November 7, 2006 – Toronto, Ottawa, St. Jean - Quebec
Lec arrived in Toronto, from Thailand, on Monday and we started our North American trip the next day. It was great to be back together after my 6 weeks in North America getting the airplane and things organized for the trip.
Toronto – Ottawa, Ontario
Date
Departure Arpt.
Ident.
Arrival Arpt.
Ident.
Distance nm
Time ER.
Actual
Nov. 7
Buttonville, Ont.
CYKZ
Ottawa, Ontario
CYOW
180
1:18
Date
Departure Arpt.
Ident.
Arrival Arpt.
Ident.
Distance
Time ER.
Actual
Nov. 7
Ottawa, Ontario
CYOW
St. Jean, Quebec
CYJN
100
43
The first stop was Ottawa where we needed to get a visa for Lec to enter the Bahamas . As a Canadian my passport alone was all that I needed but most visitors to the Bahamas from outside North America need to get a tourist visa in advance. No visa on arrivals in the Bahamas
Lec at the statue of Terry Fox in Ottawa ..…
The staff at the Bahamian High Commission were very helpful. We had Lec's visa in hand three hours after arriving in Ottawa . As it was early afternoon when we finished at the high commission office we decided to head off to St. Jean , Quebec that same day. Since I would not be seeing Brad again for some time that extra half day visit was going to be a nice bonus.
Visit with Brad at the Canadian Forces base St. Jean , Quebec ..…
November 9, 2006 - St. Jean - Columbia, South Carolina - Orlando, Florida.
The weather departing from St. Jean was not good…….500' ceiling with light rain. The forecast called for freezing levels from 8,000 to 12,000 feet and solid cloud. So we decided to plan our initial cruise at 8,000 and see what it brought. Off we went into the clouds.
The Montreal controllers gave us a direct heading to Saranac New York shortly after take off. The autopilot and Garmin equipment made this a very comfortable departure in zero visibility conditions.
St. Jean , Quebec - Columbia , South Carolina - Orlando , Florida
Date
Departure Arpt.
Ident.
Arrival Arpt.
Ident.
Distance nm
Time ER.
Actual
Nov. 9
St. Jean
CYJN
Columbia , S.C.
CAE
770
4:25
Date
Departure Arpt.
Ident.
Arrival Arpt.
Ident.
Distance nm
Time ER.
Actual
Nov. 9
Columbia , S.C.
CAE
Kissimmee , Fla
ISM
339
1:50
Surprisingly, as we climbed through 6,000' we broke into beautiful blue sky with nothing but sunlight above us. NO ICE and NO CLOUD. We requested and got 10,000' cruise & GPS direct course to Columbia . A few vectors were thrown in as we got down around Virginia but otherwise pretty much a straight course to the Carolina 's.
Weather below us did clear up and by the time we got to Columbia it was clear skies, 10nm visibility and a visual approach to the airport.
We had arranged with Columbia Immigration & Customs to meet the plane. On landing the FOB contacted ICE and in a few minutes Officer Collins was right there to meet us. (he had even tracked the flight periodically on the internet and knew we were on time)
The procedures for entering the US are well documented on the internet. Our experience entering twice was very good. Officers were helpful, efficient and friendly. But make sure you follow the procedures exactly. Call ahead, prepare the required documents, do not exit the airplane until the officer arrives and instructs you and be on time……..
After Columbia it was off to Orlando ( Kissimmee Airport ) for Disney World. Even with expected clear weather we prefer to fly IFR most of the time. There are many military restricted and temporary flight restricted areas in the US with serious penalties if you fly into them. So having back up from air traffic controllers is nice security even though you may miss some low flying sight seeing.
Having said that, we did fly VFR in one of the busiest areas in the US - up through southern Florida . If you are a VFR advocate, flight following is usually available and the restricted areas and information to stay clear is readily available. The Jeppesen/Garmin data on screen is fabulous and coupled with current charts etc VFR navigation works well.
