Bahamas Info. ?

[231flyer]

We are flying to Treasure Cay (MYAT) for Thanksgiving (Route DTO-79J-FPR-MYAT).  Any recent info. on runway condition/places to tie down or general advice would be highly appreciated.  

Thanks

[N601RX]

79J has an onfield restraunt and tiedowns.

[231flyer]

Thanks.  I like the Andalucia area and airport.  Usually choose between Enterprise (EDN) and 79J as our midpoint between TX and FL.  Lunch at 79J is included in the price of gas.  I always tip generously because the diner also feeds our brave army reserve pilots gratis.  I think one of the helo units is based around there and I have always seen a bunch of young pilots around. Extremely friendly folks. 

I hope one of our pilots has some recent experience at MYAT (Treasure Cay, Bahamas).  I have flown into Nassau and Freeport but my first time into MYAT.  I have found a big difference between actual and advertised conditions the farther I get from the mainland.

[N601RX]

The helo's are based out of Ft Rucker.  They have a fueling contract at 79J so there are usually some there.  If you just need fuel 14J is usually cheaper and quicker, but no food.

If your worried about all the low helo traffic talk to Cairns Approach.

[jlunseth]

There are lots of tie downs at Treasure Cay.  Bring your own ropes though, the tiedowns are cables with bolts holding them to the ground, and rings that slide along the cables.  You slide a ring to the appropriate spot under your aircraft and then need the rope to tie from your wing or tail to that ring. The rings/cables are quite secure, and there is quite a bit of space for aircraft to tie down.  There are no hangars or lean to's at all. 

The airport terminal building is small, just customs and a small waiting area with a few commuter desks, but lots of cabs to take you to Treasure Cay or to the ferry over to Green Turtle.  There is customs at MYAT, you need to check on when they close, I believe you need to be through customs by 4 pm local time.  No 100LL, only jet fuel, but Marsh Harbor is only about 20 miles and they normally have 100LL.  In the Bahamas, you need to always call ahead of time and find out if they actually have fuel.  Places listed as having fuel can be out of it. 

Ft. Pierce is a good place to rent lifevests and raft for the trip over.

There is signage at the MYAT airport that seems to suggest that there is a wireless connect for pilots, so you can get weather and file your eAPIS, but we have never found that wireless to actually work.  There is a small commuter airling, I want to say Russell, and if you ask nicely they will allow you to use their computer to file your eAPIS.  You will need a working cell phone to make the call to US Customs though, and that (working cell phone) is not easy, nor is it cheap.

If you have Foreflight, hopefully their charts have improved.  We were given "Bahamas Route 10L" by ATC, but when I looked it up on the Foreflight chart to put in the waypoints, that part of the chart would not expand to make the route at all readable.  It was a known problem, I think they have fixed it, but check it.

"Head tax" to leave the islands has gone up to $25 per person, bring cash they don't take credit cards.

You won't be the first 231 to fly there.   

Where are you staying? 

 

[Jeev]

Oh man!! Thanks for the post you have motivated me to make this trip from Vegas when I can get 10 days off!! Just plugged it into forflight : KVGT KAEG KSHV KMLB MYAT.  Good times! Enjoy and I look forward to pics and pireps. 

[231flyer]

Thanks for your help.  Very useful info.  We are staying at the Bahamas Beach Club for the week and hope to get some island hopping done.  Looks like we will get assigned BR1L- Freeport- BR10L to MYAT. I checked on Foreflight and the they do show up on the low alt IFR charts (VFR too).  No app charts though......I think I will get the Bahamas Air Guide app for $60.

Btw is the Airport secured and safe?  I have always been uneasy about Mexican airports but Nassau and Freeport seem to be ok. I am flying in our Mirage so will stick to the hard surface airports - nothing too adventerous!

[jlunseth]

Yes, airport is secure and safe.  Culture on Abaco is very "family" oriented.  Several years ago we went down there and the one piece in the local paper that comes out fitfully every month or so, was to the effect that someone was seen going through one of the villas at TC.  Someone gave chase, and by the time the bad guy got to the other side of the island (about 200 yards) there were thirty or so people chasing him. 

Airport is fenced, and at least during the day there are quite a few people there, customs, police, baggage handlers, gate agents, all watching and would catch anything remiss.  You will see quite a few turbos and jets as well as pistons parked there unattended.  Just no 100LL, they don't carry it. 

