Florida/Bahamas

[stevieb1]

Hi

Can anyone say with any certainty whether the US visa waiver program is valid when re-entering the US following an excursion to the Bahamas?

A search on here seems to suggest it is, but if anyone has a link to an official source I'd appreciate it. Customs and border officials have a lot of power to ruin your trip over there!

Thanks in advance

[B2N2]

No formal link but bring your return ticket with you to the Bahama's.
Immigration officials will want to see proof of your date of return before they let you back in.
Visa waiver program is no a problem, they just want to verify that you are not going back and forth to the Bahama's to get 90 day extensions.
Where will you be flying out of?

http://www.bahamas.com/bahamas/experience/templrgstandard.aspx?sectionid=72418

[stevieb1]

Thanks for that. I'm flying out of Kendall, hiring with Dean International.

I read elsewhere here about someone getting escorted by a coastguard fanjet as they penetrated the ADIZ. Is that likely? It would not go down well with Mrs StevieB!

[dont overfil]

Hi stevieB1
Grand Bahama say they will automatically open your flight plan on departure. They forgot to do that for us last year. This resulted in us having to phone Miami on landing. They seemed to be aware of this happening occasionally. The visa waver is valid for an "excursion" from the USA in a light aircraft. Immigration at Fort Pearce seemed unaware of this but a call to his boss at Palm Beach sorted that out.
We flew out of Orlando Executive with Air Orlando. Great service & great ac.
We may be there last week in April. This will be our 7th time. It's a fantastic experience. Go to the out islands.
DO

[stevieb1]

Cheers D.O.

I'll be most likely staying on Grand Bahama, but will try and get to the out islands for a day trip. Any recommendations?

[dont overfil]

stevieb1
Hawks Nest and Fernandez bay on Cat island, Normans Cay on the Exuma chain and Cape Santa Maria on Long Island are favourites.
Park the aircraft and walk to the resort- well maybe a taxi at Fernandez.
Buy Pilot Publishing Bahamas Guide. Have a Great time.
DO

[L-Band]

On a trip trip to the Berry Islands and Grand Bahamas we were told to keep the green visa in a safe place and not with your passport as on arrival to the Bahamas they will remove the Green Visa. We had no problem a all.
Flew Smyrna Beach to Grand Harbour Cay, Cessna 337 1hr 45min FL95.
Customs at Harbour Keys were great though the weather was awful after we landed, after take off from Harbour Cay to Freeport we had to stay low (800ft) for the 65 nm across the sea due to thunder storms, the customs were again great both inbound and out.
On return cleared customs back into the US no problem.
But keep that green temp visa in a safe place when visiting the Bahamas and you won't go wrong.
BTW this was trip in May 07

Cheers
L

[dont overfil]

Stevieb1
I should have read your post more carefully. Some of my suggested destinations are a bit far for a day trip. Havent been to the Berry Islands but they are not too far. Normans Cay should be about 1.30. or even North Eleuthera and get the water taxi to Harbour Island. Hire a golf cart or walk half a mile to the other side of the island to a fantastic beach.
DO

[TwinkieFlyer]

I have done this before with UK passengers.

Non-US must have the I94 visa waiver form to come back into the US. Don't loose it or you are not coming back. It must be current.

You must file a flight plan to come back, and filing with US is better and more reliable. Most Bahamas phones will dial the 800-WXBRIEF number. You can avoid Bahamas FS and just activate the FP on Miami Radio while over the Bahamas, with RCOs on Nassau or Grand Bahama Islands. Don't wait until you are right on top of the ADIZ boundry, which is barely west of Grand Bahama. They will give you a squawk code. Be very careful that as you approach the ADIZ, that code is set, and your reply light is flashing! If someone else, say Nassua gives you a different code, put the code FS gave you back in after you clear nassau.

YOU MUST CALL US Customs office where you plan to clear before you depart the Bahamas and tell them when you will be arriving, and within 20 minutes. They will ask you for number of people, and citizenship. That is when you will have to tell them you have the I94 visa waiver forms or they won't confirm a reservation. Get the initials of the guy who confirms.

