Flying for Kosovo

After a refreshing and brief stop in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic is calling. As the second largest Caribbean nation (behind Cuba), the country takes up over two-thirds of the island Hispaniola. Though the country’s economy struggled during the 80’s and the 90’s, tourism is now helping them get back on track. During my stop in this country, I was amazed to meet up and old friend from back home. Through word of mouth and a fantastic hotel owner, I was able to find Besnik Demolli... more

After leaving St. Kitts, I flew to Puerto Rico. The airplane needed an annual maintenance review and I must admit, it was good to be on US soil for a brief stop. I’ve never been so happy to see Wal-greens, Wal-mart and the Western World. Though I love the opportunities that I’ve had, the people that I’ve met and the incredible awareness that the trip has brought to my country, you can imagine how taxing a year of traveling and financial struggle can be. It feels good to know... more

Despite the fact that it is now the rainy season in the Caribbean (raining cats and dogs day and night), my flight to Antigua was fantastic!  I was able to complete two interviews on the first day, with the Antigua Sun and the Daily Observer.  The next day I did a radio interview with the Observer and also met with the local television station, ABS, who interviewed me live. My stay on this island was very brief, yet through the rain I was able to see some of its beauty and wish to return here in... more

Off to St. Kitts and Nevis. As with many other Caribbean Islands, this country was associated with the British until recently (1983). In 1998, Nevis attempted to pass a referendum to separate itself from St. Kitts, but did not gain enough votes for it to pass. Hon. Sam Terence Condor and Ms. Kaye Bass (the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Senior Foreign Service Officer) were kind enough to offer me their time for a meeting. Ms. Bass was extremely knowledgeable about our independence and she actually... more

DW_A3143 – audio interview with Nester Phillip from The Chronicle DW_A3144 – audio interview continued DW_A3145 – audio interview final Landing in Dominica was a challenge as the runway runs directly along the beach and square in between the sea (which wouldn’t be so great to land it) and the mountainous terrain of the island (also not so great to land in!).  This may sound beautiful and indeed it is.  However,  the steep approach needed for landing does not match up well... more

I have been mesmerized by the beauty of this amazing planet. Each country seems to match the beauty of the previous one and I have very much enjoyed my time flying over magical waters of the Caribbean. After my stop in St. Lucia, I was on my way to Dominica.  Though nothing is every as easy as it seems. It turns out that I needed to make a stop on the island of Martinique due to Dominica not having any AVGAS at the time, which I may have already mentioned is a higher-octane gasoline utilized by... more

A short flight later and I am landing on St. Lucia.  I can’t believe the difference in both geography and climate. This island appears more mountainous than the previous ones I’ve landed on and is also volcanic.  It is raining here today, though the local people assure me that it was dry here just a few weeks ago.  What a difference a few weeks of rain make!  It reminds me of when I was in the jungles and rain forests in places like Brazil, Guyana and Venezuela.  I quickly fell in... more

Next stop: Barbados.  For a quick second upon landing I thought that I had landed back in the USA – there were no landing fees or navigation charges in which to deal with.  This is quite contrary to my experiences with airports thus far.  Rest assured, however, that there were fees to pay!  In almost every country that I’ve visited there are fees: fees for landing, fees for parking, fees for leaving, etc.  Barbados is no different.  In this country, it was $50USD for and ‘entry’... more

The next stop is St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a country made up of over 30 islands.  I am blessed to have viewed with my own eyes the beauty that these islands have to offer.  I am sure that if I was able to stay longer I would have no problem finding many relaxing and enjoying things to do.  The international airport is also in a very nice location with very friendly people to help you and similar to Grenada in that it was really easy to clear customs and immigration and put my plane ‘to... more

It is now after Easter and I have spent a very productive weekend on the island of Grenada.  I knew I would be in good hands there when, upon arrival, the air traffic controller wished me a pleasant stay in her country.  What a difference a warm welcome can make.  Within ten minutes my aeroplane was secured and I had cleared immigrations and customs and was on my way to town. Like Trinidad, this country is very hot and very dry.  Despite suffering tremendously from hurricane Ivan in 2004 and... more

Progress is being made and I am on my second island stop in the Caribbean. After many hours of flying over water, I was glad to see land again. Upon reaching the island, I also noticed that the island has lots of wildfires. After landing, I quickly understood why. In addition to temperatures being 91°F / 33°C, it is also the drought season here which means that it is also very dry. Despite the wildfires, I was still able to view parts of this beautiful island. Though the international airport of... more

After facing many challenges getting out of South America, I have now made my way into the Islands of the Caribbean. What a welcome I received in Aruba. As soon as I walked into the FBO (Fixed Based Operations) building (which was even air-conditioned!), I was struck by the level of hospitality that I am used to and so dearly missed. I will remember forever being greeted by the office workers offering me an ice-cold Coca-Cola. Thank you Aruba. My joy in reaching a world that I am used to cannot be... more