so off we launched into the wild blue yonder for the 90minute flight to Freeport.

My only previous International flight experience was a hop over from Seattle into Canada a few years before so I was hoping I could get it right this time. Not really wanting to test the patience of the FAA or the USAF F16 pilots.

On startup we hit the first problem. After the G1000 booted up fully we got a loud alarm continuing through the cabin speaker and a Stab Trim fail warning on the Annunciator. Great! The alarm was painfully uncomfortable and since I could live without electric stab trim it wasn’t a no go item. I identified a circuit breaker that disabled audio warnings and pulling that stopped the noise. However running down the checklist I had a 28v main bus failure. This was getting worse. We decided to shutdown to a cold cockpit and retry from scratch. The G1000 manual didn’t help as to what to do. Starting from scratch seemed to resolve everything and the Stab Trim came back as did the 28v bus. Good to go…I hope.

The climb out was fine and I was advised it was critical to open our international flight plan with Miami Radio prior to entering the ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone). This was tricky as I was also talking to Miami approach for flight following to the Bahamas. After a few moments playing with the radios I had confirmation that the flight plan was open and I was cleared VFR through the ADIZ at 7500ft. The lesson learnt here was to request a Squawk code from the ground at Tamiami prior to taxi. It takes a lot longer to get the clearance in air if you don’t have a pre assigned squawk.

Our first sighting of the Bahamas wasn’t as expected. A big cloud bank sat right in front of us dropping to about 3500ft. Much discussion started on the view being similar to that seen on the last Bermuda Triangle movie which didn’t win any friends or provide comfort for the back seat passenger so we dropped down and edged underneath. Fortunately it cleared up after a few miles and Bimini Island appeared on the Horizon ahead.

I read an interesting comment in a magazine that stated that since the advent of GPS no planes have ever been lost in the Bermuda Triangle.

Bimini was my turning point to go north direct on to Grand Bahamas Island. As we overflew at 7500ft we caught our first sight of the beautiful turquoise waters surrounding the island. Although at the time we thought this was stunning it was nothing to what we would experience elsewhere around the islands over the trip.

Between Bimini and Grand Bahamas (Freeport) it is an open stretch of water so we sat back and enjoyed the peace and quiet with John flying in the right seat and me checking the forms needed for arrival.

The paperwork was my biggest concern at the time. I had done much reading on the subject in the weeks prior to the trip. AOPA was a fantastic resource for information and I had purchased the “Bahamas and Caribbean Pilots Guide” a few months earlier. Do not consider traveling the islands without this book. It is the bible for information for flying and touring.

However some of the information contradicted itself in the area of forms required and I didn’t want to test the patience of the immigration staff on our first arrival. As later discovered I needn’t have worried.

Miami approach handed us off to Freeport when we were about 30 miles out. We just about had the island in view so started a slow descent down to 1500ft. Freeport has a huge runway about 11000ft long by 150ft wide and can handle some big traffic. We reported in over the harbour as requested, which was easy to find, for a straight in approach to runway 06. I had been warned that the Bahaman islands regularly suffered from gusty crosswinds so the report of “winds 090/15 gusting 20” was no great surprise but would call for me to polish up on my crosswind landing techniques. With 150ft width I had room to spare however the approach was very bumpy and we landed firmly on the right wheel for a solid arrival right on centerline. A good start to our arrival on the islands however I hadn’t noticed that the first turnoff was halfway down the runway and my confident arrival over the piano keys meant we now had a long high speed taxi to the turnoff. A useful point to remember for the future.

After unloading all the bags we headed into the customs/immigration shed and met the front line of Bahaman customs. The staff there was exceptionally helpful and welcomed us as long lost friends. It was almost like we were family. After looking at the forms I had they threw them in the bin and gave me some newer versions to fill out and then explained the whole process to me which was much simpler than I had expected.

John and his wife cleared customs and I paid the necessary landing fee (one of the only places we ever had to). Then they arranged transport to go and hunt out some suitable accommodation while I organized refueling. This was very easy thanks to the kind lady behind the FBO desk in the customs shed who radioed the truck while I waited by the coffee machine.

Flights back into USA require a flight plan filed and customs in port of entry must be informed at least one hour prior to arrival. The friendly people at customs and immigration gave me their flight plan form and a telephone so I could call Tamiami customs. With plan filed and full fuel I dropped by the weather office for a quick brief. All looked good so I launched off back to USA.

Cruising at 8500ft on autopilot locked into the GPS was total relaxation and the world looked good from that privileged perch. Soon Freeport handed me off and I dialed up Miami radio for clearance to cross the ADIZ.

On arrival back in Tamiami I taxied up to the customs shed and reported in. They had a quick glance at my passport and I was good to go. Apparently the green visa waiver slip that stays in your passport when you arrive in USA is good to keep for Bahamas trips as long as your time in Bahamas is less than 14 days. Hence I had no forms to fill in at all.

After a quick taxi back to the ramp I was pleased to see my wife and son waiting for me so had all on board and ready to depart again within 30 minutes. Remembering to request a squawk code I taxied down to 9L for the run up and swung 4FB into wind. Taxiing behind me was a Cessna 150 also heading for 9L. I was very concerned that the C150 was getting too close and it carried on past me and ended up on the grass behind me. Unfortunately right in the clear area I was using for my run up. The student in the C150 called ground and advised she was on the grass and needed assistance to get back onto the airport complex. I was totally confused as to her motive but had to reposition myself to do my run up so I didn’t blow the poor C150 onto its back. My wife was watching my reaction carefully for any sign of adverse comments related to women drivers etc. Suffice to say I know when to keep quiet!!!

The trip back was smooth and peaceful with the earlier cloud bank having cleared. Again at 7500ft on autopilot with my wife and son dozing to the rhythm of the engine I had a chance to do all the paperwork and get it right this time. All that was required was an immigration form for each passenger and a cruising permit for the plane so we could island hop to our hearts content. The cruising permit stays with you all the time and you get it stamped at each island if there is a customs office there. It is handed in when you finally leave the Bahamas to go back to the USA.

On arrival back in Freeport the same crosswinds existed but this time I remembered to land much further down the runway. The following Cessna Citation probably appreciated my rapid clearance of the runway so as not to hold him up.

I was very relieved to see John waiting for us with a minibus and driver. Accommodation already arranged in the Port Lucaya resort nearby. A few minutes clearing immigration and customs and we were off to learn how to relax the Bahaman way. The FBO assured us they would look after 4FB for us and have it refueled and ready when we needed it.

