Grand Cayman from Texas.

[pilotviolin]

The boss wants to go to Grand Cayman, lucky me. We are coming from the NW. This is my first time so a couple questions come to mind. Do we need hf, life rafts, cuba overflight permit? What about coming back to Texas? tsa waiver? Good fbo, and customs on both sides? Anythings I missed? We are flying the beechjunk over, so it shouldn't be too long of flight as long as the engines don't flame out.

 

[HawkerF/O]

The boss wants to go to Grand Cayman, lucky me. We are coming from the NW. This is my first time so a couple questions come to mind. Do we need hf, life rafts, cuba overflight permit? What about coming back to Texas? tsa waiver? Good fbo, and customs on both sides? Anythings I missed? We are flying the beechjunk over, so it shouldn't be too long of flight as long as the engines don't flame out.

No HF is not required or needed

Liferafts not only required, but why would you want to make a flight like this without one? Also, make a contingency plan for loosing your pressurization system or an engine.

No Cuba Overflight required, but you'll have to fly around their airspace, and I don't know that you'll want to do that because it will add an additional 45 minutes (at least) to the flight. Easiest way is to call BaseOps, Universal, or whoever and get the overflight permit. You'll also get a bill at a later date for Commuications. That'll be a bill for talking to the folks in Cuba enroute. Get the OVERFLIGHT permit.

No TSA waiver is required from the Grand Caymans and don't let anyone tell you differently. TSA will issue you a waiver to fly from Dallas to Austin if you call and ask them to, so just becasue someone says it's required does not make it so. Call NBAA or TSA directly if someone tries to sell you a TSA waiver. A piece of advice would be to apply for a blanket TSA waiver so it will not be an issue if you do go someplace it is required. You'll already have it. Regardless, you can apply for all of this on your own, and I would not pay someone to do it for you.

Since this is your 1st time going over, use a handler. Pay attention and in the future you can make the arrangements on your own. Customs is easy on the Grand Cayman side, just make sure you let them know you are coming, and I think they go home at 10pm local. As for coming back to the States, if you do not have a Custom's overflight permit, you'll have to stop at the 1st point of entry and clear customs. You can get a waiver, but it takes a few weeks, so get on the ball. You can get a 1 time permit, or you can get a blanket waiver. Get the blanket waiver and you wont have to apply again for a year I think it is and you can enter the states all you want without stopping at the 1st point of entry for customs. If you are able to get the permit, send a fax to your local customs office 5 days before your expected arrival letting them know your plans, and follow it up with a phone call. Also, if you return on a Sunday, call Friday afternoon (early) and confirm your meeting with them and give them any access codes they'll need to enter your facility if that is applicable. If you are coming back during the week or on a Saturday, call them the day before and confirm your meeting. Also, and this is a big deal, get the pager/cell # of the agent that is going to be on duty when you return. No need to call them the day of unless you are going to be late or early. Arriving 15 minutes either side of your ETA is prudent, as you do not want to keep them waiting. Finally, if you show up and the agent is not there, DO NOT get off the plane unless it is on fire. Have the line guys hook up a GPU, but do not get off plane just because he is not there. You'll be looking for trouble if you do, especially since they don't know you.

One last thing I learned, when you fax them a week before, include a completed Custom 178 form. You can get an Excel or Word (I have them both and can send them to you if you need it) based form and use your computer to fill it out and fax it. Keep that form and have it on the airplane with you (he may or may not want it, but probably will), and the only thing that should be blank is the Time of Arrival and Departure, which you will fill in by hand once you arrive or the agent will fill it out. The rest of the form should be neat and complete. If you have someone on the ground that can be a contact, use that person. Have them call the agent 2 hours out and let them know everything is on time and confirm the meeting location. Also, give the groud contact a copy of the 178 form and he can give it to the agent once he arrives. If they have that form in advance, they dont have to call in and see who's been naughty or nice. Have that ground contact meet the agent and be sure to offer him free softdrinks, snakcs, ect. Also, I would make sre if he has to wait the customs agent has access to private high speed internet service, even if you have to let him sit in at someone desk. I'd just make sure he knows it available to him to use if he would like. You'll also need GenDecs (General Declarations) that have to be filled out by each family (not family memeber), so the pilots and each family will need to fill one out. Your flight planning service can give/sell you the forms before you leave the states, which I would suggest. Have them filled out before you arrive back in the states, so be sure to have extra pens on board. That is all I can think of, but if you need anything else or have anymore ?s that I did not cover or someone else did not cover, PM me and I'll send you my email or PH #.
Everyone does it differently, but I have found the above description will keep you out of trouble and you'll spend a minimal amount of time with the customs agent and your folks will be on their way with minimal interruption. Good luck.

