Postcards

Baja Bush Pilots cruise Central America

When I first came up with the idea of a 10-day-long group trip that would include stops in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Panama, I approached several of my peers, including Arnold Senterfitt (the father of general aviation flying in Mexico, and the founder of the Baja Bush Pilots, a pilot association). They all looked at me as if I were crazy. So I ignored all the well-meant advice and took on the task of putting together this "mother of all adventures." In the ensuing months, I made the trip down to Panama and back, contacted all of the nations that we would be flying over to procure landing and/or overflight rights, and made contact with the various hotels where we would stay. In addition, a boat was chartered for a trip through the Panama Canal.

Our group ranged in age from 2 to 91, pilot experience from 300 hours to 30,000 hours (both VFR and IFR), and aircraft in speed from 120 to 180 knots. In all, there were 54 people on the trip. The average age was about 40, with our oldest pilot at 85. Her copilot was 91.

Our flight of 17 left the United States on November 2, 1998, and met up in Alamos, Mexico. Located just 280 nautical miles south of the U.S. border, Alamos is one of Mexico's best-kept secrets. The temperature is perfect year round. By national law, all of the buildings, streets, and public areas must be preserved as they were 200 years ago. Around a central square are many small hotels meant to tease the traveler into thinking of years past. We stayed at the Mansion Hotel. Almost all of the hotels have inside courtyards with abundant fountains and flowers, and most rooms have high ceilings and massive Spanish furniture. You go to sleep to the sound of silence and wake to the sound of church bells.

Following an overwhelming reception and dinner with the owners of the hotel, the next morning we departed at eight o'clock for the 3.3-hour hop to San Louis Potosi, a major city in the center of Mexico. After spending a great afternoon in San Louis and getting a good night's sleep, it was time to depart for Guatemala. This is when things got interesting.

We had been informed that weather was bad at 9 p.m. the day before (our latest information) so — after checking with Mexico's weather service without much luck, trying to no avail to find The Weather Channel, and finally going to the top floor of our hotel to look to the southeast — the decision was made to depart on our next leg to Guatemala. Along the way, we'd stay in communication with each other and talk about the weather. Most filed for Tapachula first — the southernmost airport of Mexican entry — but some headed over to Acapulco and then flew down the coast. Others flew direct, over Mexico City. Several others, including myself, filed direct to Guatemala City. Those who flew direct to Tapachula, as well those who filed to Guatemala City, had little in the way of weather problems. Those over flew over to Acapulco and then down the coast, however, ran into some real difficulties. That night, we had one aircraft in Uruapan, one in Bahias Huatulco, nine in Puerto Escondido, and six in Guatemala. For the time being, we were no longer a flight of 17. But it gets better.

Ten days before leaving the United States, as the last overflight permit came before our departure, a small wind started to pick up in the Atlantic Ocean. The wind grew stronger and stronger, and two days later, the U.S. Hurricane Center in Miami named this wind Hurricane Mitch. The storm grew as it crossed the Atlantic and Caribbean, bearing down on Central America, where it stalled in Belize, flooding Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Over a four-day period, 10,000 persons died in Guatemala alone.

And we were about to feel Mitch's effects, too.

Our flight of six from San Louis Potosi was uneventful — until approaching Guatemala City, which was in solid instrument weather. I had made the decision not to take a group of aircraft into instrument meteorological conditions under any circumstances because of the mix of aircraft and varying levels of pilot skill. I now had to decide whether to change this policy and file IFR in the air into Guatemala City, or to divert. We diverted to a small military airstrip in Guatemala called Puerto San Jose.

It was good to be safe on the ground, but not so good in other respects. You see, our flight of six was now illegal. We had no entry papers. We landed at a military airport that was at full alert status and carrying out relief efforts for the victims of Hurricane Mitch. There were military troops, trucks, Jeeps, helicopters, and aircraft everywhere. To my relief, after the troops figured out who we were and why we were there, the dark glasses and frowns came off and it was all smiles and friendliness.

The assistant controller came down from the tower and explained that the airport had been flooded and that it had reopened just that morning. San Jose was still flooded.