The resort was pretty rustic and clearly catered to the tourist trade. The rooms were clean and comfortable and backed onto the side of the marina and a shopping village. Coming from Malaysia I am used to regularly having stunning beach resorts just a short flight away so the standard wasn’t quite on par however we couldn’t find any real complaints and the people were just great. Also the price was quite reasonable and we agreed we would base ourselves here for a few days until we had experienced all the local island flying.

After all the logged flight hours that day I was pretty tired so we retired to a nearby bar to sample the local brew.

Suffice to say it didn’t take long before we were partying with the crowds and settling in to the relaxed lifestyle that pervades around the islands.

My wife soon discovered the most famous of seafood dishes in the region. This is a delicious salad made with “Conch” which is a shellfish in plentiful supply around the islands. The flavours are amazing and it is a must for anyone traveling in the Bahamas. In fact we found Conch served up in several different ways during the trip but the spicy salad was by far the nicest and most memorable. This is usually created fresh on the side of the marina where the meat is stripped from the shell in front of you, then diced and mixed with the freshly chopped salad and spices.

Day 4

Up bright and early due to an extended bout of jet lag we found a local diner a short walk around the marina and gorged on an excellent breakfast American style. Large plates of eggs and hash browns washed down with plentiful coffee and Iced Tea. Prices were quite reasonable on the island, especially with it being a tourist area, and the locals will accept both Bahaman Dollars and US Dollars as a one for one swap so we had no problems with currencies. International ATM machines were available outside the main banks too and seem to accept just about every card going. We even had no problem using our Malaysian & Thai bank debit card in the Freeport ATMs.

As our first adventure flying day my wife was more keen to check out the shopping areas so Johns wife and my son joined us for the trip over to the Eleutera Islands which are a long chain about 60 miles to the east of Grand Bahamas Island and stretching to the most northerly point of the Bahaman Islands.

The “Bahamas and Caribbean Pilots guide” gave details of every airport on the chain of islands so we were keen to experience them ourselves from the air. A quick call to our newly assigned driver and we were on the way back to the airport. We did find taxis to be very expensive around the islands probably due to the difficulties of getting fuel and the limited number of vehicles available.

The customs officials in the FBO greeted us like old friends and took a great interest in our travel plans for the day giving suitable recommendations on where to go for the best Conch and which beaches were the most beautiful from air and ground. This kind of friendliness pervades the islands and is so welcome in these days of strict customs and travel requirements we all have to endure nowadays.

The FBO were true to their word and had 4FB refueled and waiting for us. 100LL fuel is quite expensive around the Bahamas and I was glad that the wet rate we were renting would offset a large portion of the cost.

Our agreement with Dean was such that, to take away 4FB, we had to fly at least an average of 3hrs a day weekdays and 4hrs at weekends. As any pilot knows this is quite a long time to spend in a cramped C172 cockpit even with all that gadgetry to play with. Fortunately the soft leather seats are very comfortable in the modern Cessna’s but we would still be suffering after a few days, especially if we breakfasted at the same diner each morning. Our waistlines were likely to suffer more than any other parts of our bodies. But hey, we came to fly didn’t we!!!!!

After filing our island flight plan with customs we were off. Departing out of Freeport was easy and we were soon heading eastbound climbing to 7500ft. Freeport and Nassau control zones are the only controlled airspace in the Bahamas so we were soon off frequency with Freeport and listening to the common frequency in uncontrolled airspace. All airports (apart from Freeport and Nassau) use one common Unicom frequency of 122.8Mhz for self reporting when in an airport area. It seems to work extremely well although can get a bit noisy in certain areas and can be frustrating when not being able to call in overhead a field because of some busy traffic at another field 30 nm away. However in most cases the frequency was very quiet and we could turn it down and enjoy the view. And what a view!!!! It was only when we crossed the Eleutera chain and started tracking north up the east side that we observed the most spectacular ocean colours I could ever remember seeing. It was worth all the travel, hotels, checkouts etc for just this moment. We were really an integral part of those photos you only see in travel agent window displays. Between the sighs and gasps of amazement the cameras were snapping constantly and I have to say that none of the photos we took did justice to actually being there. I couldn’t resist dropping down to 500ft and lining up for a run down a 5 mile stretch of pristine sandy beach. We never saw one single sign of life down that whole length of beachfront.

Climbing back to 3000ft we ticked off the individual small, sometimes tiny, islands as they got thinner and thinner the further north we flew. Even my son was active in the back pointing out shoals of fish and some other large (possibly shark) fish. My target was Walkers Cay on the northern tip. The guide showed it to have a short 2500ft runway with a slight slope and a hill at one end. Looking at the performance charts for 4FB we were sure we were ok to depart again with 4 people on board and over half fuel. On joining overhead John and I looked at each other when we saw the actual length of usable runway for ourselves. However we carried on descending and called downwind for landing. John was attempting to video the landing from the right seat and when we got about 1 mile out at 300ft the picture looked decidedly uncomfortable. One glance to each other and a shake of the head and we decided to take the coward route and overshoot. Our first day out didn’t need to be that stressful. It certainly did seem a lot shorter than 2500ft.

Heading south again we couldn’t resist carrying out a quick touch and go at Spanish Cay. The runway sticks out into the water at both ends and has a definite feel of landing on an aircraft carrier. The attached picture shows how beautiful the approach is however it being a private strip we were only afforded a brief low pass.

The self loading cargo in the back were starting to make noises about refreshment stops and toilet breaks so we set course for the main airport in the southern part of the Eleutheras. Treasure Cay.

On arrival the airfield was pretty busy with commuter traffic arrivals and departures. We slotted in behind a Continental Express commuter and after fighting the usual Bahaman crosswinds were soon on the ground and taxiing onto the apron. We found most, if not all, airports around the islands didn’t have any taxiways. There being just one entrance/exit to the runway from the apron area. Hence all takeoffs and landings require some form of backtracking on the active runway. This additional spacing must be taken into account when following other traffic in to land so as not to be caught out because the preceding aircraft is still loitering on the runway. Likewise aircraft taking the active may be there for some time prior to departure. Overall it wasn’t a big problem and, on the whole 10 day trip, we only had to overshoot once for this reason.

