Plane Conversations

09/17/10

The day after Tim’s first-ever concert Down Under, we were able to get in the air to see the sight around Brisbane.  After the introductions to the local staff, it was all business as we conducted the preflight and pre-mission briefing.  Our flight was planned to take-off from Runway 28Right with a right turn out heading east towards the Pacific.

We climbed up to 1000 feet as specified in the Australian Enroute Supplement and changed our transponder without direction from Air Traffic Control.  This is not customary in the United States, I learned from my flight with Tom, that it’s the custom here in Oz.  We headed south towards the Gold Coast region. The day was overcast but the air was smooth and visibility excellent.

Turning north, we dropped down to 500 feet above the ocean as we hugged the shoreline.  Approaching Moreton Island (the largest sand island in the world) we saw some unusual traffic off our wing – some Humpback whales were breeching not far away; so, we practiced turns about a whale.  What a sight!.  It was difficult to focus a camera with such a spectacle below us; but, we did manage to get off a few photos.

We also saw some toothier sea creatures –sharks galore up and down the coast.  I really don’t know how big they were, but if they impressed me at 1000 feet, they were probably big enough.

Traveling further north, we turned overland towards the Glass House Mountains, snapped some more photos and then headed back to the visual landmarks required for smooth flow operations into Archerfield.

Tim ran all the descent and before landing checklists and slowed the SR22 to traffic speed of about 100 KIAS and made a graceful landing back on our original departure runway.

What a way to spend your lunch hour!  Well, okay, maybe two hours…….

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09/16/2010

Fly day!   Did I mention Tom (my instructor is never in a rush?)  My show time was 0800 and first thing Tom mentioned was breakfast. Well, I had skipped the morning meal to get into the air more quickly.  Tom suggested a breakfast place at Archerfield Airport…..so I ate.

Then after a bit more study, we started our flight from Brisbane’s historic Archerfield.  Our departure took us off to the west with a right turn out back to the east and initially leveling at 1000 feet.  Now, in Australia, they use a QNH altimeter setting. That means: when you set the local altimeter with QNH, it should read zero feet, not field elevation as it does in the US.

Did I mention that I’m flying a Cirrus SR22 with only seven hours on it?  This means we have to run the aircraft at about 80% power to properly break in the engine.  We climbed to 1,500 feet and headed south down towards the Gold Coast at 180 knots.  We got a great few of the pretty beaches and shiny buildings before making a U-turn, dropping down to 500 feet and flying back up the coast.   All this time, we kept a sharp eye out for planes, birds and whales.  Saw several of the former, but no whales this day.  Tom was an excellent tour guide and instructor.  We used our charts to navigate even though the Garmin Perspective in the Cirrus was operating in fine fashion.  We saw Captain Cook’s Deception Point, the Glass Mountains, etc. and more. 

The visual arrival was different than I’m accustomed to; but, all went well due to Tom’s teaching.  In Australia, when flying in Class D airspace (controlled by a Control Tower, just like in the US) everyone uses a transponder setting of 3000.  Once outside that airspace, they set the code to 1200.  No one directs you to do so, everyone just know to do it … it’s expected.  Our arrival required us to be at 1500 feet and to report over a specific landmark when approaching the airport from the northwest . With our code of 3000 set, we reported and were cleared for the visual for runway 28R.  With a mid-field downwind call, we were cleared to land and that was it.  The fun over for this morning.

I filled the afternoon going to the zoo and petting koalas and kangaroos.  They were both really neat creatures.  That evening was Tim’s first concert in country and he was very well received.  Tim and I are scheduled to fly on Friday; so, I’ll keep you posted  on that.

G’Day!

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9-14-10

We arrived in Brisbane as very tired humans and enjoyed a restful night at our hotel.  The following morning, after a hearty breakfast at the hotel, Steve Maltby (owner of Sunland Aviation) and I began the arduous task of working with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) in trying to complete my temporary license to fly in Australia.  In the US, we may sometimes complain about our own FAA.  From my experience, the FAA is far and away much easier to work with than CASA is here.

