I am thinking of flying my small plane to Belize. Is there any thing to worry about if you left a plane in CC fora week while staying there. How at the other airports in Belize

Tim

a friend of ours and a poster here as well, left their plane at the placencia airstrip for a few days and someone stole all the fuel from it leaving just barely enough to get to back to BZ city.

The airstrip at CC doesn't really have any place where you could park a plane. They have a short runway and a small turn around area next to the terminal. San Pedro has a bigger area where a plane can park. The other place you could park the plane would be Caye Chapel where it would be very safe. Probably costly as well.

I have seen a private plane stored at Caye Caulker airstrip for a week or two before.

I stand corrected. I just don't recall seeing any space devoted to parking a plane.

I don't think there's any hanger space, so it'll have to be tied down in the open and checked at least daily. Trouble is I've never come across a light aircraft with lockable fuel caps, or lockable anything very much. You might need to pay for an overnight guard - should be OK in daytime so long as the terminals are open.

Hi Tim,
I am the poster that Barnacle mentioned. We flew our plane, a Piper 180, to Belize from NE Texas. What happened with the fuel is true--it was almost all stolen, a little each day. Flying thru Mexico was a pain in the butt too, but if you have a twin engine so you dont have to stop as much it may be better for you.
It was an adventure, but I wouldnt do it again.

Surely a twin would use MORE fuel? Something like your Piper with long range tanks might be best. Though you wouldn't have much of an available payload. I remember a trip from central England to SW France in a 172. On the way out I deliberately overloaded it with a lot of fuel as I had a monster runway. I got all the way there without refuelling. But coming back was a very different matter. The airstrip I'd flown into was short with lots of hazards just off the end of the runway - principally a church steeple - and having four pob plus luggage I couldn't take on much fuel. There were two refuelling options en route, one with a nice long runway but very high landing fees, the other much shorter but with zero landing fees so long as you bought fuel. A common arrangement in those days. So we ended up doing the whole journey back with rather less fuel than I would have liked, and nearly ran out before we finally landed.

We were also weathered in for three days in France, a problem you could still get in Belize though it's unlikely. But for your return trip you could leave the International VERY heavy as the runway's so long.

If you have the fuel to traverse Mexico without needing to land, would you be allowed to or would you be required to land for formalities anyway?

I dont know which direction you are coming from, but if you are coming from Texas or Louisiana and dont need to land for fuel, straight across the Gulf will be faster. You'll go across part of the Yucatan Peninsula too. Just fuel up in Brownsville and off you go. You dont have to land and register just to be in their airspace.

Ive had several small singles, none of them had the range to cross the gulf

I don't know what the distance is across the Gulf, but I've flown both 172's and Cherokee 180's from Italy to England without landing in between.

distance Houston/Cancun approx 800 miles. Max range for a Cherokee 6, a little over 500 miles. Dont get your feet wet.

Both planes did have long range tanks.

Actually 500nm KBRO>MMID, mid-way you are 250nm from land, n,s,e,w. Single engine, extended over water = hi pucker factor.

Yep. I didnt get this old being stoopid There are old pilots and there are daring pilots, but there are no daring old pilots.

That's very true in the context of flying over the Gulf. The flights I referred to were of course mostly over land, which makes a big difference. And we went as high as possible in an unpressurised aircraft - 12k-14k feet - so had a fair amount of gliding ability if the fan did quit. Not that it ever did - modern light aircraft engines are really remarkably reliable.

12K to 14K unpressurized? Not legal to fly above 10K - 13K for more than 30 minutes. Flying above 13K you have to have oxygen.

The flight through Mexico is actually easy and the airports (customs and immigration are very well setup much better than Belize). Fly from Brownsville to Vera Cruz and then direct to BZE

The shortest distances from Italy to England are only in the area of 470 miles. Only 14 miles or so over water.

Not so in Britain, or at any rate not then. The legal max was 12k.

being pressurized has nothing to do with how hi you want to fly in your light acft.

The Cherokee 6 (PA32) had a ceiling of 20k ft. Only took it there with oxygen and light fuel load. However, I have flown for sometime at 15K w/o any problems or oxygen to get on top of weather. I dont recommend anyone doing that though.

12.5K is max with no ox. Up to 14K for 30 minuts with no ox. My 182B has 55 usable. 45 galons gets me about 4 hrs and at 120 kts that is 480 nautical miles or 552 statute mile and I could care less about kilometers.

I can and have gone longer but with those crappy gauges it just take the fun out of flying when to be in the air with the gauges on E.

This flight I am talking about just may be a dream cus I am in northern Kalifornia. Been to Belize trice and think that flying would be great fun.

Tim

I'm not saying dont do it, it's an adventure, for sure. We stopped in Tampico and Villa Hermosa going down, and Veracruz coming back.
We were just flying VFR, and there's (not supposed to be) VFR GA flight after dark there. That has been a few years ago, so things have probably changed and gotten better.

A bit off the thread but does anyone know the cost of flying a rented plane to Belize from say Seattle? One that holds 10 people. A friends wife is a corp. jet pilot and an FAA inst. With the cost of air fare and all. Just wondering.

A LOT ! Check with a local FBO. There may be some requirements for international travel.

Surprised Reaper hasn't been on here. He can say from first hand experience what it costs to bring a plane down here.

Not the same type A/C champion is referring to.

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