Originally Posted by
AdamFrisch
You need a visa to be able to do it. ESTA does not work for private flight, so you need to apply for a B visa at your local US embassy.
Long thread about this a couple of years ago.
If you are a visitor to the USA on a visa waver you can use a light aircraft for an excursion to the Bahamas. However you cannot make your initial arrival to the USA in a light aircraft on a waver.
The details were on a sticky at one time.