Flying VFR from South Florida down to Trinidad & Tobago in the FSReborn Sting S4.
Leg 1: Fort Lauderdale to South Bimini - it’s a short hop almost due East from the airfield, passing over the famous Miami skyline. Make sure to request Flight Following before departing the coast. Any single-engine pilot will tell you they have just a bit of anxiety when the there’s nothing around you but open ocean, and for just a while, that’s exactly what we see. Comfortingly, Miami Center is but a radio call away, and eventually, the color of the water changes and just growing ahead, you catch a glimpse of the pale Bimini beaches. Bucaneer, the nearest town to the airport is an amazing mix of colorful buildings surrounded by docks full of yachts, sailboats and dominated by a gorgeous beachfront on the western side. Just a chirp as the mainmounts hit and we’re safely down, backtracking down RWY 28 to the ramp.
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Leg 2: South Bimini to Nassau
Departed beautiful Bimini under partly cloudy skies, but our cruise put us just under all the scud - perfect. It’s a bit of a long haul, there’s about a 74NM stretch between Bimini and landfall at alternate fields on Andros Island and Chub Cay, so you always feel a little relief when they pull into view. While cruising, you can see all the parts of the water that are shallower, characteristic of the region - they show up as gorgeously deep aqua green, even with an overcast. Lots of traffic overhead, all commercial - we’re one of the few VFR flights operating today in this sector. ATIS indicates RWY10 in use, so we point a little more southerly then turn in for final approach, passing over Lyford Cay and Old Fort Bay. It’s a long rollout to the end of 10, then a turn onto the ramp where the FBO for GA traffic is located. Log another safe arrival.
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This is a real coincidence. I am a privavite pilot and I flew my Beechcraft Sundowner from New York down to Trinidad and Tobago last month. I practice the trip on MSFS and with the addon airports it looks 90% accurate. When I got back home I was flying MSFS comparing videos and photos with MSFS in VR.
I started from my airport in Long Island KHWV and flew to Sun n Fun where I camped out next to my plane for 4 days. I left that Monday and flew to KFXE to rent a raft at Banyan Pilot Fbo. My first stop was Exuma, Bahamas MYEF for fuel and then I flew to Turks and Caicos MBPV where I stayed overnight. I stopped in Punta Cuna, Dominican Republic MDPC for fuel and then to St Kitts TKPK for the night. I had to fly to Nevis TKPN for fuel the next morning and after I flew to Tobago TTCP for a week stay with my wife’s family. I had to fly to Trinidad TTPP during the week for fuel.
On my way back my first stop was St Vincent TVSA for fuel and then I flew and stayed at St Croix TISX overnight. I stopped at Old San Juan, Puerto Rico TJIG for fuel. I continued to Puerto Plata Dominican Republic MDPP and stayed there for 3 days. I flew to Inagua, Bahamas MYIG for fuel and my final stop in the Caribbean was Bimini Bahamas MYBS.
I returned to KFXE to return the raft and pick up my camping gear I left there. I stayed the night and fhen flew to Mt Pleasant South Carolina KLRO. I was there a few days visiting family and then made my way back to New York.
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Ah very neat. One of the mods was a Sundowner owner too, he moved to a smaller platform but loved that plane.
Exuma is my next stop as I’m trying to keep the hops to an hour. That won’t be possible with certain legs after that - I’ll have to reach Provinciales and later on Hispaniola. The Sting is a nice VMC bird but slow, so about two hours is my “chair” limit.
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Leg 3: Nassau to Exuma
Another gorgeous VFR day departing Nassau. Took a quick run up to Paradise Island to check out the hotels and resorts, then turned south. Passed to the Northeast of Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park before doglegging over the field and taking Runway 30.