I began the application process in July, but arrived here with it still imcomplete.  The big hang up for CASA was that my US license  was endorsed “English Proficient.”   That requirement was supposedly put in place to make us pilots in the United States compliant with international standards, since English is the international language for aviation operations.  Guess what—the endorsement doesn’t mean beans to CASA without an official English language test.  And from what I hear, the US will soon be administering such tests to all of us as well.

I spent most of my day on the phone, on hold, searching for someone to officially administer an English language test.  Steve came through like a superman!   While working on his own issues of paying bills, collections, and managing a 30-member team, he found someone to administer my test…Peter Franks. 

In the United States, Peter would be considered to be a Designated Examiner.  He invited us to his home and began to administer an official CASA English test in which I had to listen to numerous air traffic conversations with controllers speaking English but with a variety of country-specific dialects….sort of like someone from the south trying to communicate with someone in Brooklyn.  I had to copy clearances and explain what I heard to Peter.  I passed and now have an Australian English proficiency level of “Expert.”   Good thing I was in South Australia!  This process took ten frustrating hours to complete and it could not have been done if not for Steve getting through to a CASA team chief and getting them to realize that they had dropped the ball on this in a big way.

We emailed all the results (rather, Steve did) first thing the next morning in hopes that my license would soon follow.

9-15-10

The day began with good news! CASA promised to expedite my two-month-old paperwork and indeed they did—the license came in by 12 noon.  This day winds were holding up to 40 knots ( that’s pretty brisk for you non pilots); so, we remained on the ground and did some serious chart and flight planning study.  The Australian international flight plan forms are a bit different from the ones I’m used to; but, seem to work very well.  One big difference I learned is that your filed plan does not get you an entire route clearance as it does in the US.  Can’t wait for my first flight tomorrow!

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So, last time we spoke, I was in the international terminal at LAX awaiting my over 14 hour flight to Sydney.  The flight on the Airbus was long but the aircraft was amazing…at least to me as a pilot and Middle Tennessean it was.  Some components of the newest jumbo from Airbus, the A380, are built right here in Nashville and the aircraft is nothing short of a technological marvel with plentiful on-board amenities.  

Our experience began by feeling like being on a cruise ship with our flight attendants Kayleen and Jane offering fresh juices or champagne.  They made us feel quite comfortable in our home for the next 14+ hours. We departed Los Angeles at a little before 11PM Pacific Time.

We were presented with menus from which we chose a white fish supper, which was served on real linen table cloths with real linen napkins and, get this, real silverware.  Guess you can tell I don’t get out much on the jumbo jet scene sitting in upgraded seats, which were listed as premium economy.

After that dinner, it was time to snooze for a few hours.  Deep vein thrombosis is a concern on flights this long; so, after a snooze, I did some stretching to keep the circulation in order.  Afterwards, I watched a movie and took some time to do some much overdue reading before enjoying a nice, hot breakfast.

We landed at Sydney, gathered our things and prepared to depart the aircraft.  However, before we deplaned, the captain remained behind to give me a cockpit tour.  Incredible!

It took about an hour and a half to clear customs, which gave us just enough time to make our local flight to Brisbane.   We arrived there tired but excited, and to our delight there was a driver there waiting to take us to our hotel—The Stamford .

Traveling that distance, there are a multiple of opportunities for misconnects, lost luggage, poor service and other irritations.  I’m pleased to say that the most frustrating thing thus far was the inability to get my Verizon BlackBerry to function properly.  Not bad.  Not bad at all.

Next task:  getting my 90-day Australian license…….

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As a quick background, I am a very blessed guy, husband to a wonderful wife, father to two beautiful daughters. After serving in the United States Air Force for 20 years, then running a technology company, I had to figure a way to make a good living doing what I love – working around and flying airplanes.

