|
|
|
|
|
(Continued from page 2)
Two weeks ago Linda and I flew to Dog Island for a picnic. For those of you not familiar with Dog Island, it is just off the coast near Carrabelle situated just east of St. George Island. You can only get to it by airplane or boat. The 2700 foot grass strip is in good condition this year and the water was nice and warm -- not like the lakes in upstate New York where I grew up.
This weekend we are planning to do something that I have wanted to do since I started flying seventeen years ago (that sounds awful -- where did all the time go?) Flightline, the FBO where I keep my plane at the Tallahassee Regional Airport, has arranged a flyout to the Bahamas. On Friday morning whoever is going will fly to Vero Beach and meet at 10:30 am, at which time we will get a tour of the New Piper Aircraft factory. After that, it is time for lunch and then we'll launch to Grand Bahama Island, landing at Freeport to clear customs. I don't know how many people are going, but there is likely to be a diverse group of planes. I know of at least one other 182 and I think there is a Bonanza in the mix. There are some planes from Orlando and Gainesville also joining in. Of course, with the weather we've been having recently, it may be an IFR flight, at least as far as Vero Beach.
There are a lot of rules and procedures for clearing customs and penetrating the ADIZ (Air Defense Intercept Zone) that surrounds the US. The last thing I want is to see an F-16 off my wing. Of course, the Airman's Information Manual has procedures for air intercepts, but I really
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
don't want to put them to the test.
Grand Bahama Island is the closest of the ~700 islands making up the Bahamas. Its western tip is only about 50 miles east of the coast of Florida, so the over-water portion is not outrageously long. Still, I plan to climb to about 7000 feet before getting too far out over the water. The glide ratio is 1.6 miles per thousand feet under no wind conditions, so altitude is your buddy if something goes wrong.
Interestingly enough, they say that it is easier to get there than it is to get back. Seems that the Bahamians want the tourist dollars, but it doesn't necessarily work the other way around. We'll see.
If this trip works out ok, then that opens the door to other possibilities. The brochures from the Bahamian Tourist Bureau show many islands with airports. After clearing Customs at Freeport one can "island hop" from one to the next, without having to cross too much water. We'll see. I'll have detailed trip report in the next issue!
Feedback -- A Plea for Help
Jeff Owens
I haven't been able to make it to the field much lately (not at all, actually) and this makes it somewhat difficult to put together an issue of the Skywriter each month. I really have to rely on member input. This can be in the form of submitted articles or, perhaps, just a question or two. In the past I have written columns in response to questions that members have sent in. I am also very happy to publish articles that are sent in. This is, after all, the Club's Newsletter--and that means that it is
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
yours, as well. So please consider sending in something. Feedback is a valuable commodity, especially for a newsletter editor.
Of course, if I don't hear from any of you, then you'll continue to get my extended travelogues. On the other hand, the plane is going into the shop on July 1 for its annual, so my travels may be curtailed for some period of time. Then, I'll probably have to resort to reprinting some of my physics articles. How about an introduction to the theory of quantum chromodynamics? Or a discussion of the theoretical uncertainties of large transverse momentum photon production in proton-antiproton annihilation, or large mass dihadron production in heavy ion collisions as a probe of the quark-gluon plasma? Hmmm. I might have to add a few pages to the Skywriter.
Or, you could send me an article to print.
'Til next time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