There is an arrivals/departure terminal at Treasure Cay and we found the side door and reported in with always friendly customs officers to get our cruising permit stamped. They took a firm liking to my son David and loaded him up with small candy and various stickers from behind their desk to keep him busy during the future flights. Once through there we managed to purchase a few hot dogs and drinks from the small refreshments area in the terminal. Restrooms visited and appetites satisfied, we then tried to get back to the apron however the customs door that we had come through was locked and Continental were boarding another flight out through the main door so wouldn’t let us out without boarding passes. After a little discussion we found that a few swift knocks on the customs door and they were happy to let us in and guide us out to the ramp again.

We loaded everyone back up and worked our way back to the end of the runway aware that the Continental commuter was just behind us and awaiting our departure. Climbing for 6500ft back to the west enroute to Freeport we noticed the cloud was starting to build up and causing us some minor diversions to avoid it. Little were we to know this was going to hamper us regularly over the next few days flying. As we were climbing through 2000ft I immediately got concerned when the G1000 warning chime alerted us of a low fuel warning. Not what you want to hear over big ocean spaces. As I had been very careful to monitor the fuel flow and fuel remaining (thanks also to the Garmin fuel monitor) this was very confusing. We should have had more than sufficient fuel to complete the trip back with plenty reserves.

As it turned out it was only due to the fuel position in the tank during the climb and the sensitive nature of the caution system. Once in the cruise all was well again and the gauges looked as expected.

Returning to Freeport we checked back in with customs, paid the required arrival fee and left 4FB in the hands of the FBO for refueling. Freeport and Nassau are the only airports that charge arrival fees so we had no real complaints in parting with $10 on arrival. Back at the hotel we booked a night cruise around the rivers of the Grand Bahamas. The cruise was very convenient as it left from the side of our hotel and we were greeted onboard with ample amounts of free flowing beer and wine and plenty of loud music. The buffet food was unveiled just after we cast off. We spent a very enjoyable evening watching the riverside going by, dancing away to the music and experiencing the limbo dancing shows put on by the crew. Am sure there were other shows going on however my memory was very clouded by this time probably due to some serious wine consumption.

Day 5

Bright and, not quite so, early the next morning we set off back to the airport for a trip south to the Berry islands which started around 70nm south east of Grand Bahamas. The route we had chosen took us well out to sea and we would be out of sight of any land for about 20-30 minutes hence we decided to use 9500ft as a sensible cruise altitude. The few to scattered Cumulus clouds were still hanging round between 2000 and 4000ft and didn’t look like they were likely to go away any time soon.

We set course direct to Great Harbour Cay which seemed to be the main airstrip for the Berry Islands. The journey was uneventful and the backseaters were dozing off soon after leaving the coastline leaving John and I to admire the beautiful colour changes passing by between the cloud buildups.

Descending into the pattern at Great Harbour Cay we reported downwind on the CTAF for landing on Rwy13. Immediately after our call a Piper Aztec reported in 3 miles behind us for landing. Aware of the backtracking required on the runway I advised them to slow their speed for separation. However I had no need to concern myself. The Aztec was a local charter who fly the islands regularly and they were already taking a wider circuit.

We turned finals over a stunning marina while picking up some medium turbulence from the low level winds. The short finals were quite bumpy but I managed to touchdown and stop in a respectable distance allowing us a quick 180 turn and short taxi back to the ramp while watching the landing lights of the Aztec turning finals in front of us.

The ramp was very small and full of other singles and twins. There was a little space at the end of the ramp by the customs shed so we took the space and swung it round to point back out just as the Aztec came over the threshold.

After shutting down the aircraft and exiting we were met with a verbal tirade from an angry huge Bahaman woman in a uniform striding towards us complaining that we had parked directly in front of the exit gate and viewing area. This was the one and only time we ever met anyone around the islands who was less than extremely welcoming. Looking at the two lonely plastic tables and chairs that constituted the “viewing area” I thought at first she must be joking with us. However she soon put in me straight in that matter. So to keep her content we hitched up the towbar and moved 4FB about 6 feet to the right. That seemed to pacify her for the time being however she continued to grumble at us as we left for the short walk down to the beach front. As a footnote several weeks later I was reading the AOPA website giving info on the islands and indeed she was mentioned in the web entry as being memorable for her abrupt attitude. Apparently she is the airport security manager.

The beachfront was pristine and again totally deserted. There was a small ramshackle bar and café just off the beach that we wasted an hour refreshing on coke and conch salads prior to returning.

Back at the airport I tried to take some pictures of the apron but again the Great Harbour security manager was on my case again and I was rebuked and warned to keep cameras stowed until after leaving. Clearly we were a serious terrorist threat to the Bahaman Islands. We really got the feeling that we wouldn’t be coming back to Great Harbour in a hurry.

Cruising permits stamped and ablutions attended to at the nearby customs hut we walked back to 4FB and loaded everyone up again. Another pilot stopped by to chat with us and it turned out he had recently been an instructor at Dean and had recognized 4FB. Small world!!!

We were soon back up to 2000ft for a tour round the other outer islands. Heading back north we passed over the bottom of the Abaco Islands again. Disney has an island they are making into a secluded resort park and I was keen to fly over and see the progress. The runway at “Castaway Cay” is a private strip so we carried out a low pass of the field without touching down. There is a pirate boat in the small bay to the side and a marina for the private Disney cruises. Also there was work on a private bay and the resort itself. Other than that still quite a bit of barren land so I don’t expect to be able to book a holiday there any time soon.

We toured a few other islands on the way back but were soon back over Freeport for a straight in landing to Rwy24.

That evening we took it easy by the pool and enjoyed the spectacular sunset before the women went off to try their luck at the casino nearby. They didn’t arrive back till about 2am. As I haven’t retired from work yet you can be assured they didn’t win any great fortunes.

Day 6

Early next morning the clouds and wind had both built up such that there was an unbroken overcast and the temperature had dropped quite a bit. We decided this would be a good day for the girls and my son to go do some shopping together while John and I had to day to ourselves to fly down to Bimini. This was going to be our last day based out of Grand Bahamas as we were planning to move to another island the next day.

Arriving at the airport we went to the weather shack and got a briefing from the met man. There was a serious low pressure front crossing from Miami to the east. However they expected the worst would pass well to the south and shouldn’t be a big problem for us.