So, armed with a lot of enthusiasm, I bought a flight school and partnered with Corporate Flight Management (CFM) in the process. Not long after that, I started a charter and aircraft management business, Harmony Air.

There are many, many great CFIs (Certified Flight Instructors) and pilots out there; but, sometimes location, hard work and fate help things along. That’s part of this story.  You see, I happened to teach Tim McGraw’s business manager to fly some years ago and sure enough not long after, I began teaching Tim to fly in a Cirrus SR22 , which I provided at our Cirrus Training Center at the John C. Tune Airport in Nashville. Like every, pilot he’s still learning but he does have his Private Pilot License and, between movies, albums, concerts, being a dad and husband, is working on his instrument flying.

Tim and I have flown to some pretty interesting places.  I was fascinated to be able to fly to the NFL Kickoff in New Orleans and to see the game from a suite. Trust me, this is not the typical CFI gig.  Now we are embarking on a really great adventure, Tim’s concert schedule has him touring in Australia and, you guessed it, I’m on my way there right now. And I am fortunate that my wife and youngest daughter are with me. My oldest daughter is in nursing school and could not miss a day, much less two weeks.

It has been a really long time since I’ve flown on a commercial flight; but, so far, American Airlines has treated us very well.  But, $10 for a sandwich?!  Really?!  As I write this, we’re sitting at the International Terminal at LAX awaiting our 16+ hour flight to Sydney and then on to Brisbane. It’s in Brisbane where I’ll get my SR22 check-out at the only Cirrus Training Center in Australia.  I’m looking forward to meeting Steve Maltby, the owner there.

A word of advice, before you go to Australia to rent a plane, do your homework. I began mine two months ago and there are still some issues I’m counting on Steve to help me resolve for my 90-day license to fly.  I plan on using that license to fly between concert venues in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne.

Stay tuned for more news, pics and video……

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Last weekend I was in Chicago as a guest of Apex Brasil  to attend the Peak Anti Freeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 Race. This was the first Indy race I have attended and I hope not the last. Tony Elrod, with ETA Logistics , drove us from the airport to the hotel and promised that I would be hooked on racing after the first event. I have to admit he was right.  

Melanie (my better half) and I arrived in Chicago Friday afternoon in time to get to the hotel downtown and attend a dinner hosted by Apex Brazil at Texas de Brazil Steakhouse Churrascaria. I have been to an authentic Churrascaria in Sao Jose Dos Campos while visiting the Embraer factory. Texas de Brazil has them beat on décor and sizzle but I would give them a tie on the food quality and flavor of the beef.

Apex Brasil (The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency) was created by the government of Brazil to promote companies in Brazil to the international market. To promote Brazilian companies here in the US they have become a major sponsor of the Indy Racing Series. They do an excellent job with connecting their businesses through the face to face networking of events like these races.

As a part of their race sponsorship, Apex Brasil is supplying pure ethanol fuel to power the race cars. Brazil is a world leader in the development and production of bio fuels. The major producers of ethanol in Brazil are now working on an aviation fuel to power commercial aircraft. 

Our business connection to Brazil is through Embraer Executive Jets as an operator of two Phenom 100 light jets. We have also delivered 11 aircraft from Brazil to new owners in Europe and the US as a provider of delivery and mentor services.    

Saturday we went to the race track early afternoon for a tour of the pit and garages where the teams were making last minute preparations and going through inspections prior to the race. It is fascinating to see what goes on behind the scenes of a major race. Just prior to the race we were able to walk by the cars, out on to the track and watch up close as the drivers were introduced.

I was glued to the seat the entire race, and listened through headphones connected to a scanner to the conversations between drivers and the spotters. What a great way to get into a race by hearing the teams talk as it is happening real time.