Beach Club is a nice place, you will love the beach if you have not been there before, well, you will love it even if you have been there before.  Now imagine no houses or people on the beach at all, that was what it was like when we first started going in the early 80's.  You don't need much of a place there, just a spot to change from your swimsuit into your other swimsuit.

Decent bonefishing, O'Donald McIntosh is the best guide.  You can go to Florence's bakery to arrange fishing, or call O'Donald directly, he is usually fairly full up so call ahead. 

Florence's has cinnamon rolls to die for at breakfast.  Used to be you would go to Florence's for fishing or renting a car, go to Annie's Laundry next door if you wanted to buy fish or lobster, and there was a fellow on a green bike who rode around in the afternoons and sold fresh produce.  Annie passed away, the guy on the green bike got hurt, so I am not sure what the system is now, but Florence can tell you anything you want or need to know.  Hub of the island's intelligence network.

You can rent a golf cart at Johnny Cash's right near Florence's, but I have always preferred to rent bicycles and get some exercise.  That's next door to Florence's also.

If you are a diver, best place to go is to take the ferry across to Green Turtle, Brendal's Dive Shop.  Brendal is a character.  From Brendal's they are able to go directly out to the reefs on the Atlantic side of the barrier islands, assuming weather is decent.  From the TC dive shop it is a long trip out to Guana Cay and not such good diving.  One day a week during the lobster season, Brendal does a "lobster dive."  Can't take lobster with scuba, but divers can spot the lobster, then Brendal free dives and spears them, plus a conch and a fish or two.  Then goes ashore on Munjack Cay (deserted island) and cooks all the fresh lobster you can eat.  His rum punch is great too. 

Power boat rentals are available at the marina, it is worth it to rent one and go over to New Plymouth, then Hopetown, and do some island hopping by boat. 

Be prepared to fly Victor airways once in FL.  Lots of waypoints to put into the GPS.  ATC is used to nothing but Victor navigation there, no directs, at least we never got one once we got into the state.  

[231flyer]

Thanks again for all this useful info.  My brother-in-law and I will go diving and get outfitted at Brendal's.  Really happy to hear the island airport is secure. My favorite "secure" island airport is San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) in Belize.  They have a prominent perimenter fence with an equally prominent hole.  The locals ride bikes and such across the runway to get to their houses on the other side.  Scary to see all the "crossing" traffic on approach.  Local pilots seem to be at peace with it though.  Great diving at the "blue hole" and the national reef parks.

[jlunseth]

Nobody walks the runway at TC. 

The challenge is the landing.  Island is long and narrow so only one way to build the runway and the wind off the ocean from the Atlantic side is usually 90 degrees.  Runway is built in a Bahamian pine forest, so the wind is pretty strong coming in across the tops of the pines, then ducks down and scours the runway, strong and highly variable.  Nice long runway though.  Brush up on your x-wind landings. 

[231flyer]

Great flight in.  We got cleared Fort Pierce-ANGEE-Freeport-Treasure Cay at 11000 ft. Flight time was a tad over an hr and had Miaimi Center all the way till we decended below 3000 ft. Very easy approach into MYAT even though we had cross-winds of 15 knots +.  Long runway in good shape and easy parking/ processing.  NEWS!!! as of last week Treasure Cay now has Avgas as well as Jet A.  They have a small trailer tanker they can drag upto your plane if required....no need to fly into Marsh Harbor just for gas.  Will update with pics on our return.  Still enjoying the great Bahamian beaches/diving/fishing/eating etc.......hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.....Longhorns won so all is well with the world!!!!!

[flyboy0681]

Quote: jlunseth

"Head tax" to leave the islands has gone up to $25 per person, bring cash they don't take credit cards.

[BorealOne]

Hey folks - planning to head to Cat Island for Xmas w/ family. This thread is extremely helpful.

Does anyone have any beta on either MYCA or MYCB, or the island in general?

 

[joenut]

Quote: borealone

Hey folks - planning to head to Cat Island for Xmas w/ family. This thread is extremely helpful.

Does anyone have any beta on either MYCA or MYCB, or the island in general?

