There are opportunities that come once in a lifetime and experiences that when you grasp them fill you with joy, excitement and pure bliss. On Saturday, January 16, 2010, the staff of Ambergris Today got to enjoy one of those experiences that are purely unforgettable. We got the opportunity to soar like a bird above our Isla Bonita, not on a plane or helicopter but on an ultralight aircraft. Totally embracing the openness of the aircraft, we flew over San Pedro Town, glided a few feet above the Great Belize Barrier Reef, hovered above 'celebrity' caye Cayo Espanto like paparazzi and soaked in the red tainted skies as the sun went down on a gorgeous afternoon.
The flying adventure is another one of Ambergris Cayes' newest attractions for thrill-seeking adventurers brought to you by Toucan Fly. Own and operated by one of San Pedro's newest entrepreneurs, John McAfee, the ultralight aircrafts tours of Ambergris Caye promise high adrenaline, heart-pumping adventure as you take an aerial tour of the island with nothing much than a large 'kite-like' wing to block your view - everything else is wide open.
Toucan Fly consists of five ultralight aircrafts, two of which are in San Pedro and the other three which are in Belize City and will be brought over to San Pedro as soon as the hangar is fully completed. These magnificent aircrafts are piloted by five extraordinary pilots, three of whom are also instructors.
Mr. John McAfee, apart from being the owner of 'Toucan Fly' is also a pilot but only flies for his own enjoyment. His staff consists of Mr. Neil Bungard, the chief pilot, who is also an instructor and a member of the Federal Aviation Administration, Mr. Matt Robinson and Ms. Jennifer Erwin who are both pilots and instructors, and Mr. Robert Conbes who is a pilot only.
Toucan Fly is specifically for recreational use only and not for public transportation. There will be several tours available, mostly around San Pedro and surrounding Ambergris Caye. Coming soon are flights from San Pedro to Lamanai, which includes an overnight stay and trip back to the island. The longest, a tour around la Isla Bonita, would take is approximately an hour. All flights are weather dependent.
And prep time from ground to air is very minimal as it takes just minutes for the pilots and crew to make their pre-flight check of the aircraft, suite you up with a helmet and give you safety instructions. Soon after, you are taxing down the runway, take off is cleared and zooom, you are off the ground in seconds. With the wind in your face, the smell of the Caribbean Sea to stimulate your sense of smell and a spectacular view of Ambergris Caye, you can't ask for more of an adventure on Ambergris Caye.
"You guys were extremely fortunate to have gotten the perfect weather to fly," commented both pilots Neil Bungard and Matt Robinson. A definite thrill of a lifetime and unforgettable experience! For more information contact Neil or Mardella on 630-1426 to schedule your flight!
With Toucan Fly new light-sports aircraft to the island, The San Pedro Sun took time out to experience a flyover over beautiful Ambergris Caye. Don’t hesitate to try the experience and enjoy the many adventures La Isla Bonita has to offer.
Come over to the Lion's Den tonight and bid for a trip with Toucan Fly. All proceeds go towards the cancer treatment for Edwin Gamez! We will start at 4:00 this evening...good food, drinks and music from Dj Polo and Rompe Raja (Local Band)
Sounds great, get into a non-certified, non-regulated acft,that carries no liability insurance and doesn't require a licenced pilot, and then pay for the thrill.
The ultra-lite pilots here may have certificates, but they are pvt. pilot and/or sport pilot certificates which would restrict them from flying for hire.
Now flying out of San Pedro airport on Ambergris Caye in Belize - Toucanfly - recreational kitewing adventure flights. Get to experience clouds in a whole new way: See them, feel them, smell them - and yes, even taste them. Flying threw a cloud in one of our Toucanfly.com Trikes is an experience like no other. This is truly an unforgettable way to see and experience Belize. more information at http://toucanfly.com/
i'll keep my opinions on safety to my self (novel, huh?), and i wish them luck, but wow, wow, wow do i dislike when products, websites or services dont just lay it out there what you get and how much it is.
