Flying to the Bahamas for the Fly-in

[Ernie Martin]

Now that the holidays are behind us, I wanted to address the issue of flying to the Bahamas. I’m thinking of those of you who may be considering attending the 2007 SOAPA Fly-in.

If you have misgivings about a VFR flight to the Bahamas, relax. In addition to being a beautiful flight, with breathtaking views, it’s a breeze. In fact, if you will be flying first to Florida from another state, that part of your trip is quite a bit harder, when you consider TFRs, MOAs, Class B and C airspace, etc.

There are only three special things needed to fly VFR to and from the Bahamas:
1. Each flight must be on an active flight plan.
2. On the return trip, you first call U.S. Customs to give them your arrival time.
3. You use a special squawk code on your return flight.

Let’s look at the outbound flight. You file your flight plan at 1-800-WX-BRIEF, you open it when you get airborne and you close it before landing. Forget to close it? No sweat -- tell the Bahamian Customs officer and he will close it for you. If you’re departing from South Florida (Miami to Palm Beach), it’s a clean shot, with no controlled airspace until you get to Freeport. If you’re departing from further north (e.g., Daytona Beach), there is a Warning Zone (akin to an MOA) en route. It’s clearly shown in the Miami Sectional and you handle it the same easy way you would handle similar airspace in the U.S. (i.e., go around it if the briefer tells you it’s hot).

And when you arrive, all you need is your passport -- no aircraft registration, no pilot’s license, no insurance certificate, no radio operator’s license. Just your passport.

On your return flight, after you file your flight plan, you call the Customs office at the U.S. airport where you will be landing. Give the Customs officer your aircraft’s tail number and arrival time, and he’ll ask a) number of people, b) citizenship, and c) whether it’s a private or charter flight. Then, when you climb out of the Freeport controlled airspace, and before entering the U.S. ADIZ shown on the Miami Sectional, you call Miami Radio to get the special Customs squawk code. That’s it. You’re done.*

On arrival in the U.S., in addition to your passport, you will need to show aircraft registration, pilot’s license and medical certificate. And, if you don’t have one already, you’ll pay $25 for a yearly Customs decal.

And, of course, with the Skymaster’s twin engines, there shouldn’t be any concerns about ditching. In fact, since your over-water hop is never more than 50 nm from land, FAA regulations don’t even require a lifejacket (but I wouldn’t make the trip without one).

Anyhow, I hope this answers any reservations you might have.

In the weeks ahead I will be posting detailed flight procedures for the trip. I’m going to spoon-feed you. I will not only amplify on the three special things listed above, but I will also include the common things that you do in all flights (like monitoring 121.5 and making radio calls as you approach your arrival airport), plus the frequencies you’ll be using and even backup frequencies, plus how to get your return flight briefing and file from the Bahamas, plus how to call U.S. Customs for free from the Bahamas. I’ll even tell you what to say to ATC.

And, of course, in addition to these procedures, Paul and I (who fly often to the Bahamas) will have a briefing before we leave Florida.

If you have any questions, either now or after you read the detailed procedures, please feel free to call me -- my phone number is on the Fly-in web page.

Ernie

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* And don’t think for one moment that failure to squawk the Customs code gets you into a heap of trouble, such as the sudden appearance of an F16 on your wing. In fact, if you fail to enter the squawk code or your transponder fails, they’ll call you on 121.5 and will probably let you in when they identify you – it’s happened to me!