Bahamas

Repost: Last Day in Paradise

flynthings

Bahamas memories … Ten years ago

In a way I was glad that we were not planning to fly direct from Nassau back to the US.  While Paradise Island was not really Paradise in my mind, we still had half day in the Bahamas. The plan was to do some island hopping before heading back to the States.

After breakfast we headed back to the airport, filed our VFR flight plan (Nassau requires all pilots departing from Nassau to file one), and departed for the short hop to Fresh Creek airport on Andros Island. Andros Island is the largest island of the Bahamas. As with the other Bahamas islands, tourism is the major industry here. There are beautiful flora, fauna and marine life and untouched beaches for a peaceful getaway.

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Continue to read here.

Repost: Pigs can swim :-)

flynthings

Bahamas memories … Ten years ago

One legend has it that a few sailors dropped off some pigs on Big Major Cay (in the group of islands known as the Exumas) with the intention of returning to cook them. They never returned and the pigs survived by eating food dumped from passing ships. What ever the legend, pigs still inhabit the beach  and the beach is often known as “Pig Beach”. Many tourist boats make it there each day, and people swim with the pigs and feed them.

StanielCay2

Last year, I had missed the flight to Staniel Cay (nearest town closest to Pig Beach with an airport) with the group since we had already made other plans. Those who had visited last year, enjoyed it so much, that they were ready for some repeat action. In order to get to Pig Beach, it is necessary to rent boats at Staniel Cay and make the short boat ride.

Continue to read here.

Repost: Island Time

flynthings

Bahamas memories … Ten years ago

“Welcome to the Bahamas
No need to rush… Take your time. You are on Island time now,”

So greeted the ramp personnel as they helped us tie the aircraft down and unload the aircraft where ever we landed in the Bahamas. Island Time. Has a nice ring right?

The cab was waiting to ferry us over to the Fernandez Bay Village (FBV) resort. After a quick tour of the resort, and checking in, we were settled in our villa. A few of the others who had arrived earlier, were already out relaxing on the beach, in the warm waters or lounging in the Club House sipping intoxicating Rum Punch and snacking on cookies laid out to welcome us.

Continue to read here.

Repost: Bahamas Baby

flynthings

Accept the Challenges.
So you might feel the Exhilaration of Victory

Sunday dawned,  clear and beautiful.

 

After breakfast, all of us departed to the airport in shared cabs.  The time was here. Over the weeks we had planned and re-planned. And that morning, re-planned again.

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In order to fly to the Bahamas there are some key things to plan ahead of time:

  1. A User Fee Decal for the airplane
  2. A Radio license for the airplane
  3. A radio license for each of the pilots who wishes to fly in the Bahamas
  4. An owner authorization letter for rented aircraft
  5. An international VFR or IFR flight plan to the airport of entry (AOE) with customs in the Bahamas
  6. An eAPIS account to submit the manifest prior to entry into the Bahamas
  7. Customs forms per person or family and an Arrival form for each aircraft
  8. A Transient form to fly to multiple airports within the Bahamas
  9. Life vests (and raft if you prefer) for safety.

Continue to read here.

Ah Bahamas!

flynthings

February brings fond memories of Bahamas…

Has it really been 5 years?

If wishes were horses, I would, I should, I might, or I already would be in the Bahamas!

Five years ago today…

Last year when we planned the Bahamas trip, we set off with a hotel reservation in Fort Pierce, FL, which by the way, we had to change since we departed one day later than planned. Of course, we did need to prepare ahead of the time: radio licenses for the aircraft as well as the pilots, decal for the aircraft, and eAPIS accounts to submit passenger manifests. That was the extent of our planning. I roughly planned what stops we would make on the outbound, so we could have a rough estimate of flight times to expect and where we would stop for fuel, food and customs. But that was it.

Continue to read the full article here

See Also:

The Bahamas Adventure
Flying to the Bahamas in the C172

Island Time

flynthings

Fly 'n Things

“Welcome to the Bahamas
No need to rush… Take your time. You are on Island time now,”

So greeted the ramp personnel as they helped us tie the aircraft down and unload the aircraft where ever we landed in the Bahamas. Island Time. Has a nice ring right?

The cab was waiting to ferry us over to the Fernandez Bay Village (FBV) resort. After a quick tour of the resort, and checking in, we were settled in our villa. A few of the others who had arrived earlier, were already out relaxing on the beach, in the warm waters or lounging in the Club House sipping intoxicating Rum Punch and snacking on cookies laid out to welcome us.

fbv2FBV is an idyllic paradise. Set on the western shore of central Cat Island, with a vast expanse of immaculate pink beach and turquoise waters of the bay, one could get lost…

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Best of 2015

flynthings6 Comments

Life is full of choices

I bought a T-shirt one year at Airventure that read “Life is full of choices”. How true.

2014 was an incredible year. I flew a lot. I flew to the Bahamas. To Sun ‘n Fun. To Airventure. I flew to Virginia airports for $500 Vegeburger runs and stamps. I finally got my tail wheel rating. It was fantabulous!

2015, on the other hand was tame. As they say, life is full of choices!

Here are some fun posts from 2015:

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January: Words on Wednesdays: From AAA to FLY

February: Bahamas Blues

March: Indian Women Pilots

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April:May Day, May Day, May Day

May: Heroes in Fiction

June: December

July: Postcards to OSH: Wish I was there…

WishIwashere

August: Logging Memories V

September: Remembering this day

October: It’s Beautiful out here!

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November: Monday Morning Reality

December: Limited Edition Airplane Cookies

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Bahamas Blues

flynthings1 Comment

It’s Monday and what I feel this morning is not the Monday’s blues but Bahamas blues…

fbv2I wish,

  • right now, I was walking on the white sandy beaches of Fernandez Bay resort
  • right now, basking in the tropical sunshine, spending a lazy Monday morning relaxing
  • right now, planning to drive around Cat Island or Island hopping with the group
    • flying to watch swimming pigs on Staniel Cay
    • flying to San Salvador, where Columbus landed
    • flying over the breathtaking Exumas and so much more!

In stead, I am an armchair pilot this year, vicariously enjoying from right here. Check out this article and video of the tropical paradise by AOPA:

http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2015/February/Pilot/f_escape1