I believe Wal-Mart sells the chinese version of the ultra light in their sporting goods dept for about $100. It's pretty compact and will fit into a carry on bag, so it could be taken with you to enjoy your personal aerial frolics at a destination of your choice.
I believe Wal-Mart sells the chinese version of the ultra light in their sporting goods dept for about $100. It's pretty compact and will fit into a carry on bag, so it could be taken with you to enjoy your personal aerial frolics at a destination of your choice.
And powered by self-generated methane gas, so no drain on the depleting fossil fuel supplies!
www.toucanfly.com does not give any information about costs. I agree with Sweetjane - why set up a website to promote something but not put one of the most important bits of information like.....how much??!!
Does anyone have any idea? I have heard as hearsay a few different people quoting prices, and these have ranged form US $80 - 200.
Is the form that you can fill out and ask them directly what their prices are.
I agree, they should be posted on their website, but they aren't. There's really not much sense in asking a bunch of people here on the message board about Toucanfly's prices. If you truly want to know instead of just b*tch about it, you can write Toucan on their form and then YOU will have the answer you seek.
Certainly looks like a lot of fun and should get some fantastic aerial views of the island, for me though as I get older my daredevil antics are becoming less and less.
Admittedly I know little about these flying machines but I do know the weather on Ambergris Caye and it seems this could be a big factor when flying these machines.
Many a time I have been on a boat in beautiful weather and all of a sudden wind picks up and we are in a squall with high winds and rough seas. 5 minutes later it passes and all is calm again.
If your up in the air when one of these hits I think you could be in big trouble hell the cross winds have caused planes to crash.
I would love to know more about the safety aspects of it so we are more informed.
Either way I will be giving it a miss my days of bungy jumping and jumping out of planes are done
Matt (one of the pilots) is a good friend of mine on the island. Hes a very serious pilot. He is licensed to fly many levels of planes. I dont know why everyone assumes its just some guy piloting that did a 3 day course. the dudes been flying for almost 15 years.
The flights are 20mins but he says they generally stay up for 25 or so depending. The cost is $140 (i think) i will confirm this tomorrow morning.
I asked him why there wasnt prices on the website before and it was due to some legal stuff being fine tuned.
As far as the rest of the website goes, the site up right now is getting redone (by me) and will be up sooner than later. The new website will have prices and be a lot more informative.
Again, these guys are VERY serious about safety and having quality REAL pilots. these are not just people with a toy taking up tourists for dangerous thrills.
Ernie/crackedup you'd probably be impressed with the professionalism that this team displays on a day to day basis.
I will see if i can get matt on here in the morning to answer all the other questions that I didnt.
For how long? An hour, 30 minutes, or until you crash and burn?
that comment is almost as ignorant as it is baseless. You know how hard it would be to burn if you crashed in water .
These guys dont crash though, you probably have a better chance getting ran over by a golf kart crossing middle street. Or from hurting yourself falling off the barstool at fido's. Like i said matts been flying for 15 some odd years. He wouldnt still be breathing if he didnt know what he was doing.
I think its the lack of information and the fact that the only experience that most islanders have of these machines is the one a few years ago that got caught with a crosswind while taking off at the airstrip and the pilot and passenger was killed. The pilot was very experienced but there was nothing he could do to avoid it.
I think it would be great if your mate came on here and informed everyone of the safety aspects of it.
I am sure they are a very professional bunch and very experienced
I do know that matt is VERY weather concious and even days that look just fine out to me a lot of times he wont fly cause the wind wont be going the right way, or too much of this or that ( I dont know).
I think what has happened since that last pilot died, the level of professionalism and quality of the service have gone WAY up.
I know nothing about the technical stuff, but I do have to say that I met Matt and chatted with him for a bit. He is very professional and a really nice guy. I really want to do this and if the weather and money gods cooperate I will!
Hey everybody, I'm one of the pilots flying for Toucan Fly, so you may see buzzing around from time to time in one of their colorful little birds. I was asked by a good friend of mine to get on here and see if I could set the record straight on a few matters.
