Trip Day 7:
Tobago - Trinidad - Paria, Venezuela - Bequia, St. Vincent
Friday 16th November

Crown Point Tower, Tobago.

Looked like a different airport this morning, still a few CB's hanging around but much friendlier looking skies.









First stop Piarco, Trinidad, for fuel.













The Tobago controller arranged a visit for me to Piarco tower, as I was keen to have a look and find out something about crossing into Venezuelan airspace. Piarco controls a large part of the Atlantic Ocean, the tower is pretty busy too.








Ready to go. Landing in Venezuela was out of the question, insurance wouldn't cover it, but I was hoping to get a good look from the air.





The controller laughed when I suggested a recce along the coast.
Keywords: F-16, uninvited visitors, shot down. Decisions ...


Climbing out of Piarco - Port of Spain, Trinidad, on the right.












OK here we go. First sight of the coastline - South America.












The tip of the Paria Peninsula, north east Venezuela.













No F-16's yet.














This, they say, is where Colombus first sighted South America when he sailed in here on his third voyage in 1498.












Right, that'll do, next waypoint ... heading for Point Salines, Grenada. More thunderstorms ahead.











An hour of 'cell-weaving' later, passing Point Salines, and getting close to the destination, Bequia in the Grenadines.












So I've discovered a new class of Airpspace that you don't get taught in flight school.








Class H, for Horseshit - IFR and VFR permitted, radio mandatory so they can feed it to you by the bucketload.

"Any CB's in the vicinity?" - "Negative, no weather"

"Any traffic?" - "Negative, not in your position" (As you whistle past a twin 100 feet below)



This was one of the trickiest approaches I've had.

The runway is out over the sea, Madeira style, theres a hill range to the west which means you have a curved final and are still turning crossing the threshold, and then a wall of rain approaching from the east. Nice!






Literally about 90 seconds after landing, and a sprint to the terminal.












Bequia is a tiny Island, pop 6000, part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Accomodation was in the Prime Ministers house.