Bahamas, Great Exuma 2011

Part 1. Preparation

I learned about this trip on 19 or 20 May 2011 when Rosie made his first post.

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=72350

Given the prep work done by Rosie and Jim Baker, I was able to take care of the critical issues and decided to go by the following weekend. Then the flight planning began. While I have made trips to North Eleuthera Bahamas, the Caymans and Baja Mexico, I tend to forget some of the critical requirements.

I already had an eAPIS account. I ordered the Customs decal. Then the details of getting to Homestead FL had to be worked. My initial plan was Valdosta GA or Dothan AL for the overnight stop on Monday, 30 May. The next day would be an easy flight to Homestead prior to departing with the group for the Bahamas on 1 June.

As I got closer to departure day, there were high surface winds forecast in the region where I normally make my first fuel stop so I considered a short first leg then would have enough fuel to get past the high wind area. Little did I know that I either missed something or the high wind forecast was not as accurate as I expected.

Once I was told that I did not need my empty seat for a contingency passenger, I removed the passenger seat and used that area for my tool/spare parts bin. On this trip I carried about the same as my trip to Baja Mexico. I had a main tire/tube. Nose tire and three tubes. Foot operated inflator. Significant selection of bolts, washers, screws, electrical connectors, crimper/stripper, wire, open end wrenches, sockets. Allen wrenches, safety wire, torque wrench, spare alternator, electric fuel pump, alternator belt, spark plugs/sockets, spark plug wire, 5 minute epoxy and flock, file, screwdrivers and other assorted tools, electric drill, plexiglass drill bit, misc drill bits plus other always carry items (brake O-rings, valve stem cores, spare fuel cap).

Part 2. Departure day

Monday morning I get up around 430 AM to get going soon after sunrise. The problem is that I soon hear howling winds. The question is from what direction. Get ready and head outside and it is too much of a gusty crosswind to go so I cancel. Schedule is secondary to safety. I cancel my hotel in Homestead and replan the trip.

The plan for Tuesday is to fly to Leesburg FL (KLEE) just northwest of Orlando. They had a reasonable cost rental car and hotels nearby. Then leave about the same local time Wednesday and get to Homestead before the rest of the group departs. Great work by a superior pilot with extraordinary planning skills.

Part 3. Departure Day...Take two.

Tuesday morning arrives with wind still an issue. Get the plane out, and listen to the AWOS. 21 knots gusting 28 almost direct crosswind. Grumble. I don?t jump for joy over crosswinds. But I decide to give it one try on the paved runway. If that is problematic...over to the unpaved crosswind.

Start the take-off roll using proper procedures and I am soon airborne. No issues. That was borderline competent.

Call Springs Approach to initiate VFR Flight Following, autopilot on for the first possible fuel stop and just relax. As I approach Enid OK, I see what may be a cloud layer. After looking for a bit it looks similar to the sucker haze I encountered approaching Florida on another eastern USA trip. That time I ended up dropping down to stay VFR. I hate flying low. Birds. Other planes. Higher fuel burn. Low is not my flight regime.

This time I called the bluff and it was just haze. No need to drop down. I win. Plus with the 20-25 knot tailwind, I skip the first planned fuel stop and press ahead to an alternate.

The second fuel stop was in Alabama. I called the FBO (Sunair Aviation) at KLEE and reserved a car. The engine start was abnormal and my impression then was that the battery was weak. When I got to KLEE for the night, the car was brought to the plane by FBO folks, I secured the plane and checked into a Hampton Inn using the FBO discount. Then I found an auto parts store and bought a lawn mower battery. I had bungie cords to secure it in the passenger floorboard area and wires to parallel to my Odyssey if that was needed. The wires were used on my trip to Kitty Hawk for the same function. The battery from that trip is now in my S10 Blazer.

I talked to a friend about the coming morning flight and was advised that sunrise was not as early as in Colorado. So I check Airnav and sure enough it was about an hour later. There goes any chance of meeting the rest of the group in Homestead. That info it easily visible on Airnav and I either failed to check it prior to today or did not notice the one hour difference. Bad Ron...bad.