Sunday we had the day off and took the Chicago Architectural Foundation  boat tour on the river. The tour lasts 90 minutes and is packed with information about the buildings that make up the skyline in Chicago. Chicago was the first city to have skyscrapers, and is rich with architectural heritage. I would highly recommend this tour as a way to learn about Chicago.

On the way back to the airport, Tony recommended going through the drive through at Portillo’s for an Italian Sausage Sandwich on a French Bread roll with grilled Sweet Peppers and Mozzarella. What a treat and a fun way to end our stay in Chicago.

Thanks Tony for getting us to and from the airport with great conversations and thanks to Apex Brasil for a great weekend.

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All American

Traveling in Brazil I hear clients refer to themselves as American and to the United States of America as “America”.  Many US residents disregard the concept that there is a North, South, Latin and Central America.  They think of themselves as uniquely “American.”  The idea is forgivable but there are other Americas and we are all Americans.

Pizza is Everywhere

In the United States, pizza varies widely across regions. Traditional Philadelphia pizza is a thin crust pie covered with tomato sauce and mozzarella topped by pepperoni. I prefer King of Pizza in South Jersey and Mac and Manco  on the boardwalk in Ocean City. In Chicago, it’s hard to ignore the ubiquitous UNO although I prefer Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria which also has a large following, but hasn’t been homogenized into hundreds of strip shopping centers. In Sao Jose, pizza has been elevated to a higher plateau and is quite recognizable to travelers seeking familiar comfort food.
Several local spots stand out, not only for their unique pizza offerings but also for their service and hospitality.  Among the best is Golden Grill and Pizza which offers a fixed price pizza menu which includes appetizer pizzas as well as dessert pies. I prefer the open air of the bar where locals keep bottles of their favorite refreshments in distinctive wall lockers. Another is Troina Pizza Gourmet where the waiters insist on serving you every slice including their signature pizza with mussels and white asparagus. 

Where’s the Beef?

Brazil is famous for it churrascarias. The all around best in Sao Jose is Villa d’Aldeia. A welcoming piano player greets you in this somewhat décor-lacking expanse of a restaurant. However, don’t judge the present by the box. Here, the salad bar alone is worth the price of admission, and principle offerings aren’t limited to beef, although they do the beef exceptionally well.  This must-try experience doesn’t disappoint. A word of caution, turn the service disc to não, obrigado and save some room for the scrumptious sobremesas and the papaya crème topped with blackberry brandy.

Another must try is Villa Velha.  Family operated on the same corner for forty years, this local favorite has an updated menu, which should be ignored, in favor of their traditional dish, Pintado, the Brazilian fresh water Tiger Fish. Pintado is a truly Brazilian fish served churrascaria-style by an attentive staff that all seem to have been with the restaurant since inception. The US Navy, recognizing the unique pintado, has named two submarines after the fish, the latest being the USS Pintado (SSN-672) which saw extensive operations during three decades of the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

There are many more varieties of food in Sao Jose dos Campos and just as many restaurants serving them. I encourage you all to “branch out” and send me your favorites.  Look for updates on www.jetquik.com

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As I write this I am returning from a two day trip to the Caribbean.

Our company works with small airlines leasing aircraft, providing maintenance support services, parts support and training. We do much of our business outside of the US.  

I had the opportunity to catch a ride on one of our leased aircraft going to Tortola, BVI to swap out for another aircraft coming back to Tennessee for scheduled maintenance.

The aircraft we flew down and back were Jetstream 32 – 19 passenger turboprops, one type in a group of regional airline aircraft that will continue to work for small airlines around the world for years to come.  

BVI Airways  started a few months ago providing point to point service between Tortola  and St. Maarten and Antigua. They also do charter flights to the other islands. The airline was started by three US pilots who have worked in the regional airline and air charter industry for most of their aviation careers. They saw an opportunity to fill an unmet demand for travel between Islands and took the leap of faith to start a small airline far from home. If you are going to start an airline it may as well be in a nice place like Tortola.