Disney World – you are never too old for this place..…
Nov. 13 - Orlando, Fla - Grand Exuma Island, Bahamas - Staniel Cay, Bahamas
After 3 great days in Florida we headed further south into the Bahamas . We had found a great resort on the internet Staniel Cay Yacht Club – that is where we were headed…… Staniel Cay is a small island in the Exuma chain – just north of Grand Exuma Island . It is about 2 miles long with a nice 3000' paved landing strip and ample parking for visiting aircraft.
Orlando , Florida – Grand Exuma Island – Staniel Cay, Exuma
Date
Departure Arpt.
Ident.
Arrival Arpt.
Ident.
Distance nm
Time ER.
Actual
Nov. 13
Kissimmee , Fla
ISM
Exuma International
MYEF
412
2:30
Date
Departure Arpt.
Ident.
Arrival Arpt.
Ident.
Distance nm
Time ER.
Actual
Nov. 13
Exuma Intern'l
MYEF
Staniel Cay
MYES
47
:25
We had really been lucky with the weather during this part of the trip – other than departing Montreal ! The sky was clear, the water blue and the winds favorable for the flight down to Exuma. Just like entering the US from a foreign country there are procedures for entering the Bahamas . These can be found on the internet and at many Florida FOB's – I got my Bahamas chart in Canada believe it or not!!!
To summarize our Bahamas entry we did the following:
Thailand passport holders need a tourist visa which we got in Canada . Americans and Canadians can enter the Bahamas with only valid passports.
We filed and flew IFR. Although we requested “Direct” we were routed to Freeport , Nassau then direct to Exuma International. Excellent communication all the way. We talked to Florida and Nassau ATC on the way down with Miami giving us our final clearance into Exuma International Airport on Grand Island .
We did call Exuma Immigration and Customs before leaving Florida as the US FSS did not accept ADCUS. You certainly don't want to arrive without Immigration expecting you in any country – so I have found it more comfortable and reliable to phone myself first. Some of the published telephone numbers are not correct so check in advance – I would not suggest you start your engines then rely on the published Immigration numbers to clear you.
You will need to present either a General Declaration or a Cruising Permit form to Bahamas Immigration. The cruising permit will allow you to fly (no flight plans required) to other islands during you stay; the General Declaration does not provide this privilege. There are many islands with airfields so if you like to wander around the Cruising Permit offers that opportunity. We thought we would tour around but Staniel Cay was so incredible we just stayed put…….
This is the essence of our entry but does not cover everything. Suffice to say that flying from the US to the Bahamas is not complex or difficult. Like everything else it does require an understanding of the regulations and attention to the preparation. Bahamas being a tourist area, the officers we dealt with going into Exuma were great. Our turn around was less than 30 minutes.
November 17, 2006 – Staniel Cay - San Andros – Nassau - Fort Pierce and Ocala Florida
Staniel Cay – San Andros – Nassau – Fort Pierce, Fla – Leeward Air Park, Ocala, Fla.
Date
Departure Arpt.
Ident.
Arrival Arpt.
Ident.
Distance nm
Time ER.
Actual
Nov. 17
Staniel Cay
MYES
San Andros
MYAN
102
:40
Date
Departure Arpt.
Ident.
Arrival Arpt.
Ident.
Distance nm
Time ER.
Actual
Nov. 17
San Andros
MYAN
Nassau
MYNN
31
:20
Date
Departure Arpt.
Ident.
Arrival Arpt.
Ident.
Distance nm
Time ER.
Actual
Nov. 17
Nassau
MYNN
Fort Pierce , Fla
FPR
214
1:25
Date
Departure Arpt.
Ident.
Arrival Arpt.
Ident.
Distance nm
Time ER.
Actual
Nov. 17
Fort Pierce , Fla
MYES
Leeward Air Park
FD04
129
:50
The choice of staying at Staniel Cay Yacht Club was a very lucky selection off the internet for us. It turned out to one of those few places left that are absolutely beautiful, comfortable, simple, private, affordable and full of pleasant experiences. The food and all the staff at the resort were fantastic.
