South Florida Rentals/Charters

Mtts422

Mtts422

Well-Known Member
So here's the deal - I'm getting married in a few weeks and the bride and I are planning a quick honeymoon down to my uncles place at Great Harbour Cay in the Bahamas. The only catch is that there is no commercial air service and the charter operators that make the run only do so on days that we are unable to travel (we'll be there on a Monday-Friday). We could charter the entire plane and go when we wanted, however we would be looking at no less than $1000/per leg, which pretty much negates the fact that the rest of the trip is going to be free!

GHC is only 130 NM from Miami so I was thinking that I could just rent something down there and do the flying myself. As I'm completely unfamiliar with the S. Florida aviation scene, was hoping some of the locals might have some advice...

Will any of the rental outfits even let you take a/c out of the country? If so, am I a moron for wanting to do 130 NM over water in a single? I've done a lot of flying in SoCal but the most I've ever done over water is out to Catalina and back.

Would also be open to advice on other charter outfits in FLL or Miami that we should look into. So far I've checked out Sapphire Aviation and Noble Air Charter. Gulfstream Connection also has a few flights there weekly, but I wouldn't touch that with a 150 foot pole.
 
It's an amazing and simple trip to fly but I would be very careful and have a lot of trust in the plane to take it that long over water. I know a guy who does it once a week if not more in a 172. At the same time he knows who is doing the MX and who the last person was to fly it. That's a lot of water out there. I almost bit the dust on that run in a rented plane.

Have you checked out Yellow Air Taxi?
 
There might be a few places to look into at KTMB. I would recommend the school I currently instruct at, but I'm not to sure on our policy concerning the Bahamas. I'll give it a look and shoot you a PM tomorrow night.
 
I did a trip to Key West in a 172 where I went feet wet near Marco Island and for the next 65 miles my buttocks were clenched. Never again.
 
I want to say that there is a rental outfit out of Lantana that permits you to rent their aircraft and take it to the Bahamas. Don't quote me on that but I believe that was the case as of a couple years ago. We'll rent you an aircraft here at GNV and let you take it to the Bahamas as well.... obviously you'll still need a rental checkout and there will be a bit of added distance coming from North-Central Florida.

As for taking a single over water, I see no problem with that. I've done it on numerous occasions. Life jackets, a 406 beacon and a liferaft (if you're more than 100NM from any shoreline) and you'll be prepared for the unthinkable. Also brush up on your ditching/water landing procedures.
 
If you have any plans of flying yourself, you need to go ahead and sign up for and become familiar with eAPIS.

Registration could take as many as five days.
 
When I flew back from Canada a few weeks ago I had a Customs and Border Patrol agent threaten to summons me $5,000 if I did not sign up for it even though it was not May 18th when eAPIS took affect. Some of the Customs people are on real power trips....
 
AviatorGator said:
As for taking a single over water, I see no problem with that. I've done it on numerous occasions. Life jackets, a 406 beacon and a liferaft (if you're more than 100NM from any shoreline) and you'll be prepared for the unthinkable. Also brush up on your ditching/water landing procedures.
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Then go take a survival course. Some sort of ditching program would be good too. One where they teach you how to get out of a dark, wet, maybe upside down confined space with doors that may be jammed shut.

The raft is only good if you can get into it...and stay in it. The swells can get to be pretty big out there. You'll be surrounded by water yet you could die of thirst/dehydration. That's got to suck.

-mini
 
minitour said:
Then go take a survival course. Some sort of ditching program would be good too. One where they teach you how to get out of a dark, wet, maybe upside down confined space with doors that may be jammed shut.

The raft is only good if you can get into it...and stay in it. The swells can get to be pretty big out there. You'll be surrounded by water yet you could die of thirst/dehydration. That's got to suck.

-mini
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For my money, I say turn her into the wind, put her into MCA, and jump the F out. Skimming across the water at 45mph is a whole lot better than having the yoke permanently affixed to your diaphragm as you drown, upside down.
 
Murdoughnut said:
For my money, I say turn her into the wind, put her into MCA, and jump the F out. Skimming across the water at 45mph is a whole lot better than having the yoke permanently affixed to your diaphragm as you drown, upside down.
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I'd wager most people wouldn't survive the ditching. Jumping out may be the best bet, to be honest.

-mini
 
minitour said:
I'd wager most people wouldn't survive the ditching. Jumping out may be the best bet, to be honest.

-mini
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I read about a guy doing it in Baja Mexico and surviving (jumping out right over the water). Can't seem to find any info online about it, though.
 
Murdoughnut said:
I read about a guy doing it in Baja Mexico and surviving (jumping out right over the water). Can't seem to find any info online about it, though.
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video_140.png


Remember to inflate the vest only once you've exited the aircraft...

-mini
 
minitour said:
I'd wager most people wouldn't survive the ditching....

-mini
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I disagree. That said, I do believe some of the preflight planning should include what the sea conditions are before you depart. if you're concerned about ditching in heavy swells, don't fly a fixed gear single over water that day.

Also, it is an airplane. Reliability rates dictate that it will most likely fly, not swim to its destination.
 
I worked at Palm Beach Flight Training for bit out of Lantana, just south of KPBI. They have Bahamas check outs and rentals. I have flown to for a couple of years in the area. I still have not signed up for eAPIS stuff yet so I cannot make a comment on that. You should be able to get rentals on vests and life rafts. If you plan correctly, you can fly most of the island chain with minimal time over water if you go VFR. From the West Palm area, fly direct to west end, then over Grand Bahama, then straight south off the east end of Grand Bahama. Even direct, you get lots of help from ATC and locals on the frequency. If I can help out any other way, send me a message.
 
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