BVI Airways has an excellent business plan that allows them to be flexible with their routes as travel needs change with seasonality and times of the year when the islands have special events like carnival and homecomings.

After a short 14 hour visit to Tortola we flew up to San Juan PR and met with a startup airline, Lebar Air, that will be providing both scheduled and on demand charter service out of San Juan to the Dominican Republic and other islands within a 250 mile radius of San Juan. They share a similar business plan as BVI Airways but serve a different niche market of travelers.  

As I think about these two operations and other operators we have gotten to know in the Caribbean, including operators in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, I see a group of small airlines that are meeting demand for point to point intra-island and inter- island travel which the major airlines and their commuter feeders don’t meet.These airlines are a cross between a scheduled airline and on demand charter operator with a nimble flexibility the big airlines cannot match. When you ride on these small airlines, the feel is much more like a charter flight where the pilots are talking to you and helping you with your luggage before you board. Islanders are used to this type of service and take small aircraft flights as a routine way of life.   

 From the perspective of the operators we work with, the economic outlook for Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands is good. Like the US, they have waded through the recession, but the allure of the islands continues to spur development of new hotels and resorts and all the support businesses that go with it. With new resort development and tourism growth come jobs and economic growth for the entire region. As more travelers come to the Caribbean from Europe, North America and South America the demand for inter-island air travel will grow.

These small airlines that meet the market demand are poised to prosper as they provide a very critical transportation component to the regions economic development.

I am a little jealous of these operators because they have a captive audience of travelers. You can’t just get in your car and drive from Tortola to Antigua like you could from Nashville to Atlanta.

The only complaint about the trip south was the lack of time to enjoy the white beaches and blue water. I think I could easily get used to the speed of island living.

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Chris Davis is an aviation insurance specialist and Manager of the Light Aircraft Division at CS&A Aviation Insurance. He is passionate about aviation and active in the Experimental Aircraft Association where he currently serves as the Secretary / Treasurer as well as the Newsletter Editor for Chapter 863. He is also active in the Warbirds of America as well as holding the rank of Colonel in the Commemorative Air Force.  His lifelong passion for aviation and various experiences give him an advantage in an industry where aviation safety and risk management are the focus.

We love to hear stories from other aviation enthusiasts and professionals, so here is a blog Chris wrote from the blogsite www.clearontop.com.  

Planes, Training and $100 Pancakes by Chris Davis.

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP! The alarm sounds so much louder at 05:30 on a Saturday morning than it does during the week, but what a sweet sound it makes. Today is the 3rd Saturday of the month and that means pancakes for breakfast. I ease out of bed, get dressed, kiss my wife goodbye and head to my sons room. Jacob is only 2 ½ , but he loves pancakes almost as much as he loves to fly…combine the 2 elements and it will wake him up faster than a double shot of espresso.

  The sun begins to rise over the hills as we arrive at the airport to drag our steed from it’s hangar. We begin our walk around and the chilly morning air sends a little shiver through my body. Prop; check…Tires; check…Leading Edge; check…Fuel; clean and free of water…Control surfaces; free and correct. My dutiful co-pilot follows my every move, double checking each item on the pre-flight walk around. He faithfully asks the inevitable question at every item we check. Daddy, why? With all items satisfactory we enter the aircraft and strap in. Master switch: ON…Mixture: FULL…Boost pump: ON…as I lean my head out the window to check for prop clearance my co-pilot beats me to the punch “Keer Pop” he yells, with a grin so big his headset falls down around his chin. As the Maule breaks the morning silence, we turn on the avionics and enter 3M5 into the GPS. “Let’s go to Moontown and get some pancakes daddy!” I wiggle the rudder a bit to lock in the tailwheel and we begin our journey.