First off, I would like to apologize for the lack of info and professionalism on our website. Trust me, I've been wanting to make some changes to it from the onset, but we're a small company with limited man-power and we've been buried in bureaucracy getting the proper authorizations in place for our up and starting business.
Secondly, both of the pilots currently flying these aircraft hold US ratings in proper category and class. We both have Certified Sport Pilot Flight Instructor Certificates in weight-shift control, and I'm one of maybe five people in the US who hold a weight-shift private pilot with night privileges.
These aircraft are typically referred to as "trikes" among pilots and categorized as "Weight-Shift Control" by the US FAA. I have personally flown these machines since 1995 when I began taking lessons. I soloed in 1996 and have been flying them regularly since. Since then I have acquired almost 2000 hours in just trikes. I have flown them all over the continental US, Hawaii, West Africa, Russia and Alaska. In the past 10 years I have also gained certificates in single and multi-engine airplanes, gliders, as well as received endorsements for water and snow operations.
Our other pilot has been flying trikes for 10 years and has held a private pilot certificate since 1984. I cannot attest to his experience beyond that, but I can say that he is by far one of the most methodical, conscientious, and predictable pilots that I have had the privilege of flying with.
We're both US FAA rated mechanics in this category of aircraft and work diligently to keep them maintained in safe operational condition. Our aircraft maintenance program either meets or exceeds the requirements placed on us by the aircraft manufacturer, US FAA regulations and the Belize CAA.
This brings us to my third point, which has to do with regulations. I see there are rumors that we are not bound by regulation - which, let me assure you, is NOT the case. We have to maintain current and legal US Pilot Certificates, maintain the aircraft in accordance with regulations placed on us by the US FAA, Belize CAA, and the aircraft manufacturer, and operate within the privileges and limitations placed on us, once again, by the US FAA, Belize CAA, and the aircraft manufacturer.
We by no means have a shortage of oversight and regulation to abide by.
On to the important stuff: Prices. We are currently charging Belize Residents $220 BZ and visitors $300 BZ for a 20-25 minute flight around the island. The passenger gets to enjoy the reef and lagoon like never before on these flights. We haul one passenger in each trike and always have two trikes in operation.
I hope this helped clarify some things. I'm off to the airport. Feel free to call if you have any questions: 632-0701.
For that rate: You can get 2 friends, take a 1hr local sightseeing flt (Blue Hole) in a real airplane (safety equipment, raft, jackets), with a Commercial or ATP rated pilot who is very familiar with Belize. An ICAO (internationaly) recognized Air Operators Certificate, insured and maintained as per ICAO regulations.
For how long? An hour, 30 minutes, or until you crash and burn?
that comment is almost as ignorant as it is baseless. You know how hard it would be to burn if you crashed in water .
These guys dont crash though, you probably have a better chance getting ran over by a golf kart crossing middle street. Or from hurting yourself falling off the barstool at fido's. Like i said matts been flying for 15 some odd years. He wouldnt still be breathing if he didnt know what he was doing. Chill out AC, I understand there wouldn't really be a "Burn" my point dealt with the lack of prices mentioned.
For that rate: You can get 2 friends, take a 1hr local sightseeing flt (Blue Hole) in a real airplane (safety equipment, raft, jackets), with a Commercial or ATP rated pilot who is very familiar with Belize. An ICAO (internationaly) recognized Air Operators Certificate, insured and maintained as per ICAO regulations.
yeah cause soooo many people survive plane crashes.
also you are comparing apples to oranges. Thats like saying why ride a motorcycle when you can get in a station wagon.
I look at flying in an ultralight kitewing with an experienced, licensed, certified pilot much as I do SCUBA diving the Blue Hole or bungie jumping or skydiving...these are very risky activities but well worth the risk if you enjoy that sort of adventure. If you don't, well you can always ride in the station wagon (good one AC). To each his own, eh?
wow, i just did this. was amazing. I dont know how many people that can say they know what a cloud feels like. I felt safe the whole time, the pilot was in complete control the whole time. the landing (which was what i was worried about) was the smoothest landing ive been on in any aircraft. Very impressive on all accounts.