However, he did volunteer to take us to town in his van to see whether we could find a hotel. About half of our group, including me, got into the van for the first trip in. The entire main street of the town was under water, and when we turned to go toward the only hotel, we were instantly stuck in mud up to our axles. So it was out of the van and into the black, knee-deep floodwater for a group push.

After we spent the night in San Jose and then made the short 50-mile hop to Guatemala City, both customs and immigration met us at our aircraft, and all paperwork was taken care of. In addition, immigration transported us to our hotel in the van and picked us up the following morning, something that was completely unexpected and greatly appreciated.

I had worked very closely with the head of Guatemalan civil aviation, who had planned a special reception for us. But because of Mitch, Guatemala City International, which normally has 300 operations a day, now was running in excess of 2,000 a day and most officials were working 20 hours a day. After we saw just part of the trauma that the people of Guatemala were going through, our hearts went out to them. We were amazed that they were able to provide the hospitality they displayed during this time of crisis.

San Salvador, El Salvador, was our next stop. Just a short one-hour flight away, we were met at Ilopango International Airport by the head of the country's FAA, the mayor of Salvador, the president of the El Salvador Aero Club, and many others.

Upon landing, we were parked and whisked to the aero club's clubhouse, where we were treated to lunch and unlimited beer. Following lunch, we took a bus tour of San Salvador, which wound up at our hotel, where a large reception and dinner were held for us. The following morning they picked us up, took us back out to their airport clubhouse for breakfast, walked us through flight planning, and waved goodbye as we departed. El Salvador, we love you. Next stop — Pavas International Airport in Costa Rica, where all of the airplanes in the group rejoined.

The people at Pavas were wonderful. The flight service, customs, immigration, airport manager, and weather people all went out of their way to be helpful. Now for the ugly part. Pavas International is an awesome airport. Located on a plateau in the middle of San Jose, Costa Rica, the runway is some 3,600 feet long and about 68 feet wide; the center of the runway is about 20 feet higher than either end, and it always has a 20-knot crosswind. It is one of the few international airports in Central America without an instrument approach. In addition, in most cases, you cross Coco (San Jose International) midfield and all but plop down on Pavas. You are talking to Coco Approach, Coco Tower, and Pavas Tower almost all at once. With 12 aircraft all descending into San Jose airspace at the same time, our collection was a challenging mishmash. Some of our aircraft were high, some were low, some were fast, and some were slow. In addition, some were talking to Pavas while landing at Coco, and some were talking to Coco but landing at Pavas. But the Costa Ricans handled it well.

The next morning found us all on the way to Panama. After we departed through the layers of clouds that are the norm for Central America, the two-hour flight was uneventful. About 10 miles out and talking to Howard Air Force base, we broke out of the layers, and there were Panama City and the Panama Canal, all laid out in front of us. After a short flight up and past the first two sets of locks, we flew back over Panama City and out over the Pacific Ocean where we lined up and landed at Paitilla, Panama's downtown airport.

On November 11, the Baja Bush Pilots' chartered ferry boat pulled out of Balboa, steamed down and under the Bridge of Americas and then back to start the Pacific-to-Atlantic "ocean-to-ocean" voyage. In the ensuing 10 hours, we were raised 85 feet through a series of three locks; we crossed the Continental Divide at 85 feet and were then lowered back down to sea level on the Atlantic side. It was truly the climax of the BBP's Panama and More Adventure.

In looking back at the entire trip, it's hard to choose what was most memorable. Was it the military operation in Guatemala? Was it the borrowing of fuel to get to Guatemala City? Was it the friendliness of the people in El Salvador? Was it the flight down low through the volcanoes of Guatemala and Costa Rica? Was it landing at Paitilla in Panama four days before it was permanently closed? Or, was it the eighth wonder of the world, el Canal Panama? None of it will ever be forgotten.

Jack McCormick is president of the Baja Bush Pilots, a 1,100-member pilot association whose members share a special interest in flying "south of the border," and president of McCormick Systems, a national software publishing company. McCormick flies an AeroCommander Shrike and has more than 1,500 hours, mostly in Mexico. For more information about the Baja Bush Pilots, call 602/730-3250 or visit the Web site ( www.bajabushpilots.com). AOPA offers a packet of information about flying in Mexico and Central America. For more information call 800/872-2672, or visit AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/members/pic/intl/).