Part 4. KLEE to Exuma Bahamas

I arrive at the airport well before sunrise. Since I have plenty of time, I wipe off the dew using a microfiber cloth. It acts similar to a chamois. Once the sides are dry, I apply the 12? N-numbers. As sunrise time arrives, it is clear that the WUSS doctrine has to be implemented. I look around and see something extending well above the horizon all around. It is probably haze but it is enough that I have no idea what it might be hiding. So I delay departure until almost 730 AM so that I can see what I am flying into. The engine starts normally.

I arrive at Homestead about 20 minutes after the last RV group departed. Refuel and once again the starting system is not normal. Once airborne I contact Miami Radio and Center to open my International Flight Plan and initiate VFR Flight Following.

My initial cruising altitude was 11,500?. The next picture shows the rest of my flight.




In case you see no other planes, it was because I was all alone. I was able to contact a few other aircraft enroute. They were about 120 NM ahead of me. I eventually went to 15,500? to get over clouds over Andros Island. As I approached Exuma, I was told to contact the tower. Interesting. My planning info was that there was no tower. I checked the Garmin frequency section and it showed what I expected to be the Unicom frequency by the Tower line. Turns out it really is not a tower and that explains why I was never cleared to land...only given some ?risk? statement when I asked if I was cleared to land.

The following pic is somewhere NNW of the airport heading towards the airport

Part 5. Exuma Bahamas

The hotel complex is http://www.hideawayspalmbay.com/index.html

Nice place. The beach is fine but the best beach/water was further north about three hundred yards. The following picture does not do it justice



Another interesting thing about this bay/cove was that the sand underwater was very level. I walked out about two hundred yards before the water was up to my shoulders. One thing I did not realize at the time was that ?Shark Bait? was there in a kayak about the same time so I was perhaps at elevated risk for mistaken shark attack.

I went diving the next day. First dive was at a barge. Pretty boring. During the dive I noticed Rosie playing with an anchor...apparently trying to keep it from pulling way in the current. I had not noticed that the dive boat used an anchor. I was expecting a surface buoy. Since Rosie seemed intent on not letting go of the anchor and was not able to reattach it alone, I went over and helped him secure it on the barge.

The next dive was at a smallish reef. It was so so. Since my plan was to leave in another two days I did not dive again. If those two dives were representative of the diving, then diving here is mediocre.

Overall the mood here is laid back. Just like the Caymans facility the organizers picked two years ago. I like it. The people are nice. We were treated well.

Part 6. Exuma to Fort Pierce Florida

I had discussed the exit issues and how to contact US Customs with Jermaine at the FBO. He took care of all the paperwork so all I had to do was pay him. I was able to call US Customs to provide an arrival time. The eAPIS formed had been filed before I started the trip.

A quick ride in the golf cart to the plane and spent some time getting ready. I departed around 815 AM, made a pass near the hotel then heading towards the US. I had planned on a bit of low level island flying but rain clouds to the north changed those plans. I think that you read about that rain reaching the airport while the rest of the group were getting ready to go to their Saturday lunch spot. I flew west as I gained altitude to get above the clouds then direct Nassau. Activate the Flight Plan, initiate VFR Flight Following and I am just passing time until I arrive at Ft Pierce. Info on frequencies below.


Miami Center ...close to MYEF 127.22 I obtained a squawk code (VFR flight following) before activating flight plan

Miami Radio (FSS) close to MYEF Activate flight plan 118.4 They told me they would get a code so told them I already had one. You may be able to to do the flight plan first. This was just how I did it.

Nassau APCH 121.0 41 nm from Nassau

Miami Center 125.7 10 NM NW of Nassau

Miami Center 133.4 133 NM SE of KFPR

Miami Center 132.15 64 NM SE of KFPR

Miami Center 132.25 41 NM from KFPR

Might have been others closer.

Here are pictures heading into Ft Pierce. The first picture is around landfall. It is based upon a Nassau (MYNN) to KFPR path.



The next picture is over the causeway. Note the bridge.