Our trip to breakfast usually takes about an hour and (thanks to my co-pilot) is filled with many steep turns, stalls, and floaters…the floaters are Jacobs favorite since he gets to be weightless for a few seconds. Often times we will join up with a few buddies for our breakfast journey and we use the trip to brush up on our formation flying maneuvers. All too quickly we make it to Moontown and enter the increasingly busy pattern to land. After demonstrating the proper soft field landing techniques to Jacob we taxi off the active runway and proceed to park. Breakfast seems to hit just the right spot as we sit around the picnic table and play “name that plane”. I talk shop with other pilots as Jacob finishes his second round of pancakes and then we proceed to walk down the growing flight line for some more hands on education.

Hidden amidst the tailwheels, trikes, amphibs and warbirds are a multitude of questions just waiting to be answered. Daddy, what kind of airplane is that? Why? What is the little wheel on the back for? Why? What makes it fly? Why? Why does it have two wings instead of one? I answer the questions one by one, often repeating the same question multiple times. Upon reaching the end of the current flight line we sit in the shade of an old Stearmans wings and watch the new arrivals as they land. How appropriate that we rest beneath an old trainer as I teach a future pilot.

The phone rings…a call from my wife signals that our kitchen pass will soon expire. The time has come for the men of the house to return home, the ladies have made plans for our afternoon. On the return flight my co-pilot reaches his duty limit…eyes closed and leaning against the window, his headset slowly begins to slide down. It is a quiet trip back to the hangar. This has been a fun trip and a very educational one for both of us…only 4 more weeks until we get to do it again.

Often times I hear light aircraft pilots complain about their insurance company requiring completion of an annual Flight Review or X number of dual hours prior to solo in a new aircraft. Just like my son, I have to ask why? Why are pilots complaining about having an excuse to fly? Many of the pilots who complain about the training requirements are the same ones that I will see at a pancake breakfast or local fly in. If I was a CFI and Jacob was older, he could receive his flight review endorsement each time we head out for pancakes provided we follow a few simple guidelines.

FAR 61.56 states: a flight review consists of a minimum of 1 hour of flight training and 1 hour of ground training. The review must include: (1) A review of the current general operating and flight rules of Part 91; and (2) A review of those maneuvers and procedures that, at the discretion of the person giving the review, are necessary for the pilot to demonstrate the safe exercise of the privileges of the pilot certificate.

Get a little creative. Find a local CFI and offer to pay his way to a fly-in breakfast in exchange for a flight review. Combine free breakfast with free flight time and most any pilot will jump at the chance.   If a fly-in is not your thing, consider getting some tailwheel training or some formal formation training. Both of these areas will greatly improve your situational awareness as well as hone your flying skills. You will learn to anticipate and lead the aircraft to where you want it to go instead of directing its actions as you ride along. Tailwheel training will improve your precision on landings as well as focus your attention during ground handling. Formation training will teach you to plan ahead and to fly very smooth and precise as well as teach you how to pay close attention to detail.

No matter what form of training you choose, it is only as good as the effort that you put into it. Why continue to dread the flight reviews and proficiency checks only to forget what you learned before your next flight? Make the training something to look forward to…plan your next flight review around an upcoming event and enjoy the training. I guarantee you will get much more out of it and you will find yourself looking for more excuses to train.

Every time I take Jacob flying he is learning and asking why. In some ways he is my best little instructor. He reminds me that I should always be asking “why?” as I too am still learning to fly.

Clear skies and tailwinds!

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We wing toward the Turks and Caicos for a brief respite from the flight to California. The Phenom 100 is such a great flying machine that my new owner/pilot wants to keep going, but he has promised his wife a little time-out on the way home. He mockingly suggests that he put her birthday on the tail number so that she would let him have the new Phenom.  He confesses that to keep his two other airplanes, a Beechcraft Premier I and a Cirrus, he incorporated his wife’s birthday into the N number.