You are going to have to pay for the phone call to US Customs.

If you do all of these things, you won't have a problem. If you miss any of them, you are cooked.

We like Stella Maris on Long Island. It is very European and run by several Germans that have been there for years. Very warm place. Very inexpensive.

[stevieb1]

Thanks guys.

D.O. I actually changed my mind about where to stay on the back of your advice! Staying in a 700+ room hotel on Grand Bahama is definately the wrong choice...

Tried to get into Cape Santa Maria today but it's full. Hopefully I'll get something else on one of the out islands.

Thanks again

[dont overfil]

Stevieb1
Twinkle is correct with his info but all the requirements are in the pilot guide I previously mentioned. This is a must have! Bahamas customs will require an address you will be staying at but this is only for the first night. Apart from that we have never booked anything- just turned up and we've never been stuck. Of course this is maybe easy for me to say being familiar with the area but you are seldom more than 20 minutes from an alternative. Some places we have phoned have said they were full but if you just turn up they are not. CSM have a minimum stay policy but they have never imposed it on us. The proceedures may appear complex at first but really they are not and they are only at the start and finish.
Try to rent a modern aircraft. GPS is fairly essential as the navaids are poor.
The only fees I have paid were at Nassau (extortionate), Grand Bahama (highish) and Walkers (Moderate)
Grand Bahama is good for a night or two. Great free show at Count Basie Square in Port Lucaya on Saturday nights.
Practise your crosswind landings.
DO

[TwinkieFlyer]

I have stayed at the Cape Santa Maria and I have stayed at Stella Maris. The Cape has the better beach, and it is closer to the room, like right there. They also have better water in the rooms from a reverse osmosis unit.

Stella Maris is much closer to the airport, is extremely friendly and service oriented, has many more rooms, and is less expensive by a third. If you are a private pilot first time visitor, you get a night free with a three night stay. After that you get 10% off. They have drinking water at the bar area to take to the room. A multitude of beaches, but not right outside like the Cape.

I usually stay at Stella Maris because I don't need long term reservations, they are less expensive, and the German family that runs the place are just great hosts.
http://www.stellamarisresort.com/

[dont overfil]

Twinkieflyer
We've always used CSM's own strip, only 400 yards from the resort. Perfectly usable for most light aircraft. One of the locals flies an Aztec from there.
DO

[TwinkieFlyer]

DO, I have used that strip as well, but with some reservations. It is covered with gravel and debrie, and since I replaced my props with new, I won't use it.

The other problem is, it isn't an AOE, so you can't clear customs, you still have to land somewhere else. MYLS (Stella Maris) has customs, and fuel, so you are set.

[dont overfil]

Twinkieflyer
You are correct it is a bit loose but there are enough hard bits to do the run up. The customs thing is not usually an issue as it would be too long a flight for some of us old guys all the way from the USA.
I've been to Stella Maris also and Peter and the gang are great hosts but oh that CSM beach is fabulous.
do

[TwinkieFlyer]

I suppose you can always borrow a broom and sweep off part of the runup area.

It takes me 2:20 from KFPR to MYLS in my bird without a push. In a Skyhawk, it would probably take 3:15. I do 4 and 5 hour legs routinely with some 6 hour legs, so that seems short to me.

To me cold water is anything less than 75, which of course rules out most of the stuff in UK pretty quick! Nice part is, Southern Bahamas such as Long Island area virtually never go below 75, even in January!

N. Eleuthra might be a good option for someone looking for something closer. Normans is also improving quite a bit.

[JB007]

Recommend a trip to Chub Cay, think it's on the Berry Islands. Also, pop into Spanish Wells, jaw dropping stuff! Some of the wealthiest lobster fishman in the caribbean..

[dont overfil]

If you google cape santa maria there is a video somewhere of the approach to this and several other islands.
DO