 

[satpak77]

also KMSY to Cayman is prob the shortest leg from that part of the country (Tex/LA) coast to MWCR, in case you are concerned about fuel. Only one FBO at Cayman, Island Air I think its called. I would re-fuel your plane the day you land, as they can be long delays of one hour+ during the tourist season for fuel, and you don't want to be delayed on departure day. Island Air runs like 1 fuel truck only for some reason.

You might call ahead and inquire about parking, the ramp can get CROWDED during the tourist season and its very tight.

When you land, you will make a 180 on the one runway and back taxi all the way back and then turn into the Gen-Av ramp. Do not turn off and into the airline ramp.

Sounds like you do not have an overflight, you will need to clear customs at Houston or New Orleans prior to continuing. Depending on the position of the moon, the required paperwork that Customs wants changes from one day to the next.

To be safe, have a Customs General Aviation entry form (don't have the form number in front of me), a General Dec, valid passports for all passengers and crew (and visas if you need them), and if you have some of those blue Customs forms for airline passengers, bring and fill those out too for safe measure.

If this is your first trip, you might do it thru UV-Air and take notes, Cayman is one of the easiest non-USA airports out there.

Prob the most important "part" to your trip is that EVERYONE must have valid passports. Yes, I think technically US Citizens can use a birth certificate but in todays post 9-11 era of moody Customs inspectors, a fresh passport is the way to go.

by the way, I have never found ANY non-Cayman cell service to work in Cayman, nor any US based phone card (MCI, AT-T, etc). Cayman has a monopoly on the phone service. Its easier for people to call you inbound than you call them. Give everyone your hotel number, Island Air FBO number, etc. A possible work-around is Skype (internet) but I don't know.

Back northbound, when in-range, call FSS via radio and request they advise Customs. I would also try to call the actual Customs office at your Arrival Airport if possible via sat-phone.

have fun....once you do Cayman maybe two times, you will have the whole process greased

 

[Pelican 10]

these guys have all the info down pat !!!! If u get a chance call Marcus at Island Air and ask him for help, he can do the cuban overflights and all of the paperwork you'll need going in there, It might cost u about US $600 but Its worth having everything done by a local.

Do not turn into the terminal ramp, just backtaxi to B and go in the GA ramp !!!....ramp IS crowded....but they always find u a spot oh by the...make sure u go to Sting ray city....highly recommend it !!!

 

[satpak77]

By the way PilotViolin, where you coming from? I have been to ALL Customs offices on the Texas coast and can recommend one over the other

 

[pilotviolin]

Thanks for all the great info. It looks like we would be hitting the coast right on the Tex, Louisana border. The closest place looks like KBPT. I have never been down there before so any help on a good quickturn and customs would help a ton. We are going to SLC so it is ok to stop because we got to make the fuel stop. Also can I expect direct routing to MWCR?

 

[satpak77]

not familiar with Customs at KBPT. Looks like Lake Charles KLCH has Customs, but check on that and make sure. Not sure how much corporate jet traffic clears thru KBPT (or KLCH). All things being equal, you want the Customs Inspector to have seen a corporate jet before and not ask 95 questions.