Our flight level 400 optic of the multi-hued water of the Caribbean is soon replaced by a much closer connection to the sea.  Greater Ambergris Cay appears ahead through the lazy afternoon clouds which dot the horizon. The tiny islands of the Turks and Caicos fill the southeastern area of the Caicos Bank with Greater (or Big) Ambergris Cay (at four miles long) as one of the larger of the Ambergris Cays. The entire island is a neatly organized community being constructed by DPS Development, the same folks who built the hugely successful Greenbrier Sporting Club in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.  We are absolutely awed by the airport facility they have completed.  At 5,790 feet, MBAC is the longest private airport in the Caribbean.  This illuminated strip with firefighting and state of the art construction is long and smooth, welcoming us from lofty perch over the sparkling Caribbean.

We taxi up to the door of the reception building where we are welcomed with  tropical island drinks made with Bambarra Rum, The Spirit of Turks and Caicos.  Quickly we learn that our complete enjoyment is the staff’s unrelenting goal.  With no cars, and consequently no paved roads, on the island, we are each assigned our own golf cart to whiz around the community and we delight in the freedom of our new personal transportation.  We all agree to freshen up and meet at Calico Jack’s for dinner.

The thatched hut of Calico Jack’s tropical bar, on the leeward side Ambergris Cay, is the perfect spot to watch the Caribbean sunset.  Calico Jack’s has an open air, covered dining area adjoining the climate controlled dining room. Although with nearly always perfect weather, it’s hard to imagine wanting to eat inside. With only 22 guests in residence, we are guaranteed a table at any time during the evening, (twenty homes have been completed with more under construction).  Walking to our table I’m greeted by Peter Pollock, the “P” in DPS Development.  Peter is an affable New Yorker who once worked as the General Manager of the Boston Celtics.  With an eye for appreciation, Peter has always picked real estate winners. No where is this more evident than at The Turks and Caicos Sporting Club.  After dinner, it is off to bed with thoughts of tomorrow’s bone fishing on the flats.

The sun peeks brightly into the single-room cabana where I awaken to the sound of the surf which lulled me to sleep. I enjoy my morning coffee in solitude from a deck that is eight feet above the azure Caribbean below. Designed to impart relaxation, island style, my 400 square foot cabana, is unique, not so much for what it provides, but more for what is missing.  Here there is no telephone, no internet, no television and no roof over the bathroom; yet, I have travertine marble floors and Ferette sheets. The bamboo furnishings evoke strong memories of my time spent in the Philippines when I flew  A-7 Corsairs from the deck of the USS Midway. I’m sure they hold up in the tropical humidity, but I much prefer the teak furniture on the sun drenched deck.

We are off to Calico Jack’s again in our golf carts.  I doubt any of our carts can exceed the posted 14 mph speed limit, but after some horse trading among the available carts, my pilot friend has found one that will out-run mine and he seems completely delighted. Again I think of my time living in Japan where the Western Pacific WESTPAC junior officers all had motorcycles, and horsepower couldn’t replace skillful driving on the narrow roads. I am treated to island pancakes with coconut syrup while my friends began their morning with a variety of equally appetizing breakfasts.

Famous for the waxy secretion, ambergris, from the North Atlantic Humpback whales that migrate through the islands in the winter, the island is also home to a wide variety of marine life.  Among the land dwelling creatures of Greater Ambergris are the rock iguana. The island teems with these foot-long reptiles who scurry between the areas of vegetation and who sun themselves on nearly every road and outcropping. My owner/pilot friend and I opted out of the manicure/pedicure event that his wife and mother enjoyed, instead we explored the island with Ceci Richard who showed us the original estate of Horatio Stubbs, who acquired the island from John Lightbourne, who purchased the island from the government of the Bahamas in 1811.  Horatio Stubbs planted sisal and reportedly organized a waypoint for livestock destined for the islands. The remnants of limestone and coral rock paddocks can still be found on the southern end of the island. The last private owner of the island, Henry Mensen has teamed with DPS Development to create a private sanctuary which will ultimately be comprised of 425 homes and a members only club.

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