Postcards

Five islands in five days

Flying yourself to the Bahamas this year? If the answer is "yes," then you'll discover that a lot of the bureaucracy usually associated with traveling in the Bahamas has been vastly streamlined. Now you can travel from island to island on a single permit, called a C7A. Before, you had to fill out a general declaration ("general dec") form upon arrival at a Bahamian port of entry, then fill out separate forms to obtain a cruising permit. The C7A combines the general dec with a cruising permit. As for Transires - another type of cruising permit that lists each of the airports you intend to visit - they're history.

If this sounds complicated, then bear in mind that until recently you had to fill out forms for each stop. When you're trying to relax and soak up the island atmosphere, it could be quite a pain to sit around customs and immigration at each island, waiting for the stamp of approval and hoping that you've filled out the forms correctly. Now the C7A does it all. Just show it to the authorities at each stop and head for the beach. At the end of your stay in the Bahamas, you surrender the C7A to Bahamian Customs and Immigration. Your departure airport must be a Bahamian airport of entry.

In an effort to attract more pilots and wipe out the hassles of the past, the Bahamian Ministry of Tourism has also come out with a "Private Pilot's Bill of Rights." This document, posted at airports all over the Bahamas, announces some welcome changes. Here they are:

• No landing fees for any single-engine private airplanes on pleasure trips landing at any government-owned airport. (Private airports may levy landing fees.)
• No overtime fees from customs or immigration for private aircraft on pleasure flights.
• No Transires.
• No departure tax for pilots and co-pilots.
• No tiedown fees at any government-owned airport.

On a recent trip we wanted to see how well these new procedures worked. After leaving Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL), we set out on a whirlwind trip through five islands, just to sample the different ambiance that each one offers. The first stop was Freeport International Airport (MYGF), on Grand Bahama Island. There, we went through the entry drill.

This involved filling out three copies of the C7A (remember carbon paper?), having each person fill out an immigration card, and showing proof of citizenship. An immigrations official gave each person a stub from his or her immigration card. You keep this stub until you leave, then turn it in. For proof of citizenship, a passport will work, as does a birth certificate or driver's license. Pilots can flash their pilot certificate and a picture ID.

We found Freeport's gambling and shopping motif unique. Casinos abound, and if you can imagine a chilled-out Las Vegas in beachwear, then you come close to getting the feel of a Bahamian gambling scene. A floor show in Bahamas Princess Towers Resort's (242/352-9661) casino had a charming, provincial flavor to it.

Next stop was Abaco Island's Marsh Harbour International Airport (MYAM). In Marsh Harbour we boarded a water ferry that took us to nearby Elbow Cay. There, we stayed at the Sea Spray Resort (242/366-0065; www.seasprayresort.com), which is located a few miles south of Hopetown. Tahiti Beach, with its powdery sands encircled by a pine forest, was nearby, and Sea Spray will rent you a boat with which to ply Abaco Sound's waters. One 20-footer goes for a very reasonable $500 a week. This is a tempting offer for those multitudes who fly to the Bahamas for a vacation oriented around Abaco's excellent fishing.

The leg from Marsh Harbour to Long Island took us to the Stella Maris Airport (MYLS). A short cab ride brought us to the Cape Santa Maria Beach Resort (800/663-7090 or 242/357-1006), which is best known for its huge, im-maculate beach and cozy beachfront cottages. Of course, snorkeling, sailing, and fishing trips can all be arranged through the resort.

The Cape Santa Maria Airport (MYLM) is very close to the resort, but frankly we'd advise against landing there. It's only 2,600 feet long, and the dirt-and-asphalt surface has seen better days. On our way back to Stella Maris we spotted one lone Beechcraft Bonanza parked in the weeds next to the runway.