Don't plan on direct routing to MWCR, you will be non-radar part of the way and will be making position reports. Not a big deal, but thats what you will do.

if you have HF onboard, take note of UVAir's HF freqs in case you need them or something....last entry under Trip Support Services

http://www.universalweather.com/contacts/

You might look at Hobby, lots of runways and FBO's in case you have any MX issues on the way back home, plus plenty of corporate traffic clearing Customs. You will pay extra for fuel at Hobby also, so thats all your call on that stuff....

have fun

 

[CL600Pilot]

Island Air I think its called. I would re-fuel your plane the day you land, as they can be long delays of one hour+ during the tourist season for fuel

Ain't that the freakin' truth! If you're triing to get fuel during the airline push then you're hosed - you're going to be waiting for a while.

What the others have said is right on....MWCR is easy. Customs folks there are really laid back...there used to be a female Customs officer there that had a brother(I believe) that owns a boat and does fishing charters - just nod politely, take the brochoure, and tell her you'll think about it - sometimes she's very aggressive triing to get you to sign up for a trip. The second time there you'll be able to do it yourself but a handler is good for the first trip. The only thing that really pees me off about MWCR is the 'disinfection spray' of the cabin - what a joke(and a waste of money)! But just go with it and don't make any comments out loud!

Last time I was there my cell phone worked just fine - It has been a couple of years but I **think** I had Verizon then. Had no problems with it whatsoever - very expensive (cheaper to just buy one of their phone cards) but it was an 'expensible' item and I was pissed at the boss so I didn't care.

There is a cyber cafe just down the street from the Mariott next to the movie theater that has decent food/coffee and about a dozen computers. Their internet access rates are aboult half what the hotels charge.

The 'Pirates Buffet' on the weekend at the Mariott used to EXCELLANT(call ahead for reservations) but the last time I was there it had started to go downhill a bit. There is a seafood restaurant out by the Turtle Farm that is very very good - I believe it may be called the Cracked Conch but not 100% positive.

 

[CL600Pilot]

Also, if your boss is one of those guys that absolutley requires ice and coffee for the trip back then you had better bring it from the hotel - in my experience there is about an 85% chance that you won't be able to get it at the FBO.

 

[satpak77]

they drive on the left, if you rent a car, just FYI on that, kinda funky

 

[HawkerF/O]

I'm not too sure I would do that. If you do, check with your A&P 1st. You have to ask yourself if you really want all of that weight sitting on your landing gear for the length of your trip.
A suggestion might be to go the day before departure, but I would not want a full bag of gas sitting on my landing gear for several days, especially out in the Carribbean sun. Show up out there 30 minutes before they close the day before your departure. I guarentee that plane will get fueled in short order, not to mention the fact that it is cool, so you'll get more volume in the tanks. Just a suggestion.

I would re-fuel your plane the day you land, as they can be long delays of one hour+ during the tourist season for fuel, and you don't want to be delayed on departure day.

 

[satpak77]

I'm not too sure I would do that. If you do, check with your A&P 1st. You have to ask yourself if you really want all of that weight sitting on your landing gear for the length of your trip.
A suggestion might be to go the day before departure, but I would not want a full bag of gas sitting on my landing gear for several days, especially out in the Carribbean sun. Show up out there 30 minutes before they close the day before your departure. I guarentee that plane will get fueled in short order, not to mention the fact that it is cool, so you'll get more volume in the tanks. Just a suggestion.

good point, I was speaking from a "dont wait around" standpoint"

 

[HawkerF/O]

good point, I was speaking from a "dont wait around" standpoint"

It wierd, because it was not until after I posted my msg that I realized what you were saying. I am glad you wrote back and cleared it up, but I do understand what you were getting at. I'm a little slow sometimes, so my apoligies.........

 

[satpak77]

no sweat...I waited 2 hours for gas at MWCR once so the "wait around part" I am familiar with

fly safe

 

[jrod]

All good info above.

I just got back from Cayman on Monday. A few things to add.

My Sprint cell phone service does work if you set up the international roaming package (no monthly cost) and then $1.50 a min while you're down there. Not cheap.

Stay @ the Marriott. Ask for the crew rate, it was ~215 USD. Island Air will try to put you at the comfort suites cause the same guy owns both Island Air and the hotel.

If you have a car, eat at Calypso Grill. Otherwise, you can walk to the Lobster Pot. Both have great seafood.

Have a great time.