After departure the wind and turbulence were more than we expected and I was pleased we had left the others behind. We climbed up to 8500ft and set course for Bimini about 1 hour away. The overcast had just about disappeared and the sky was looking blue again. However after signing off from Freeport Approach we notice the cloud buildups again around the 2-3000ft. As we progressed south they continued to thicken and soon there was a thick layer below us spreading all the way south as far as we could see. Obviously no way we were going to find a hole through and stay VFR descending to Bimini. Therefore we had to do a 180 and backtrack to the clearer area. We descended when clear and turned back onto track at 1500ft staying VFR. I didn’t feel very comfortable being that low while being so far out to sea and ensured we had 121.5 tuned in the standby window on Comm1 just in case the engine started to sound anything less than perfect. The turbulence was worse down there and the odd rain showers were more of a nuisance than anything else. Soon enough South Bimini came into view and we joined the pattern with John at the controls for a windy landing on Rwy09. Fortunately the winds were pretty much on our nose and John made a sweet touchdown and taxi back to the ramp.

Bimini is split into two islands with the airfield being on the southern one. Unfortunately there isn’t much else on the south island so we arranged for a taxi to take us to the nearby ferry port and grab the ferry boat across the sound. The ferry is used to shuttle the locals with their goods and wares so was, to say the least, very “rustic”. However it was only a 20 minutes trip and we soon found ourselves alongside the dock at Alice Town.

This is very much a working dock and was full of people loading and unloading supplies of all kinds as well as traders selling fish and seafood. It was only a short 5 minute walk into the town and we found ourselves wrapped in the peace and tranquility of island living. A favorite stop off is the Blue Marlin Cottage which was the former house of the late author Ernest Hemingway. In fact it only took us about 45minutes walking to cover the whole town so we worked our way to the marina where the Guide told us we could find refreshments in the Big Game club. Like most of the smaller islands the facilities seem a bit run down and the Big Game Club was no exception. The bar café was situated upstairs overlooking the marina giving a lovely ocean view and the fresh air blowing through was very welcoming.

After a coke and some fries we headed back on the ferry to the south island and grabbed a cab back to the airport. The weather was looking a bit better overhead so we expected an easy flight back. During the preflight I noticed 4FB was building up a fair collection of bugs on the leading edge and the windscreen. The windscreen was easily cleaned but the wing leading edge seemed to have spot welded the bugs to it. That would have to wait until another day.

The cloudbase had risen to about 3000ft but was still providing the odd rain shower for the first 30 minutes before clearing up and allowing the blue skies to return.

The trip back was, as expected, pretty routine and we stuck at 2000ft until about 20 miles from Freeport before the sky cleared and we could climb to a more sensible altitude.

Back on the ground we decided it was time to move our base. We had pretty much covered the northern parts of the islands and to go any further would require much longer flight times. Also the wives were getting bored of the local area and wanted to move on.

In the Guide book we had read that the place to stay in the Bahamas was Staniel Cay (half way down the Exuma chain). The yacht club there was reported to be superb. The Exuma chain of islands were said to be the loveliest and most breathtaking islands from the air. We had tossed up with the idea of moving our base to either Nassau main Island (to keep the women happy on shopping, casinos etc) or to find a barren semi deserted island to get the full flavour of the islands. I had thought, since SC Yacht club only had about 8 or 9 chalets, there was very little chance of successfully booking something the night before.

However to my surprise they had a web site and I found they did indeed have two chalets available so, after a short phone call to confirm, the decision was made. Staniel Cay it would be.

Day 7

Staniel Cay is situated in the middle of a very thin chain of (the Exuma) islands starting just south east of Nassau. We expected it to be just under 2 hours flight from Freeport so needed an early start next morning. I had a lot of flying to do that day running the passenger shuttle.

The weather didn’t look like it was going to make it very easy for us with some mid level overcast and blustery winds. However John, his wife and I checked out the hotel and headed out around around 8am to the airport. I advised my wife to be at the airport by about 1.30pm to meet me when I got back.

4FB was loaded and rolling by 9.15. The weather briefing reported low overcasts all the way south to the top end of the Exumas with some rain but clear VFR below 3000ft.

About 20 minutes out of Freeport we could see the forecast clouds ahead and started descending to stay below them. I contacted Nassau approach and got our clearance to transit their airspace while struggling to stay VFR below the cloudbase. Luckily John was doing the flying so I could concentrate on the radio which was very busy due to all the Nassau traffic entering and departing IFR .

We struggled for what seemed ages to get around the weather and keep on track. As we passed Nassau at 1000ft we just managed to view the harbour and Marina with all the lovely hotels and casinos. This would be our only sighting of Nassau on the trip. What a shame. My idea of the remote island getaway was sounding a bit ill thought out now.

Just south of Nassau the cloud, as forecast, cleared completely and we had clear blue skies ahead.

If we had thought the northern islands were beautiful to see from the air we were clearly not prepared for the views we would see around the Exumas. The east side of the island chain slopes very gradually into the sea leaving some absolutely stunning azure blues in the water. Given the clear blue sky above us it was like the islands were trying to show us their true beauty. We were totally stunned as we cruised around 3000ft down the chain. We heard a twin calling on Unicom outbound from Staniel for Nassau and, before he had completed his message, John pointed him out coming directly towards us. We side stepped to the right and watched him pass off our left so close I could see the pilot. I’m sure they never even knew we were there. However back to work and settling into the pattern for Staniel we touched down logging just over 1 hr 50mins flight time.

This was it. We really felt like we had hit the out islands. Well John and his wife did. I had to go back and do the whole thing again.

So about 20 minutes later I was roaring off the runway again bound for Freeport with John and Co on the ramp looking for someone to transport them to the hotel.

As I climbed out I could clearly see the cloud bank ahead that had given us so much trouble coming down. I really didn’t want to have to fight it on my own so, being really lightweight, started a climb to get over the top which looked to be about 10000ft. If I couldn’t climb over I would spiral back down and continue underneath.

As it turned out the tops were all at 9500-10500ft so I settled at 11000ft VFR on top and called Nassau who were pleased to hear I would be well above all the IFR traffic in their area so cleared me direct Freeport. Hence I turned on the autopilot, locked it into the GPS, set the power and leaned the mixture then sat back and watched the world going by.

The journey back was lovely and peaceful. Once I had cleared Nassau airspace I tuned in Miami Approach just to listen what was happening. They were in a long discussion about a water spout that had just been spotted off the coast of Fort Lauderdale. Apparently this rarely happens so close to the coast so was causing some consternation. Well away from me however.