Thanks iluvbelize! That is absolutely correct. To compare our trikes to maya's and tropic air's Cessna aircraft is about the same as comparing a jet ski to a san pedro water taxi. I wouldn't be too stoked on traveling to belize city on a jet ski on regular basis, nor would it be too wise to bust out donuts and jump wakes in the water taxi boat.
We lean more towards the jet ski business. We're about fun: we fly colorful two seat birds in good weather only, and we don't haul luggage. We simply provide the opportunity for tourists to take home some sweet photos and memories of their trip to san pedro and allow residents to see the island from a whole new perspective.
A lot of people of people prefer the big safe water taxi to jammin' around on a jet ski, and I can completely respect that. For them I would suggest chartering a Cessna for an excellent aerial view of the island. Maya or Tropic will happy to arrange that for you, I'm sure. For the those of us who like a little excitement and the sound of wind noise, feel free to give me a call: 632-0701
Thanks a lot for flying with me, AC! I'm glad you had a good time. I certainly had a blast!
I guess you might be guessing. But maybe they heard the response. Most of us are wondering about their credentials, and maybe the credentials and licenses aren't there. And, there are some of us that hate the noise when they fly low over our houses. There is even a thread on "another" message board that the sponser is a faker or a sham. I have wondered and am as happy as hell that they haven' been flying. I hope you get the drift. If there was no problem they would be out and about...but they aren't.
Well, excuse me, but I hope you have read the entire thread...without the hype by the planted supporters, paid or not, (or given free rides). But please, I would never begin to say most of us...without hearing from plenty of locals. But, Jesse, bunches of us (which I will use in the future) don't like the ultra lites, and don't like the supporters that own them... Does that satisfy you?...and I'm supprised I got knocked off line, must be a coincidence, as soon as I posted this.
Jesse, I would suggest you take your own advice. I am very careful, as I would like for our Island Paradise to remain that. I like and respect you a lot, but sometimes I think you are too critical of views that are slightly...not a lot (and I think when it comes to a lot, even more) different from yours.
maybe there might be a big poof, and all of the stupidity might implode. Then, a great consideration for ideas might errupt into a great enlightenment....never mind. I channel Roseanne Rosannedana, again.
Yes, and we have been all along. I hope there is a picture of me somewhere giving a finger to those "offal" things. I did it at the pool (parallel with the hangers and take off area one day and it was noted. They flew over my house daily, several times a day and it was unbearable. I suggested they fly down the runway...all the way before turning to the reef. Those arrogant people didn't listen. Please refer to former posts and I did contact them directly... so Peter please go to the corner
Jesse, I haven't responded before about your characterization of me complaining. But I am going to do it now. I don't complain about everything. I just complain about the stupid, annoying, and human being unfriendly things. And, I don't complain about all of those I encounter. Right now, though, I am going to complain about those who complain about those who complain. You are complaining. I think no tea would have ever gotten thrown into Boston harbor if nobody complained. There would be no countries with democracies right now if nobody compained. So, please stop complaining about complainers.
The initial remedy is to ask the operators to choose a different flight path. If that doesn't work, and Gwen says she tried that to no avail, and I were significantly affected, then yes, I'd get pretty fed up. But I've known people buy a house at the end of a runway and then complain about aeroplane noise.....
I live near the airstrip and I hear the planes taking off and landing. I have no right to complain as the airstrip was here first. Now if they materially changed the way they operate, like introducing night flights or allowing business jets, then perhaps I would have grounds for complaint. But till then.....
If they werent "affected", they wouldnt be complaining, you ....
Ignoring the personal insult, which seems to come out of your mouth every time you open it, there are often people who complain "out of principle" when they themselves are not directly affected at all. In all countries. But perhaps that's a bit subtle for you.
