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Flying to the Bahamas |
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Abaco Islands
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 Flying to the Bahamas is truly simple and well within the
capabilities of any general aviation aircraft. Grand Bahama Island
is 60nm from the east coast of Florida. Bimini is 50nm from the Florida
coast. The Bahamas has 60 airports on over 600 islands. There is
something here for everyone. Over water Flight requires a few pieces of
additional safety equipment but make the flight as safe as land based
flying. (See water survival for equipment
list.) Get some instruction from your flight instructor, or contact
me for additional information on procedures.The weather is typically VFR. There are numerous navigation aids in the Bahamas. Some of them have been damaged by storms, but the Bahamian government is repairing and upgrading the aviation system on a continous basis. You are seldom out of site of land, but GPS is sometimes the easiest way to find your way. With GPS you can get to even the most remote of the out islands. Nassau, New Providence island, and Freeport, Grand Bahama Island are the major population centers. Flight operations are conducted within the equivalent of a U.S. TCA with radar coverage. There are approach control, tower, and ground control frequencies. Nassau and Freeport both offer Flight Service facilities. Nassau is the seat of government, the hub of commerce, and the busiest airport with the most airline traffic. The other 58 airports are uncontrolled and use standard procedures. All pilots monitor Common Traffic Advisory Frequency, CTAF 122.8, advising position and intensions. Left traffic patterns are used, pattern altitude is 1000 ' AGL. Outbound traffic announces before occupying runways (there are no taxiways except at Nassau and Freeport) and depart straight out or turn left, climbing above pattern altitude as soon as possible. VFR night flying is prohibited in the Bahamas, during official sunset to sunrise, Controlled airspace requires VFR minimums of 1,500' and 3 miles clear of clouds. The VFR minimums for uncontrolled airspace differ from the U.S. requirements of 1000' and one mile clear of clouds and in site of land or water.
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