About 30 miles out of Freeport I was getting concerned that the clouds below weren’t showing any signs of clearing and I couldn’t spot any holes to get through if necessary. Freeport weather reported scattered to broken clouds so I should find something soon. I hope!! I started a slow descent to lose some altitude and sure enough about 15 miles out several holes appeared and by the time I was overhead the field the sky was pretty clear.

Back on the ground my wife and child were thankfully waiting in the FBO with all their bags. While 4FB was being refueled I went to the weather briefer for a latest forecast.

He advised the cloud bank south of Nassau had moved further south as part of this large cold front that was working its way diagonally from USA across the Bahamas. Hence the weather was likely to be the same enroute. My main concern was if the front had passed Staniel then I may not be able to drop down through it. He advised that by my ETA the cloud front should be just south of Staniel hence I could go further south if necessary and drop down underneath to return to the airfield. No rain was reported and cloud base at 3000ft. So with alternates as Nassau and Exuma International we said our goodbyes to our friends in customs and immigration and launched back into the air at just after 2pm.

Climbing up to 10000ft I made contact with another light plane who had just come up from Exuma and reported Staniel was still in the clear and enroute weather had been ok at 10000ft. Don’t believe old weather reports!!!

As we entered Nassau airspace the cloud tops were beginning to pop up above 10000ft and were causing me a bit of a problem requiring some minor diversions. Certainly nothing like the trip I had done in the opposite direction an hour or two earlier.

We cleared Nassau and set course for Staniel. However out of the now steady carpet of cloud below me there was a big lumpy cumulus straight ahead that seemed to be almost overhead our destination. The attached picture was taken at around 10000ft over Nassau and the cloud formation to the left was centred on our destination.

About 30 miles out I found several holes in the cloud and started a descent down to 3000ft. With Staniel straight on the nose 20 miles away I was looking at a huge rain shaft right in front of me. This was going to make things difficult. Staniel was in the middle of a heavy bout of rain.

I tracked to the north to see if there was a way around it but it seemed to be centred on my destination and wasn’t moving. I had plenty of fuel so was in no hurry to divert at this time so though I could wait it out and see if it moved before going elsewhere.

At this time another aircraft bound for Staniel came on the Unicom. He was obviously a local island pilot as he knew his way around well. He advised he was trying a few different routes and kept me advised of progress. Better him that me I thought!! Another inbound aircraft called up 20miles further north asking about the weather. They got into a discussion as I listened in and neither seemed too concerned until one of them mentioned a word that suddenly brought me to my attention. Twilight! Being based in Malaysia I am used to it getting dark at around 7.30 every night. I had forgotten that it gets dark much earlier in the Bahamas and night flying VFR is not allowed.

It was now about 5.10pm and it’s dark at 6pm. I had to make a decision fast. There are several small strips just north of me and I was sure I could find one if necessary but they are on deserted islands with no hotels etc so I really needed to either go back to Nassau or go round the rain shower and head to Exuma. Exuma was much closer so I turned in that direction.

Right at that moment the pilot of the other plane advised he had found a route through the rain and could see Staniel with 7-8kn visibility and no rain. He gave me a route over a small Cay just off my nose and said to drop to 500ft so as to stay VFR with the ground. I thought about it for a moment or two and turned towards the small Cay with the dark rain shower directly ahead. My wife had noted my tension by now and was thankfully very quiet.

As we entered the cloud the rain was very heavy and made an awful noise on the windscreen. I could clearly see the sea below me and knew I was still legally VFR but was very uncomfortable that I had got myself into this position. If it got worse I was going to do a 180 and then head straight down to Exuma. It the background I heard the other plane advising he had landed and was shutting down. I thanked him for his help wishing quietly he would stay a little longer till I was also in the clear. The hammering noise seemed to go on forever but there was no turbulence and 4FB was running fine. Then suddenly we were out of it and in semi blue skies. Staniel airfield was right on my nose. The change was so fast I had a hard time believing I had really been through the rain shower. However I could see the curtain almost in a circle around me. So I climbed back to 1000ft and joined the downwind while advising conditions to the other aircraft behind me.

As I taxied in I saw John standing on the ramp waving at us. He had given up on us coming in assuming we had diverted elsewhere and was about to leave. After hearing the first planes engine he walked back to the ramp and then saw us joining the pattern as well.

I have to admit my hands were shaking a bit when I opened the door to Johns welcome and innocuous comment of “That must have been fun”!!!! Not for me it wasn’t. I was really annoyed with myself that I hadn’t considered the time of day. By the time we had secured 4FB on the ramp it was already dark.

John had an electric golf cart awaiting us as our hotel pickup. The regular way to travel on the islands. By the time we completed the short ride to the Yacht club the rain was back and I was desperate for food and a very large well earned G+T. I don’t remember much more that happened that night!!!!!

Day 8

Exhaustion took over. I slept really well. Awakening to the sound of water lapping somewhere near me. The chalet we had been given (as with all of them) was right on the waterfront such that the patio outside actually sloped into the water. The weather had cleared out completely and left beautiful blue skies behind it so the morning view out the patio windows was beautiful. The chalets were quite old but very comfortable. Each were painted a different colour so there was no chalet numbers. Just the yellow room or blue room etc. We were in the Yellow room and John in the Orange. See pic.

The centre point of all activity is the bar/restaurant next to the large marina. So we headed there for a healthy breakfast while deciding what to do with the day. The marina out front is very large and can cater for several small cruisers as well as the normal array of yachts and boats. The yacht club also arrange diving trips to local caves and various boating excursions. Their claim to fame is that one of the scenes of a James Bond Movie was filmed nearby and the crew all stayed at the yacht club during filming. There were several baby sharks, rays and small fish swimming around the marina area which made for some idyllic scenery (but questionable swimming).

I calculated that we were ahead of our flying schedule of minimum daily rental hours so we decided to take a day off and let 4FB have a break. After the previous evenings escapades I’m sure we both needed it and I was feeling really washed out after all the flying hours to date.

We remembered to book dinner at the yacht club for that evening. Seating is limited so it’s a good idea to ensure you have a seat booked in advance. If not then you can still eat the bar food within the main bar so you wont go hungry.

The rest of the day was taken up exploring the island. Although the skies were clear it was still pretty windy and hence the club were not doing any boat trips. This was a shame as we had hoped to do some local diving.

