Road Trip: Fly overwater to the Bahamas

Expand your cross-country horizons

February 1, 2018 By Thomas A. Horne

Aerial photography of Bob Hepp flying Aviation Adventure's Twin Comanche around Cat Island of the Bahamas.Fernandez Bay Cat Island Bahamas

Take the Leap

There are 700 islands in this Caribbean paradise

And 18 landing sites

Begin by researching Bahamian flying in magazine articles or going online. The bible for flying to the Bahamas and the Caribbean are AOPA’s Bahamas and Caribbean pilot guides, so be sure to get a copy of the Bahamas edition. The 2018 edition was just released. The book also discusses eAPIS requirements, air defense identification zone crossings, and customs and immigration procedures.

Talk with pilots who have done it before and figure out which islands might appeal to you, then learn about the airport(s) and navaids that serve them.

Brush up on the ICAO flight plan, required if the flight will enter international airspace.

Line up your passengers. This should be no problem whatsoever, assuming all are comfortable with flying in light airplanes. Together, decide which island and resort you’ll visit. It’s the most enjoyable armchair flying you can have. For those uncomfortable flying alone, check out escorted group services that take care of all the technicalities—as well as the resort reservations.

There’s nothing like an overwater flight to the Bahamian islands to feed your need for adventure. And at the same time, use your pilot certificate to go on a first-rate vacation with friends or family. Trips to the Caribbean are easy, although some pilots may be daunted by the thought of crossing all that featureless water. But, fear not. The distances are not all that far. And GPS makes navigation a breeze. For example, mainland Florida to Bimini is just 55 nautical miles, and once in the Bahamas chain you’re seldom out of sight of another island.

Sure, you’ll need a passport, and learn how to file electronic Advance Passenger Information System (eAPIS) reports before launching outbound or inbound; you’ll need to understand general declaration forms, research airport information, obtain survival gear, and prepare yourself for the extremely rare possibility of a ditching. But think of all this as an important expansion of your pilot skills. As for the weather, it’s nearly always very good VFR. I once heard an experienced island pilot say that ceilings below 1,000 feet are so rare that they only happen in hurricanes.

So, for most excellent adventures, try the Bahamas. You’ll like it so much that you’ll make island flying a tradition. Your friends will thank you, and you’ll never forget the experiences.

Why you should go: The Bahamas is the first country outside the United States to accept BasicMed, the new alternative to recurrent third class medical certification, for U.S. pilots flying in its airspace.

Resources:

AOPA information on the Bahamas

General declarations and travel forms

Escorted trips

Thomas A. Horne

Contributor

Tom Horne worked at AOPA from the early 1980s until he retired from his role as AOPA Pilot editor at large and Turbine Pilot editor in 2023. He began flying in 1975 and has an airline transport pilot and flight instructor certificates. He’s flown everything from ultralights to Gulfstreams and ferried numerous piston airplanes across the Atlantic.

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