Finally I blow up the area from the second picture that shows the two silo like structures just past the bridge. At the top is the airport (runway 14-32 obvious). This approach worked to enter right downwind for runway 10R.




Customs was a breeze then over to the Tiki for breakfast.

Part 7. Ft Pierce to Home

I departed KFPR to South Carolina to get the next to the last lower 48 states. On the way north, I flew just to the west of Cape Canaveral.



Soon I notice a race track by an airport which must have been the Daytona racetrack.

On to Barnwell, SC. As I get close, JAX center apparently lost radar contact so asked me to notify them when I am abeam a certain VOR. Checking the map, I find it and let them know when I am there. I still don’t have visual contact of the airport which is about 17 NM from the VOR. When I do spot the airport, JAX Center does not reply to my radio call. After three more attempts to notify JAX Center that I have the airport in sight with no response, I have to change to the CTAF frequency to announce my landing intentions.

On the ground, I refuel then go inside the FBO building to rest a bit. Soon the airport manager comes by talking on the phone, looks outside then makes a comment to me that I did not close my flight plan. I respond that I do not use flight plans (but was using Flight Following). I also see a police car outside. Seems that JAX Center called out the calvary. Apparently, Flight Following gets a quicker response than using a Flight Plan if comm is lost as happened in this case.

Days later I called FSS (1-800-WX-BRIEF) and discussed the situation. From that discussion, should I ever have a loss of comm near an airport while using VFR Flight Following, as soon as I stop the engine I will call FSS and have them notify the appropriate Center that I landed safely.

I departed Barnwell towards Memphis TN...specifically Olive Branch airport. Somewhere along the way, haze became rather thick. The following picture is facing forward and is somewhat worsened by heading west in the afternoon. But it is realistic in that the dark band in the middle was the best visual horizon that I had.



Olive Branch was a good overnight stop. The FBO preferred hotel had a shuttle (about five minutes away). There were plenty places to eat within a short walk. The next morning I got a ride to the airport, and upon departure was allowed to transit Memphis Class B heading westbound. The Memphis controllers were the best I have ever encountered. On the way in to Olive Branch I was offered an ILS to runway 18 after I asked if haze was always this bad. Since I am not current on ILS approaches, I did ask for help on finding the airport. The controller had me direct to a GPS fix which may be the first time I have ever done that. Right turn to a certain heading and soon there was the airport. I could have found it but it did not hurt to have additional guidance under those conditions.

The rest of the flight home was uneventful but I did encounter reduced visibility near home from the fires in Arizona.

Part 8. Post-flight Assessment

A trip like this is taken as a challenge. It is more complicated than a trip to Salida CO for breakfast. I had recently identified weak areas in my cross country in-flight service use. Primarily that was using FSS (xxxx Radio) using the various comm links. Early on the way east I tried transmitting over a comm frequency and receiving over a nearby VOR. That was unsuccessful for unknown reason. I did manage to do it somewhere else. That plus multiple uses of xxxx Radio and I am better with that resource now.

I had to use that resource to open my international flight plan twice and I was better at contacting Miami Center upon leaving Exuma that I was when I left North Eluthera a few years ago on my first overwater trip.

My ability to continue in haze has improved although collision avoidance has to be mere luck. I cannot imagine being able to see a plane coming right at me in that condition other than right before impact. The Trio autopilot (wing leveler) helped too.

I did make a strategic mistake associated with the sunrise fiasco near Orlando Florida. Had I known beforehand that sunrise was an hour later than I ?assumed,? I should have pressed on to Ft Pierce. I should have skipped the flight to Homestead and departed for Exuma from Fort Pierce. Had I done that, I would have landed in Exuma around the same time as some of the main group.

Overall, despite a few less than stellar actions on my part, I did well. I set out to improve upon weak areas and did. The plane did well. The starting system issue was resolved by getting a new PC 680 battery and exchanging my Skytec 122 LS for a 122 NL. The prop turns over faster with a smaller battery although I am comparing it to an aging PC 925.

My biggest regret is missing the briefing in Homestead and mass exodus to Exuma.