AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 24

WAYPOINTS

BY THOMAS B. HAINES
EDITOR IN CHIEF

Over water worth the risk?

y the time I leveled off at 11,000 feet, a quick glance at the Garmin 530 showed that I was only 20 minutes from Freeport, Bahamas—20 more

while at cruise? It certainly happens, but at least as likely is some sort of a problem that causes a reduction in power—perhaps leading to a complete failure, but at least you may buy some time. Risk assessment is a personal decision. I would not criticize anyone who elected not to fly over open water—and I know several pilots who fit that category. I don’t ride motorcycles, but I wish well those who choose to (but, please, wear a helmet). My trip to Nassau was to accept the Cacique minutes of deep blue Caribbean below me. My Award for Travel Writer of the Year. The Caciques Bonanza is a headwind magnet, but today we were are the Bahamian equivalent of the Academy Editor in Chief Tom Haines flies Awards, with the “Oscars” given at an elaborate tooling along with about 20 knots on the tail, so a Beechcraft the miles to dry land were ticking by quickly. Interceremony in a large theater—all taped for televiBonanza A36 estingly, at 113 nm from my mainland departure sion. I was honored to be recognized and accepted for business and point of Vero Beach, Florida, the Freeport VOR was the award on behalf of the entire Media team at pleasure. exactly half way to my destination of Nassau. AOPA who routinely creates great content about Setting cruise power, I reached over and patted flying in the Bahamas. The Out Islands in particuthe yellow inflatable raft strapped to the co-pilot seat. On top lar are a pilot’s paradise—small resorts on remote islands with was a handheld transceiver. In a bag next to it I had placed a great weather and remarkable fishing in that incredibly beautihandheld GPS (fully charged). A Leatherman tool bulged in ful teal-colored Caribbean water. The Bahamian government my pocket—to deflate the raft should I in the confusion of has worked hard to make it simple to fly to the islands and the getting out in a ditching mistakenly inflate it inside the air- Bahamian people are known for their hospitality. plane. I was already wearing the Coast Guard-approved life While I’ve made numerous trips to the Bahamas, this was jacket—ready to inflate. Should the big Continental out front the first one where I had done the planning, first where I was decide this was the time to take a powder, how would I react, flying solo, and first time in a single-engine airplane. AOPA I wondered? Could I manage a smooth water landing, bring- provides numerous resources on its website to make the planing the old airplane to rest on the surface and not plunging ning a snap. Bahamas Tourism at www.bahamas.com posts a into it? Could I get the raft outside the airplane and myself private pilot’s bill of rights, assuring smooth sailing into the into it before the airplane went to a watery grave? The Miami country. Another great resource is the Bahamas & Caribbean International Flight Service Specialist had asked me when I Pilot’s Guide. The biggest hassle, but highly manageable, is dealing with filed the IFR flight plan whether the Winslow raft had a cover. “I don’t know and hope not to find out,” I replied. the U.S. government. The Customs eAPIS process is tedious, “That’s what most people say,” he confirmed. but doable (be sure to take the AOPA Air Safety Institute online I wasn’t particularly nervous about the flight and, in fact, course). You must file an international flight plan leaving and found the challenge of planning and then flying an overwater returning to the United States, and get a squawk code from flight to a foreign country a fun exercise. I’ve flown across Lake Miami Flight Service before penetrating the U.S. Air Defense Michigan many times, a distance of about 86 nm, so the leg Identification Zone inbound. All of the resources provide to Freeport and then to Nassau was not appreciably longer— detailed instructions. I sailed right through, including returnand the water appreciably warmer! I could have departed the ing to the United States via a stop at Customs at Fort Pierce, United States from Miami and made the first waypoint Bimini, Florida, where the stoic agent dutifully stamped my paperwhich is only 50 nm from the shore. work and urged me out the door in less than five minutes. A few years ago an AOPA member was apparently tracking With winter still gripping much of the northern United my airplane on FlightAware and noted that I had crossed Lake States, a trip to the Bahamas promises both a good flight planMichigan half dozen times that summer. He e-mailed me won- ning exercise and a chance to catch some Vitamin D. A recent dering how I justified the risk of flying a single-engine airplane Bahamian Tourism promotion provides a $300 discount to over vast expanses of water; he lived in Florida and wouldn’t fly those arriving via private aircraft at many Out Island resorts to the islands. I didn’t have a great response, other than to say for a four-night stay or longer, with travel through June 30. It’s that I have considered the risks, take reasonable precautions, a deal you shouldn’t pass up. and know the airplane well. I fly high enough that the actual time of exposure should the engine completely fail is just a few E-mail the author at thomas.haines@aopa.org; follow at minutes. And, really, how frequently do engines completely fail twitter.com/tomhaines29. 24 • MARCH 2011

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011

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