I was surprised to see how much garbage was dumped off the side of any of the roads on Staniel. Since the islands survive only on supplies being brought in from elsewhere no-one is interested in removing the larger heavier items when they fall apart. Hence there are many bits of junk lying in the grass from old golf buggies to motor bikes, old aircraft engines etc. On a lot of the airfields we visited we saw scrapped aircraft dumped off the side of the ramp in the grass (after being robbed of all useful parts of course). This seems to be the norm and a sad blight on this otherwise beautiful part of the world. It certainly highlighted to me the tremendous logistic problems in keeping a regular supply of goods to service an island running with all its occupants, resorts, post office, shops etc and the infrastructure behind that. No wonder there is a small service plane landing about every hour during the day bringing in supplies. I have no idea how many boats are also helping to bring in larger items.

Day 9

Bright and refreshed next morning John and I decided to go for a tour round the island chain from the air while the rest of the family toured the island on a buggy and did some snorkeling.

There is no fuel at Staniel so eventually we would have to head down to Exuma International for fuel. Exuma is at the very bottom of the chain so we planned to go to the northern most island first and work our way down.

We picked up our kit and started to walk to the airfield. The island being so small it only took us 20mins to walk to the field.

On pre-flighting 4FB I noticed all the leading edge bugs had disappeared. The rain wash we went through on the last flight had done a great job of cleaning the plane. Although a cloth and bucket of water is probably more recommended!!!

We were soon back in the air fighting the low level turbulence on our way to Normans Cay at the top of the chain. I had wanted to visit Normans Cay as it had a very famous history as a drug runners strip many years in the past. I had been told there was a submerged plane in the water just on the approach end of the runway which I particularly wanted to see. Unfortunately on arrival we searched the water on the approach to the runway with no success. I later found out it had corroded so much it had to be removed a year or so earlier. We had 3 attempts to land at Normans. First approach was too high due, I think, to me spending too much time trying to spot the sunken plane and not enough time planning my approach. Second approach terminated when a BN Islander taxied to backtrack on the runway while I was turning finals. Third time lucky and we touched down on the very rough runway and took the exit allowing a fully loaded Piper Aztec to taxi past us. Looking at the condition of the totally collapsed terminal building I have to wonder why Normans Cay had so much traffic. Apparently there is a small resort near by. Maybe we arrived at checkout time.

By the time we had shut down the Aztec took off and the place settled into relative silence. Nothing here for us so time to get some fuel in Exuma International. About 45 mins south we couldn’t miss it. Just follow the island chain till you get to the big one at the end. We counted a total of 13 airfields from top to bottom of the island chain. Rarely out of gliding range from a strip somewhere.

Reading the guide it advised that Exuma is an uncontrolled field with CTAF info on 118.0. When I dialed it up I was surprised to hear all the standard calls you would expect for a controlled field and plenty of traffic in the area. In fact I later confirmed that it is uncontrolled and the “controller” on frequency is just an advisor providing traffic info.

However I still felt it was sensible to clear with her my intentions prior to doing anything stupid. The ramp at Exuma was huge. Probably the biggest we had seen on our travels around the islands. All serviced by one runway with no taxiways so backtracking is still required.

We shut down on the ramp and went for a walk into the terminal building. I ensured we brought our pilots licenses and the cruising permit as it would be possible (being an international airport) to get the wrong side of the barrier in the terminal and not get back airside.

There were two DC3’s parked on the ramp looking absolutely spectacular with a proud crew walking round cleaning and polishing, loading bags etc and generally making preparations for another flight. Now that has to be a great job!!!

We stumbled into the arrivals area and talked our way past the immigration and customs officials flashing our cruising permit at anyone who would show an interest. A scheduled American Airlines turboprop had just arrived from Miami so we didn’t want to get mixed up with their passengers.

So after a few drinks we blagged our way airside again and hunted down the refueling crew to fill 4FB for us. While waiting for the refueling to be completed I spotted a new Cirrus SR22 parked further down the ramp. An aircraft I have always admired. As the pilot was sat in the cockpit doing some prep I got into a very interesting conversation with him on the differences between the G1000 glass cockpit we were using in 4FB and the Avidyne glass system fitted to his Cirrus. He graciously demonstrated the Avidyne system to me for about 10 minutes. Having used both systems he could show me the strengths and weaknesses of both. I have to admit I find the G1000 looks more professionally built. The Avidyne system looking a bit cartoonish for me. However I would like to spend some time with it to understand it better before making serious comment.

Fully loaded with fuel we were soon back in the air heading north. There were numerous airfields along the way back but almost all are private or closed. However there was nothing wrong with doing a low pass so we did just that at every airfield we passed. Down to about 10feet on each approach and hold that till the end of the runway then full power climb and align for the next one. John managed to video almost all of them which made for an interesting collection to keep for future memories and to bore other family members.

On arrival back at Staniel Cay we overflew to take some pictures. John’s wife was at the beach and saw us overflying so jumped in the buggy and met us at the airport by the time we had taxied in. How’s that for service? We still had the rest of the afternoon to explore the island so, after a quick shower, went for a long walk around everywhere you can go in Staniel.

We only had one more full day left in the Bahamas before we had to set off getting everyone back to USA. After the tough day I had shuttling people down to Staniel I was not looking forward to the shuttle trip back to the mainland. In fact the more I thought of it the more I was sure I didn’t want to do it. Based on the fact it would be about 2.5 hours to get back to Miami and we had to stop somewhere to clear customs I worked out it would be almost impossible to do it in one day.

Sat in the bar that evening it dawned on me what the best solution would be. It was obvious. I had seen the American Airlines turboprop sat at Exuma earlier in the day. If I could get the rest of the family booked on that scheduled flight back to Miami then it would just be a matter of dropping them at Exuma and John and I were free to spend the rest of the day idly working our way back to the USA. Excellent idea. I could feel the pressure fall off my shoulders just thinking about it.

Hence we sat back on the marina with our G+Ts and watched the sun going down in an amazing visual spectacle.

Day 10

We woke up to an ominous sound. Rain hammering on the roof of our chalet. This wasn’t going to be good. In fact the temperature had dropped considerably and it was feeling decidedly chilly. A second front had moved through and was causing heavy rain and storms across Florida. The fingers of the storms extending to us out in the east islands.

This was the last thing I wanted to see with us having to return to USA the next day. Johns flights back to Thailand were set in concrete so it was imperative we get back the next day. I was in a better situation as we had an extra day in USA before our flight back to Malaysia.

I was so frustrated as we had specifically chosen this season to come to the Bahamas on the basis that this was the time for best weather. Apparently the Bahamas only gets a handful of non-VFR days in the year.

