50. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (MDPC) - Hawk's Nest on Cat Island, Bahamas (MYCH). 3.5. 2009, 580NM, 4:30 Hrs. flight
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"24:09.0N
075:31.0W" Saturday
morning, an early wake up call for 06:00 was ordered the
night
before and after a rather small breakfast, we headed to
the Punta
Cana International airport by taxi an hour later. Again
we
received very friendly and efficient service to get the
latest
weather information and to file our flight plan to
our airport
of entry on Mayaguana Island, the most south easterly
in the
Bahamas chain of islands. Just
by the
way, I noted the remarks in the Jeppesen Trip Kit which
said:
"Rescue equipment limited to fire extinguishers. Capacity
for
removal of disabled aircraft, extremely limited to
light
aircraft only"............. After
our IFR
departure from Punta Cana, we flew along the Dominican
coast
to Porto Plata first, and then headed out, over
the sea to
the Turks and Caicos Islands. After
having
passed the Island of Providenciales, we were then cleared
by
Miami ATC to proceed in VFR directly to our first
destination Mayaguana (MYMM). As
we descended
between the clouds towards Mayaguana, we started
to look
out to spot the airfield of our point of entry
into the
Bahamas. >From
distance a rather long runway became visible (an old WWII
US
airbase). As
we got
closer and closer, we both had more and more doubts about
the
condition of the runway. having done a runway inspection, flying
overhead, we could not spot any windsock on the field, and
the large
runway was overgrown with grass at its south eastern end
and blocked
off with 44 gallon drums past the half way point. Never
the less
we decided to land there, as we made previous arrangements
with our accepted flight plan for customs clearance
there. Only
after lengthy
taxiing and searching, we finally found the
so called
concrete apron, again overgrown with grass and the
many pot
holes, which we carefully avoided to reach the small
terminal
and customs building. Nobody
was
there to greet us, not a single cat! We
waited for
about half an hour and then tried to call the
customs
people with our Satellite telephone, but no luck. While
Manfred
went to see and photograph some of the aircraft wrecks
close
by, I phoned up Exuma International airport on Great
Exuma
Island, about an hour flight time North West, to
arrange for
customs clearance there. After
a
successful take off from this strange place, we then flew
along
Arkin Island, Crooked Island, Long Island, abeam Rum
Cay and San
Salvador Island (where Christopher Columbus made its
first
landfall in the "New World"), over the southern tip of Cat
Island, and
then to Exuma. Our
final
destination yesterday was Hawk's Nest on Cat Island, a
small private
resort with a nice 28 ship Marina and a perfect 3'100
feet
runway, and its hotel's entrance only 50 meters from the
aircraft
parking area. What
a place
for us pilots! Tomorrow
Monday, we will undertake the last leg of the stage 3 of
our Round
the World flight from here along the Island chains to
Freeport on
Grand Bahamas Island, and then to Fort Pierce and Orlando
in
Florida USA. Watch
this
space! Here some
impressions:
Flying
along
the long beach of Bavaro Punta Cana with its famous resorts
On
the way to
Porto Plata
Turks & Caicos
Mayaguana
International
No body here!
Finally
we
spotted the windsock!
This
DC3 had seen
better times.......
Also
this De
Havilland "Dove".........
And
this Piper
Navaho as well
Pitstown
Point
on Crooked Island
Arrival at Hawk's
Nest
On
the right,
next to the Cessna Caravan, the hotel's entrance
Boats
from the USA
and one from as far as New Zeeland |
