Busy day at St Maarten!

VATSIM was busy upon arrival at St Maarten. Final approach to runway 9, cleared to land!

FS Nav Traffic View

Here is an FS Nav view at St Maarten on arrival. Note MTN520 among the traffic!

Departing St Maarten

Just after takeoff at St Maarten. Note MTN520 is lifting off the active runway.

Passing by St Barts

Don Cote (MTN520) is getting a good view of St Barts' beaches. Note the runway on the island.

Lots of Water!

MTN520 is in view a little ahead of my aircraft. Let's hope the engine holds out!

Antigua Arrival

Lining up for final at runway 7 Antigua, TAPA. Hard to see over the glass panel in the Cirrus.

On Final at Antigua

On final runway 7 Antigua, TAPA. MTN520 is 4 miles in trail to land.

What a Nice Landing!

Here comes Don Cote, MTN520 on very short final. Cleared to land!

On the Antigua Ramp

MTN048 and MTN520 on the ramp at Antigua, TAPA. Let's park these birds and head for the marina!

Rain at Antigua!

MTN048, MTN520 and MTN1376 await the departure as the rain pounds Antigua.

Flying Over Guadeloupe

Passing over the airport at Guadeloue, TFFR, in the French West Indies.

French West Indies

Flying over the French West Indies at 7000 with MTN520 in tow.

Here Comes Dominica

We have beautiful weather as we pass by the island of Dominica.

Flying Past Dominica

Here is another view of Dominica as we fly down the east side of the island.

Martinique Arrival!

MTN048 and MTN520 flying down the west side of Martinique before making the left turn into the harbor.

Le Lamentin Final

Lining up with runway 9 at Le Lamentin airport on the beautiful island of Martinique.

Passing Fort de France

On final to runway 9, passing the city off the left side of the aircraft.

Martinique Sunset!

MTN1264 was a little behind on arrival, allowing us to view a beautiful sunset during his approach. Lucky Dean, lucky us!

Goodbye Le Lamentin

We wave goodbye to Martinique as we lift off and head south toward St Vincent.

Departing Martinique

MTN048, MTN520 and MTN1264 all depart the pattern at TFFF and turn south toward St Lucia and St Vincent.

French West Indies

As darkness settles in, we leave the French West Indies and aim south toward St Vincent.

St Vincent Final!

Trust me, it is a beautful island ... just a little hard to tell in the black of night!

Goodbye St Vincent

MTN048 & MTN1220 depart St Vincent and head southwest toward Grenada.

Weather at Grenada

Unusual for the islands, visibility was only 4 miles as we approach TGPY.

Grenada Departure

Climbing downwind runway 10 as we leave Grenada and head west toward Margarita.

Where's the Sunshine?

MTN1099 & MTN1220 cruise along 4000 over the top of MTN048. Weather blocks the great views.

Final at Margarita!

MTN0199 is on the ground first as we line up on final approach to runway 9R at SVMG.

Stacked Up at Margarita

MTN1220 just landed and MTN1264 is on short final at Margarita. Can you hear Dean yelling at Jeff to get off the runway?

Here Comes Buzz!

MTN1376 is on short final to runway 9R at SVMG. We're all watching ... don't bounce!

On The Ramp!

MTN048, MTN1099, MTN1220, MTN1264, MTN1376 on the ramp at SVMG. Welcome to Venezuela!

Busy at Margarita!

Lots of MTN aircraft and lots of TCA aircraft on the ground at Margarita.

Sneaking Off the Island!

MTN048, MTN1099, MTN1250, and MTN1445 leaving Margarita in the black of night!

Approaching Maiquetia

Both TCA and MTN had a busy flight from SVMG to SVMI. No ATC so we're on our own!

Busy Maiquetia

Lots of TCA and MTN traffic at SVMI. There's MTN1445 peddling his 172 as fast as he can!

Synchronized Landing!

A new Olympic sport? MTN1250 and MTN1445 are landing together at SVMI. Lloyd is landing on the taxiway .... shhh!

So Long Maiquetia

Looking down at a quiet SVMI, the primary airport for Caracas, Venezuela.

Goodbye Caribbean!

Say goodbye to the Caribbean Ocean! From here on, it is jungles and mountains all the way!

Barquisimeto Arrival

Low clouds hang around the airport at Barquisimeto, a beautiful city in central Venezuela.

Departing from SVBM

Barquisimeto is surrounded by mountains. Wave goodbye to the field as we depart to the Southwest.

Whew! Close Call!

The flight plan said 8,500. Not high enough! Climbing to 10,500 was required to clear this ridge.