 

[231flyer]

The flight home was great.  Got Miami center right off MYAT and easy approach to Fort Pierce.  The customs and immigration folks were great.  Friendly and efficient.  On pulling onto the customs ramp one of the agents came over and looked inside the plane. Satisfied he asked us not to offload our bags and bring them to the customs bldg.  The immigration process took less than 5 minutes and we were sitting down to lunch within 15 minutes of landing.  Both the entry and exit process at MYAT were a breeze too. Highly recommend the flight.

[lahso]

Thanks for the update, 231flyer. My wife and I want to make this trip next year.

[N513ZM]

Quote: 231flyer

The flight home was great.  Got Miami center right off MYAT and easy approach to Fort Pierce.  The customs and immigration folks were great.  Friendly and efficient.  On pulling onto the customs ramp one of the agents came over and looked inside the plane. Satisfied he asked us not to offload our bags and bring them to the customs bldg.  The immigration process took less than 5 minutes and we were sitting down to lunch within 15 minutes of landing.  Both the entry and exit process at MYAT were a breeze too. Highly recommend the flight.

[231flyer]

Thanks Lahso.  My wife did all the planning and I am happy to share when you are ready.  We stayed at the Bahamas Beach Club and really enjoyed the "low season".  I think there were max 20  tourists in Treasure Cay this past week and 7 were in our party.  The weather was great and we are already thinking of next Thanksgiving.  

Mike:  I would love to visit Stella and CSM.  Btw anyone here done the Cuba hop from Great Inagua (30 miles ?).  My brother-in-law and I were trying to figure out the logistics.  Looking to do something after Ski season (April).

 

[MikeinFL]

Quote: borealone

Hey folks - planning to head to Cat Island for Xmas w/ family. This thread is extremely helpful.

Does anyone have any beta on either MYCA or MYCB, or the island in general?

 

I have a house down on Cat and fly down there a BUNCH!

The runways are fine, but there are not tie-downs so be sure to bring some chocks. If you fly into MYCA stay at "sammie T's" resort. If you fly into MYCB, stay at Fernandez Bay Resort. There is no AVGAS on Cat, the closest fuel is MYEH (North Eleuthera).

 

Have fun, I will be there with my family 12/26-1/1. If you are on the Island I will be happy to show you around.

 

Mike

 

 

[ChristianGodin]

I am flying from Montreal to the bahamas and caribbean for the first time (16 days - Mooney 201). I am planing to visit quite a few islands. I know that there is islands for all taste but is there any island I should not miss? Should spend more time in the caribbean or in the Bahamas?

[ChristianGodin]

I am flying from Montreal to the bahamas and caribbean for the first time (16 days - Mooney 201). I am planing to visit quite a few islands. I know that there is islands for all taste but is there any island I should not miss? Should spend more time in the caribbean or in the Bahamas?

[Steve65E-NC]

I have made a number of flights to the Bahamas.  I advise going to the northern islands in Spring and Fall and the southern islands in mid winter like now.  My last mid-winter trip we rented a house at Great Exuma and had a very nice time.  Lots to do.  Rent a car.  Interesting folks.  Large sail boat presence because of fantastic harbor situation. 

We also had a nice visit to Staniel Kay in the Exumas more than a decade ago.  The airport there was more rustic  but still very good.  A smaller, quieter, simpler place.

Just a little further north, we also like Stella Maris for its European atmosphere and good food (no need to rent a car) and the Riding Rock Inn (for scuba and underwater photography) at San Salvadore.

We traveled on down to Provenciales in the Turks and Caicos for one trip.  We decided that this was just too far to go in a Mooney and that any visits below Great Exuma would be by commercial air.  An exception here might be the Caymen Islands which are really not that far from Key West.  We never went but I did go through the process of getting the Cuban overflight permission once. 

There is a great flying travel book published annually for the Bahamas.  Call someplace like the Naples Pilot Shop (Fla) to identify it.   I gave someone my copy but I am sure you can turn it up with a Google search.  It has good info including diagrams and photos on every landing field.  It also has all sorts of practical info on customs etc.  

[ChristianGodin]

Thank Steve. I will stop by at Exuma.

[danb35]

I think the book in question is the Bahamas & Caribbean Pilot's Guide.  It's available at http://www.pilotpub.com/, or no doubt at your favorite mail-order pilot shop.

[BorealOne]

Quote: danb35

I think the book in question is the Bahamas & Caribbean Pilot's Guide.  It's available at http://www.pilotpub.com/, or no doubt at your favorite mail-order pilot shop.