I WILL NOT. Unless he plays the na, na, na, na, na game. But, truth be told. I don't mind living, probably, somewhere near the middle of the runway. We like the planes, they are our clocks. Dave is a pilot, and I have lived with planes near me all my life. We owned a lovely Piper Turoarow. My father built rocket engines at Bell Aircraft in Niagara Falls, NY, when I was kid (not my brother). They chained them down in the parking lot and blew them off. Great thundering beasts. More about that another time, but he then went to NASA, and I grew up with that..not my brother. These ultra lites sound like chain saws. They are dangerous to their patrons...look up the crash records of ultralites, please. They offer something to our tourists, but I hope nobody dies. One of our friends from aquafit watched personally as a tourist died in an ultralite. I'll give the name, if necessary, but it won't be a problem. THIS ISN'T A GOOD TOURIST VENUE. IT ISN'T FRIENDLY TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE NOISE, AND IT ISN'T GOOD FOR THE LOCAL BIRDS AND WILDLIFE.
So is it the availability of these things for tourist jaunts, the noise they make, or safety concerns which are the bigger concern to you? Separate issues, all perfectly valid, but requiring different solutions.
Did you enjoy seeing the various aerial videos that have been taken of Belize and promulgated over the past year or two? I have two in mind - the one made by Astrum Helicopters and the official BTB one. Do you object to those being made, or would you have objected if you had been under the flightpath? Do you object to the paid tourist flights that Astrum advertise? How about the aerial photos of Ambergris Caye taken by Chris at Pelican Properties?
What is the difference between people watching images taken by others and seeing those scenes for themselves? Is it just a question of the volume of flights, or is it something deeper rooted?
Peter, so you played the na, na, na, na, na card. Did you realize some of the images produced interfered with wildilife. I guess not. Ambergris Caye overflights won't bother any primates.
No you're right, I didn't. I can imagine that they may not have been very happy when the helicopter passed overhead, but do you have knowledge that it went beyond that? And do you therefore think that those videos shouldn't have been made and/or those tourism flights shouldn't be offered? GoB seems to think they're a good idea.
I don't know about the na, na, na, na, na card. I'm just trying to get to the bottom of your undeniably considerable objection to these microlights. You've offered several different reasons so far.
On safety, do you have any recent statistics on accidents with microlights in commercial operation? When they were new and only in private use there were lots of accidents, just as there were with hanggliders and other innovative devices (can't think of a better word), but I thought they had matured so that they are capable of very safe operation.
You say AC overflights won't bother primates. You're bothered, aren't you? But in any case, why single out primates? Surely birds and all mammals - all animals, in fact - are just as worthy of our protection, if they are materially affected?
Peter, to deal with the last issue, more messing with you. We are the primates and I was just being sarcastic. The birds and other species more sensitive are definately in our concerns. You might have missed that there was a big time dis of Beautiful Belize, if I have it right. A book of photos of over views of animal(mostly on the mainland) taken by the same ultralites on the Island. It became a big "dislike" on facebook from a lot of people that discovered that these photos were made by the ultralites and disturbed the animals. Safety wise, it is a no brainer. Even though we don't subscribe to it now, you can probably on-line, AOPA, the magazine of Private Pilots, has every flight disaster, every month, and you can find out the truth. It is definative...never fly in an ultralite and never go up in a balloon. The stats are there.
As I asked, are these privately or commercially operated microlights? There's a world of difference. I don't read any American flying magazines but I used to read British ones, and I don't recall any significant incidence of accidents with microlights in commercial operation. Privately operated was obviously more, but it still wasn't very bad - or the authorities in Britain would have banned them. They are very fussy about flight safety.
I didn't see whatever was posted on Facebook, but I find that medium largely unintelligible and random anyway. But I'd appreciate a URL to whatever was said about "Beautiful Belize".
Sorry if being asked to state your thoughts more methodically bothers you.
"Heavenly Belize" was shot from a twin engine ultra-light, not the Toucan ultra- lights. It was all approved by Civil Aviation. I highly doubt any animals were disturbed, unless the flew into a deaf seagull.