We would like to thank Ken & Vicki and Robert & Emily for helping us get to know the island and surroundings and for the enjoyable boat trips and dining together. Hope you have adjusted to life back in Georgia after your holiday!!!!!
Staniel Cay Cottages ..…
We had planned to go back to Exuma International to clear immigration outbound (unlike the US you have to clear leaving as well as entering) We liked the officers at Grand Exuma and I knew they had Avgas at the airport so a few extra flying miles in that environment was not a big issue for me. South to Exuma then North to Florida was OK for me. A local Staniel Cay pilot suggested that I might consider flying to San Andros Airport, where I could also get gas and immigration clearance and save ourselves some time. So we did……..
Ocean Side of the Island – just wonderful ..…
Unfortunately they did not have Avgas at San Andros!!!!!! At least not on the day we got there…The Immigration guys at San Andros tried to find us even a few gallons from a private operation but no luck. So back into Nang Fah and off to Nassau . The staff at Executive Flight in Nassau were very helpful and efficient. They cleared us outbound through Immigration while Lec and I had coffee, fueled the plane and we were off to Fort Pierce for more Immigration and Customs re-entering the US .
Lec making New Friends ..…
On the way to Florida we heard there would be a rocket launch from Cape Canaveral during the time of our flight. We got the cameras ready and kept an eye to the north for the blast off. ATC called us up giving new routing which would take us inland earlier than our original clearance – obviously to stay clear of the protected zone. We were reprogramming the GPS when the rocket took off……when we looked up there was a lovely smoke trail from the rocket but it had already disappeared into the clouds. I've got two wonderful pictures of rocket smoke if anyone is interested.
Again we had a really nice and efficient Immigration and Customs officer at Fort Pierce . He was interested in the new plane, our planned trips and it was pleasant talking with him during the formalities. They did make us unload the entire plane but the clearance was quick, courteous and efficient.
Our forth flight of the day was up to Leeward Air Park at Ocala where CarolAnn Garratt (Mooney pilot and Earthrounder) lives. We flew VFR (no flight plan) up through the busy airspace around Orlando . Although I had and used the VFR charts to stay clear of restricted areas (don't fly low over Disney World) the Garmin 1000 system made it easy and comfortable. Orlando center gave us flight following and cleared us through their Class B airspace at 2,500'. It was really active……at times our TIS displayed 5 or 6 aircraft in the vicinity of our plane. Lec is great at spotting the “company” in the sky. Between the Traffic Information System, Lec and flight following we felt pretty safe but happy to get through Orlando area.
Approaching Leeward (a 6000' grass strip) we heard Carol Ann calling us on the radio. We had no trouble initially seeing the runaway as we flew overhead but lost sight of it as we proceeded north to set up for landing. A local pilot was flying in the area and heard us asking Carol Ann for directions back to the airstrip. He intercepted us and we followed him to the right base for landing. I didn't meet the Good Samaritan but if you read this Thanks Very Much Sir…….In all the action I did not get Nang Fah slowed down quite enough and we flew/floated for what seemed like an eternity 5 feet above the runway. (you Mooney pilots know what that is like)
Although it is a very long strip I could not clearly see the far end of the runaway due to the grass on grass environment; so after the long, float down the runway I decided to go around. Kind of embarrassing going around on a 6,000 foot runway. But I thought better be a little humble than driving into someone's house off the far end of the runaway. Next approach was fine and we got down after a long day.
Airplanes have Right of Way at Leeward..…
Leeward is an Air Park built for flying families. You will see the pictures of us following Carol Ann's car down the road to aircraft parking. Aircraft have the right of way on the streets - neat!!!!! Most homes have a car garage and Aircraft Hanger attached. It is a marvelous community and we certainly enjoyed visiting Carol Ann and her dad while experiencing this unique life style. Thanks so much for all your help and hospitality Carol Ann.
Update – November 2006 
Visit with Brad at the Canadian Forces base St. Jean , Quebec ..… 