So over a very wet breakfast we agreed to book the women and children on the scheduled flight back to Miami the next day and make a provisional booking for John in case the weather held us up further and we couldn’t fly back. 20 minutes on the phone to American Airlines and the bookings were made. Their flight being about 2pm I decided (weather permitting) to fly them down to Exuma early in the morning and drop them off so they could go downtown shopping for a few hours prior to picking up their flight.

With all arrangements made and flights confirmed we settled back in the bar of the Yacht club and mulled over the weather channel on tv. The club boasted wireless internet access so we could at least get latest weather updates during the patchy times the link held up. Reports for the next day looked sadly depressing so we turned it off and tried to forget about it. Strike one day from our holiday. By 6pm the rain had eased but the cloud looked like it had more in store.

Day 11

After a restless nights sleep I awoke early with my ears alert for any sign of heavy rain. All sounded quiet however it was still dark outside and difficult to assess the sky condition. However as the sun started to rise it was apparent that the front had moved off quicker than expected and leaving the sky relatively clear albeit very misty with scattered clouds at around 2-3000ft and a 5000ft overcast. It did look possible we could get out of there today assuming more was not to follow.

After a fairly rushed breakfast we packed up everything and got the club taxi (golf buggy) for the short run back to the airport. As normal the place looked deserted and we soon had 4FB loaded with our 3 passengers and no luggage. John staying behind to await my return. On startup I got the problem of the failed Stab Trim again causing the loud warning horn to go off in the cabin. A few recycles of the autopilot unit and it cleared.

The 25 minute flight down was very quiet and the air was windy but surprisingly smooth at 1500ft and I was happy to release my cargo at the taxi ramp outside Exuma International with strict instructions as to what time to be back after the shopping excursion for their flight to Miami.

Soon back in 4FB the Stab Trim was having problems yet again and the only way I could find to silence the horn was to pull the Circuit Breaker for the Audio Warnings.

After takeoff and reaching 1500ft I did a routine check and found the 28v Main bus was at zero. This was the same symptom I had seen in Tamiami the day we set off for Freeport. My annoyance levels started to increase again and I was about to return to Exuma to get someone to investigate the problem. Checking the whole panel for anything out of place I pushed in the audio warning CB again and, “voila”, back came the 28v bus (albeit with the loud horn). I never did work out why the audio CB was related to the 28v main bus but was glad to have it back. I could tolerate the horn until I got back to Staniel if I had to. From memory of flying full flight simulators for many types of large aircraft I remembered autopilot warnings could be cleared by clicking twice on the a/p cutout switch. To my simple amazement it also works beautifully on the G1000 system. No electric Stab Trim was not a concern in the slightest.

The scattered clouds were still hanging around about 1500ft but the overcast was pretty high so I didn’t think it would be a big concern on the way home. However the winds were getting stronger and seemed to be from the west so may slow our progress back to Miami.

John was waiting on the ramp for me in the “taxi” and we quickly checked out the hotel and got the bags loaded. The route back required a stopover to clear customs out of the Bahamas. Staniel Cay does not having any customs facilities or designated as an “airport of Entry/Exit”. As we had wanted to visit as many island chains as possible we chose Andros airport on the Andros Islands as the stopping point. It was just over 1 hour away so should be an easy hop.

We waved a final goodbye to Staniel and did a circling tour round the island to waggle the wings at the yacht club as promised then set a westerly track for Andros. Almost immediately we started to enter a lowering cloudbase and some rain which kept us around 1000ft to stay legal. After about 20 minutes however the ceilings improved again but it was very windy and causing some moderate turbulence. The trip was otherwise uneventful and, with John at the controls, we were soon approaching Andros airport. As we came over the main island it was soon apparent that Andros would not be a popular tourist resort. Virtually the whole island looked like a grey swamp. None of it looking very inviting. The runway at Andros was very long and John touched down smoothly about one third of the way down. However we then had to taxi about the same distance again to find a suitable exit onto the small taxiway back to the ramp. The airport looked totally deserted except for the odd car parked by the airport fence. We locked up 4FB and went into the customs shed surprised to see three customs people sat in there. No idea why they needed so many people for such a quiet place but they provided the usual extremely friendly greetings. We handed over our cruising permit to them as we didn’t need it any longer. They recommended the small café across the road to get some lunch so we stumbled over there surprised to find it was actually open and serving food. The layout was very Spartan and it felt like we had walked into someones private kitchen The old lady running the place seemed a little confused at our request for a menu but said we could have anything so long as it was burgers or conch fritters (and of course Coffee by the gallon).

We ordered a plate of conch fritters which, she assured us, were a special family recipe. After waiting almost 1 hour, during which time she had called half her family in to help and we had taken three coffee refills and a walk outside, the famous fritters turned up. She had hand breaded each piece individually and the conch was like rubber bands dipped in old fat. Most of the fat being absorbed by the bread coating.

The smile of anticipation and pride on her face was such that we had to eat as many as we could however I was having to wash them down with coffee just to digest them and was very aware that we had a 2+hour flight ahead of us over water. So either my stomach or my bladder would give out pretty soon if I continued. John was looking much the same and had tactfully decided to go for another stroll to “walk off the meal”.

We thanked her and made our excuses. I don’t think she was convinced !!!!

Back in the customs area I called customs at Tamiami and advised of our proposed arrival time. Then called flight services for a weather brief and to file our international flight plan back into the USA.

The weather sounded ok with the frontal weather still there but VFR below 3000ft with strong winds from the west.

Hence we bade fond farewells to Bahaman customs and took to the air yet again. The Andros Island swamps disappearing behind us we climbed up to 4500ft and set course for Bimini. The wind and turbulence were getting worse however the skies were becoming a lot clearer with the overcast almost completely gone. We continued struggling against a strong headwind and tried 6500 and 8500ft to find an altitude that was comfortable and reduced the headwind. As usual however the best altitudes also had the most cloud. Approaching Bimini I called Miami Radio and opened our international flight plan so we could safely cross the ADIZ. By this time the weather was severe clear and we could see the Florida coastline from about 20 miles out. As soon as we crossed the coastline I started a steady descent and called Tamiami Tower for rejoin. They gave us a straight in approach for the cross runway 31. After 2 hours and 10 mins flying time from Andros we touched down and taxied off the runway for the customs shed.

Customs asked us to remove and open all the baggage in the back. After a very cursory glance they waved us on our way and we taxied 4FB back to the ramp and shutdown.

