Caribbean flying

[hharney]

Hello Keith

If you are thinking about going you need to secure rooms now. We only have 4 rooms left on the second block of rooms. The properties will only hold the block until December 23. Let me know if you are serious about joining the group. www.riverviewairport.com
616-401-3637

[JamesC]

I'm in the Bahamas now (MYLS) and these things are personal but the risk exposure is both objectively and subjectively reduced in a Skymaster and I would not do this very happily in a piston single.
There is enough risk already eg. build ups can happen quickly and the cells down here can be HUGE. Spent almost half an hour flying around one the day before yesterday. Also NEXRAD radar will show nothing because it does not go out this far. Satellite nexrad cloud coverage ends east and south of Puerto Rico which is not a bad surrogate in helping to get from a to b.
I like pressurization - often fly in the teens and my dog can't wear O2.
Off across the little pond to Bonaire tomorrow.

[JamesC]

Back from Bonaire (TNCB) via Skymaster.
It was a bit of a mind game with no NEXRAD and no satellite images (lose Sirius XM somewhere north of the DR) and limited Coms at times.
re GA in Bonaire I would not recommend it. One thing is that you have to go to Curacao for AvGas if you want to top off before the trip north. Takes longer than you think.
More importantly is that as of Jan 1st the Bonaire Airport authority has decided to recoup it's airport lighting expenses by charging all corporately registered aircraft incl. GA acft (private use not withstanding) $2.28 per HOUR of tie down itime. So if you visit for ONE NIGHT the cost incl taxes/fees is approx $155. The gentleman I talked to implied may be extended to all GA acft.
If staying for a few weeks it might be cheaper to fly to Curacao and take a commercial shuttle.
The P337H performed without a hitch which was great.
Amazing how often people come up on the ramp and say how much they love
Skymasters.
Staying at the Stella Maris resort (by MYLS) was nice - recommend the shark dive with Robert, or any dive with Delbert.
Staying at Cape Santa Marie looks awesome - I couldn't stay there because of the pooch but the beach there is really beautiful.

[Ernie Martin]

On JamesC statement on his trip in the Caribbean that people often come up on the ramp and say how much they love Skymasters, my experiences there have been quite different.

I fly mostly to the Bahamas and for a while flew to most of the islands. The comments I often heard was "What is that?" or "What's the rear engine for?"

On the latter question, I developed two answers: "It's a spare" and "I use the front engine when I fly East, the rear one when I fly West". Half the time they bought it.

Ernie Martin

[n86121]

You are flying (over water/night/mountains) and hear a CLUNK...

Complete the following sentence: "I wish I was flying in a ___________"

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A Skymaster pilot IFR over the mountains of Vermont in winter had an engine failure.

ATC asked, "Are you declaring an emergency?"

The pilot replied, "No, I'm declaring an inconvenience"

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For years I commuted to the office www.potomac-airfield.com from Annapolis, MD

Because of the Class B around Washington DC, half my flight time was <1,500 ft at night.

Didn't think twice about it.

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I have been going to outer banks for years now. Often low and scenic, often over water.

Sometimes high and fast... over water.

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Although I don't OFTEN need the huge payload/room, when I do....

'Nuff said?

[hharney]

http://www.337skymaster.com/messages...0698#post20698

[MelsML55]

Well, I did it. N2299X will be headed to Hicks airfield soon. 1965-6 C337
Keith Sturgeon