The final stop on our whirlwind mini-tour had us landing at Nassau International Airport (MYNN). We expected Nassau and New Providence (the island on which Nassau is situated) to mimic the Freeport/Grand Bahama atmosphere, but we were pleasantly surprised. Nassau has the feel of an aging, yet classy, sedate colonial capital - which it was until Bahamian independence came in 1973. Now it's the capital proper. Our stay was on Paradise Island, off the northern coast of New Providence. The most impressive sights there can be found in the new Atlantis Hotel (242/363-3000), which features the world's largest indoor sea-fed aquarium, a dazzling underwater walkway, and a shopping mall designed to cater to the fanciest tastes.

All too soon we filed our flight plan for the trip back to Fort Lauderdale and turned in our C7A and immigration card stubs. Once airborne, we picked up a discrete transponder code from Miami Radio (126.7 MHz) for our ADIZ penetration, and rechecked that our ADCUS (advise customs) message and ETA had been sent to FLL customs.

You can airfile a flight plan using Nassau Radio (124.2 or 128.0 MHz), but the farther you are from Freeport or Nassau, the worse the reception can be. It's nice to be able to phone in a flight plan from an FBO, but this luxury simply isn't available at the more distant Bahamian islands.

After yet another uneventful flight over Bahamian waters, we taxied to the customs area at FLL. Our bags were scrutinized, as were our passports (a driver's license just won't do for U.S. Customs) and our airplane's documents. Our whirlwind was suddenly over, leaving us to pledge another visit. A much longer one.

Links to other articles on flying to the Bahamas may be found on AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/pilot/links/links9908.shtml). E-mail the author at [email protected].

Meeting the Minister

AOPA Pilot had the opportunity to talk with the Honorable Cornelius A. Smith, a member of the Bahamian parliament and Minister of Tourism. We discussed many subjects, and an abbreviated version of our interview follows.

AOPA Pilot: Are there any plans to build up the Out Islands [those other than Bimini, Grand Bahama, or New Providence] in hopes of drawing larger volumes of tourists?

Smith: We're mindful that visitors want to escape from the smog and traffic jams they face at home. In the development of the Out Islands, we develop in a way to ensure ecological balance. What we're doing is putting increased investment in small-to-medium-size hotels of 10 rooms or so. We have no plans to develop volume tourism to the Out Islands. A 500-room property on Bimini is being downscaled. There is a 225-room property on Exuma and also the probability of a 150-room hotel at Cotton Bay. The biggest properties are 2,280-room Club Meds - one on Eleuthera, and one on San Salvador.

Pilot: Which islands receive the most pilot-tourists?

Smith: In 1997, 78,880 private airplanes visited the Bahamas. The Out Islands received the most, with 56,000 airplanes, with Abaco being the most popular. Private planes were the second largest group to the Out Islands. The first is air charter flights from the United States. The third is American Eagle [airline flights].

Pilot: Do you plan to add any new customs or immigration facilities in the Out Islands?

Smith: No, no new ones. We do have plans to improve airport facilities for night flying at Exuma, Marsh Harbour, Governor's Harbour, and Treasure Cay.

Pilot: Nassau Radio is very weak, and the remote flight service frequencies seem to be poorly attended. It can take many calls to raise someone on the frequency. Are there any plans to correct this?

Smith: My information is that the ministry responsible for aviation is reviewing the situation with regard to communications. This with the idea to improve them at Nassau and three other recently named airports. The local communications company is presently upgrading the system. Search and rescue is priority. The Miami radio frequency is consistently monitored and is ready to act in the event of an emergency.

Pilot: Do you plan to fly any more radar balloons [balloons containing equipment designed to identify drug-smuggling aircraft] in the Bahamas? Will the balloons on Grand Bahama be flown again?

Smith: There are no more radar balloons in the Bahamas. The United States removed them, declaring that the Bahamas once again has the trafficking of drugs under control.

Pilot: What has been the level of aircraft theft in the Bahamas?

Smith: Minimal. The last theft I'm aware of happened two and one-half to three years ago. - TAH