We sat in the cockpit for a minute listening to the instruments running down and just hanging on to the final moments of a trip we had planned 9 months earlier.

Total flight time for the trip being almost exactly 30 hours.

It took some time to unload all the bags, life jackets, rafts etc and transport them back to the FBO and to be honest we were in no hurry. The rest of the family were just about leaving Exuma on the scheduled flight as we got a taxi back to the hotel. I kept the keys for 4FB as I still had it booked for the next day to visit friends in Tampa Florida.

The rest of the family finally arrived back at the hotel around 7pm that evening after suffering serious indignities by US customs and immigration on arrival. Since they had departed to the islands by light aircraft and hadn’t handed in the visa waiver forms immigration found it suspicious that they still had them and hence they were taken to one side for questioning. After clearing immigration, customs then took John’s wife into custody for 2 hours as her movements were seen as suspicious. ie living in Thailand as a British Citizen. Traveling to Bahamas via small plane and coming back by scheduled with almost no baggage. I suppose I can understand their suspicion but this was no excuse for the way she was treated by the customs staff. She broke down several times in tears during the questioning and also again after she returned to the hotel. My wife and son having arrived back at the hotel about 1 hour earlier after only some minor questioning about a Taiwan passport holder transporting a child with a British passport.

I guess if that was all the trouble we got into on the trip and the FAA were not waiting for me on arrival then the trip could be gauged as a success.

Day 12

As mentioned John and his wife were returning to Thailand so we had said our goodbyes the night before. I had booked an extra day as we have some very old friends who have retired and are living in Tampa. They had never seen our son so I wanted to ensure we visited them while we were so close.

The morning was absolutely beautiful and the sky was crystal clear. I had expected the trip to take about 1hr 45mins to Tampa and had organized with our friends to collect us from Clearwater Air Park. This is a small airfield Northwest of Tampa I had flown from a few years earlier on another Florida trip staying with the same people. I was aware that we had to get back the same day and hand the plane back to Dean International so we had to leave Clearwater at the latest by 5pm that evening to get back before nightfall.

By the time we had got the weather reports and loaded everyone up it was about 9.15 and we were about 30 mins late getting away. Immediately after climbout the GPS advised our arrival time to be about 11.30. I was amazed as had asked my friend to be there around 10:30 and had hoped to be there by latest 11am. The extra time was caused by the 30-40kt headwinds we immediately encountered. On heading north they persisted all the way. If I stayed low the turbulence was bad enough it was seriously upsetting my wife (who is not good in turbulence) but if I went higher the winds increased dramatically. Hence it was a bit of a juggling match to keep my groundspeed whilst also keeping the passengers happy.

The airspace around Tampa is a nightmare with two international airports and numerous smaller busy airports in the area. I had tried to work a route that kept me under the Class B airspace and out of the way of the big traffic however I knew this was going to add more time and the turbulence would be pretty bad.

So I decided to bite the bullet and climb up to 6000ft and request a clearance to enter the Class B. This would mean Tampa Approach would be vectoring me right through the middle of some of the busiest airspace in the US.

When I dialed them up the radio was a constant chatter and I had to wait a while to get my call in. However as soon as I did I was immediately accepted, given a squawk code and height and headings. The calls were rapid fire and I knew if I were to miss one call in all of that they would instantly ask me to leave the area as they need you to be quick and on the ball.

I engaged the autopilot and set the heading and alt as requested and just sat back listening and watching the other traffic being painted on the Garmin. For me it was some of the most memorable flying of the trip as I really felt like I was mixing it with the big boys.

Considering the amount of airline traffic in the area I was stunned that we were vectored almost in a straight line right past both major airports within 2 miles of St Petersburg with step descents all the way. When we had the field in site Tampa handed us off and I called for a straight in to land. The wind was really very strong and rough so I advised everyone to buckle up tight. Clearwater Air Park is quite a short narrow runway and there are a lot of trees to one side that causes sharp wind shifts. The approach and landing were hard work and the landing was acceptable but nothing that I would be proud of.

We got everything tied down and went inside and it was 11:45 by then. Apparently my friend had returned home so we had to wait another 30 mins for him to come back.

Suffice to say we only had a few hours together but it was well worth it and I would have certainly done it again just to see them.

It was a wrench to go but we did taxi back out just after 5pm. I was confident now to call Tampa Approach again for a Class B clearance which I received immediately. Same busy traffic and I tried to stay on the ball and not upset their sterling work.

The weather report for Tamiami had reported low ceilings and some rain probably staying there all evening but I should be able to duck under it. The painful headwind on the way up became a helpful tailwind going back and I was reaching groundspeeds of 170kts coming back. After leaving Tampa area I called Flight Service for a weather report for Tamiami but got the same report.

In fact when we arrived back in the area 1hr 35mins after leaving Tampa there was not a cloud in the sky. It had also started to get pretty dark so the airfield was very quiet and when I turned finals for runway 27R and all the approach lights came into view even my wife sighed at the beauty of it. It was staggering. A large airport fully lit up at night and only me using it. The wind seemed to die away as we settled on finals and with 4FB trimmed nicely she flew herself back onto home base and we kissed the tarmac so lightly my son, dozing in the back, didn’t realize we had landed.

After exiting the runway I was greeted by hundreds of taxiway, airport and environment lights. I had the airport diagram pinned to the column as I really didn’t want to make a silly mistake on the taxi in after the final flight of the trip. I took it very slow and careful and we were soon doing final checks and shutting down.

What a beautiful finish to a somewhat difficult trip.

Would I do it again??? In an instant.

Would I change anything? Yes. This was the first trip John and I had done with family. As much as it was great to have them there it made the trip a totally different and difficult process. If family come next time I will get a twin or a 6 seat single.

Rental cost for the G1000 was $130/hr wet. Hotels are very moderately priced but I suspect we were a bit out of season. We usually spent around $70-90/night/room.

So the plane cost us about $4500 in total and hotels about $1800 total. For a family total of $3200 each family plus flights to Florida and spending money we considered it excellent value for money based on 30hrs flying and the challenge of doing something new.

Any Malaysian PPL holders can easily convert their licence in USA and get a temporary airman certificate at any local Flight Standards office. All larger airports have one. At last check the issue of the licence took about 30 mins and cost $0. However since 9/11 there may be some more involved in the process. Check on FAA and AOPA websites. FAA flight medical certificates can be got from the KLCC medical centre.

Get out there and try it. You will love it.