Microlight and ultralight safety is hotly debated and will continue to be. One thing to remember is that comparing private and commercial ultralight operations is no more logical than comparing street racers with limo drivers. And because this genre of aviation matured in modern times it has been and will continue to be more heavily criticized.
Many of the misconceptions surrounding ultralights stem from risky personal behaviors of untrained private operators who have accepted their own actions (the street racers). Many countries' regulations allow ultralights to be operated privately with little or no certification or training. The unfortunate side affect of unregulated flight gives the effect that the industry is unsafe, obscuring the line between the rare legitimate safety failures of the limo drivers and the more common accidents caused by the street racers.
Adding to the concerns is the fact that many ultralights can be home built and flown with no inspection at all. Once again, this is sort of like comparing a jungle vine to a 600 pound test rope. The home built (or the jungle vine) has a significantly higher occurrence of failure (accounting for nearly all of the few mechanical failures in ultralights) when compared to a manufacturer's certified, registered, airworthy, precision aircraft (the 600 pound test) with proper certified maintenance.
The opinions need not be swayed in one direction or another. If you don't want to fly in an ultralight, then don't. End of discussion. However, it should be made clearly visible that ANY commercial organization in ANY country is operating under extreme scrutiny from its governing officials.
Commercial organizations operate on the conditions that insurance, maintenance records, airworthiness certification and applicable pilot ratings for commercial operation be maintained. If they didn't they would be shut down. I don't know of any reasonably developed, democratic country where that fact isn't universal and Belize is no exception.
Successful commercial operations exist in many countries throughout the world and there are some great links provided below to a few companies throughout North and Central America. All of them use precision made, manufacturer certified aircraft with powerhouse, redundant engines and have fully certified, licensed pilots. Some even have the luxury of an FAA Certified Light Sport Pilot Examiner as their Operations Manager.
Hawaii, US -http://www.birdsinparadise.com/ Canada -http://www.ultralightnews.com/pilotslounge/ultralightflight_training.htm, http://www.bctrikes.com/ Mexico -http://www.ultraligeros-mexico.com/, http://sanfelipeultralightflights.com/default.aspx Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua -http://flying-crocodile.com/HTML/English/flying/flying_frames.html, http://www.flyultralight.com/ Belize -http://www.toucanfly.com/ Kids learn to fly -http://www.eaa1288.org/YoungEagles/ye_faq.cfm Persons in Wheelchairs learn to fly -http://flightability.bizland.com/
Any concerns regarding commercial ultralight operation are always taken seriously by the organization since any ultralight enthusiast wants to further enhance the industry. Stipulations can sometimes prevent having much of a choice in lingering in front of a busy approach pattern, though, but surely they will do what they can. Most commercial ultralight operations just want to enhance the accessibility to the natural beauty of a region and can actually decrease devastating foot traffic to many pristine areas helping to preserve them from overuse. Plus it's just an amazing experience. Give it a try sometime if you like.
Well, excuse me, but I hope you have read the entire thread...without the hype by the planted supporters, paid or not, (or given free rides). But please, I would never begin to say most of us...without hearing from plenty of locals. But, Jesse, bunches of us (which I will use in the future) don't like the ultra lites, and don't like the supporters that own them... Does that satisfy you?...and I'm supprised I got knocked off line, must be a coincidence, as soon as I posted this.
GwenA, while my opinion posted earlier in the thread was supportive of the use of ultra-light aircraft as risky but possibly fun entertainment, I am not a "plant", nor was I a passenger, nor am I paid by anyone to post my opinions here. I stand by my post. Sorry to hear you were bothered by the operation that apparently has ceased.
Does anyone know definitively why it has ceased? The suggestion has been made that it wasn't being operated legally and has been closed down by officialdom. Another possibility is that it wasn't making money and has been at least suspended for the time being. Or a final possibility is that John McAfee has simply changed his mind, for whatever reason.