EXUMA This Weekend

Hunter

Hunter

Pre-Flight
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Oct 11, 2016
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Hunter
Going to fly the 182 down over the big pond this weekend. We are leaving out of Boca Raton Saturday morning direct to Georgetown, Exuma. I think I have all of my ducks in a row per the AOPA Bahamas Guide.
Wanted to see if any of ya'll have done this trip before, and how intrusive are the Customs agents? I want to take some nice steaks and wine, but have gotten mixed reviews on what they will let you get away with.
Does anybody use Foreflight for VFR flight plans? Is opening and closing via the App as easy as it looks?
 
Sounds like fun! Hope to see some pictures soon!
 
Flew there a couple of times from ATL in scheduled airline service in a CRJ700. It was just a turn for us so never went into the small terminal and customs there. Fun to fly into though.
 
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customs in georgetown is very laid back, but I have never gone through there as a "civilian" only as a 121 crew. before you go make sure that junior has 100LL, he sometimes has problems getting shipments and will be out of fuel sometimes.

bob
 
Last year we cleared customs in Bimini. Very laid back, didn't look at our stuff or plane at all. Was not a real fast process, but was not hard. Seemed the primary concern was paying the fees.
 
Hunter
When we flew in no one from customs ever checked the plane at any of the islands we landed at. I have no idea what the rules are in bringing meat or wine in but they also never asked if we'd brought any with us. As Seth and Bob said they were very laid back and helpful.

Have a fun trip.

Gary
 
Thank y'all for the info!! We are looking forward to a great trip.
 
So @Hunter, where did you stay??? This is a bucket list item just don't know which Cay yet...:dunno:
 
We stayed on Little Exuma at The Salt House, and it was incredible, but we had 3 other couples to split it with. Have heard that The Hideaways are good also. We went at the very end of hurricane season, which is the slow season, so it was a good bit cheaper than the high season. If you decide to go, I'd be more than happy to give you some contacts for boat rentals, excursions, etc.
 
We are thinking of doing this trip very soon. Great pics! How was the weather for flying?
 
Weather was the tough part. I'm sure there is a forecast for that area somewhere, but I couldn't find it. ADSB weather didn't work, so you have to be looking out the window. We flew around a couple of buildups on the way down there, but nothing bad at all. Freeport and Nassau were alternatives if I ran into bad weather, and I knew weather in FL was good, so I could always turn around an go back worst case scenario.
When we got about 60 miles from Exuma, ceilings started to drop to about 2500', so we did have to go lower than planned to remain VFR. The good thing is that you don't have to worry about terrain or towers!
 
That's what the guys in the Lear thought a couple of years ago , until they hit a crane going below mins on the approach into Nassau.
 
Dave Theisen said:
That's what the guys in the Lear thought a couple of years ago , until they hit a crane going below mins on the approach into Nassau.
Click to expand...

I'd be willing to bet they were over Nassau, not the ocean.:D
 
Hunter said:
I'd be willing to bet they were over Nassau, not the ocean.:D
Click to expand...

Used to fly scheduled airline into Freeport a lot from ATL. Just off the coast on final to one runway (06) was a shipyard or similar with cranes, so over water not but necessarily out on the open ocean.
 
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