Heading Up Merida Valley

Leaving the flatland, we head east up the river valley to Merida airport.

Beautiful Merida!

Merida is a beautiful city nestled in a high mountain valley in the northern Andes.

Runway 6 Rollout

Ready to turnoff of runway 6 at SVMD. A go around at this field requires close attention.

On the Ramp at Merida

We are parked at Merida, elevation 5,000, with mountains exceeding 15,000 on three sides!

Leaving Merida

Climbing out at Merida (SVMD) and heading down the valley. MTN286 is ready for departure on the field.

Climibing Over the Top!

Flying over the Northern Andes with MTN286 climbing out of Merida. Say goodbye to Venezuela.

Is this Visibility VFR?

Clouds and hazy develop in the afternoon over Southwestern Venezuela. Watch those ridges!

Here Comes Willie!

On the ground at Cucuta (SKCC). Willie Jones (MTN286) is on final runway 15, cleared to land!

On the Ramp at Cucuta

MTN048 and MTN286 on the ramp at Cucuta. Just like the old days!

Cucuta Getaway

Leaving the pattern at Cucuta (SKCC) and heading south. Break out the oxygen ... this is the first really high flying leg of the trip!

Cucuta Friends

Climbing out over Cucuta, Colombia, a beautiful little city on the Venezuelan border.

Climb Baby Climb!

MTN048 trying to reach 14,500 feet, on a warm day, with a normally aspirated piston engine. Pedal faster!

Camargo Valley Ahead

The elevation of Camargo is 8100 feet, so the descent from 14,500 won't take too long.

Camargo No Ramp!

A long and narrow paved runway is surrounded by grass and trees at Camargo (SKSO). Park anywhere!

Here Comes Scott

Scott Davison (MTN1411) arrives at Camargo (SKSO) in style flying a Baron. No turbocharging but that extra engine helps!

Lonely Departure

Climbing away from Camargo (SKSO) and heading south up the valley, climbing hard to make it over the ridge ahead.

Poor Weather Enroute

Light rain showers and clouds reduce visibility and hide the high mountains all around the aircraft.

Are We Still in VMC?

Storm clouds make it difficult to see ahead, although the ground is in view. Three miles visibility? Yes. Clear of clouds? ... hmmmm, next question.

The Storm Breaks

Clouds begin to clear enroute to Bogota. Visibility improves a lot!

Bogota in the Distance

Bogota, Colombia (SKBO) is down in the valley ahead. Clear skies and lots of traffic prevail.

Bogota Traffic!

Bogota (SKBO) is busy with lots of aircraft and ATC online. All in spanish, except for me.

Visual Approach

On final to runway 13L at Bogota (SKBO). Weather is great, lots of traffic, and field in sight!

Climb Baby Climb!

Leaving Bogota (SKBO) and climbing fast to clear the first ridge.

Over the Ridge

Crossing the western ridge and heading toward Santiago Valley.

Over Santiago

Flying over Santiago, Colombia, crossing the river and the broad valley below. Plenty of altitude here!

Here Come the Clouds

Flying VFR between layers with scattered clouds above and below the aircraft.

There Go the Clouds

Watch those peaks! Even at 14,500 feet, pilots need to pay attention in this region.

Turning to Final

Cali, Colombia is below. Turning to join the inbound track for runway 1 at SKCL.

Final Cali Runway 1

Still a little high, but easy approach from here on in on the visual approach to runway 1 at Cali (SKCL).

Cali: Taxi for Takeoff

MTN048 and MTN1376 taxi to runway 19 for takeoff to the south.

Cali Departure

Here we go! Off the deck and heading south with Buzz (MTN1376) lining up for the takeoff roll.

Leaving the Storm

The departure from Cali was stormy. Now we are leaving the storm behind.

Buzz in the Lead

With better weather, Buzz leads the group up the beautiful valley.

Here Comes Lloyd

Is that a UFO? Lloyd (MTN1250) is catching up to the group.

Puffy Clouds Enroute

The scenery is beautiful along the way, especially when these puffy clouds pop up.

Pasco Down Below

There's Pasco (SKPS) down in the valley ahead. Buzz and Lloyd are already on the field.

On Final to Pasco

Lining up for final to runway 20 at Pasco (SKPS).

Everyone Made It!

All three pilots are on the ground at Pasco, getting ready for the final leg of the journey.

Pasco Departure

MTN048 departs Pasco and flies a right-hand pattern on departure. Everyone needed a few turns to gain altitude before heading south.

Lloyd: Watch those Hills!

Big mountains filled the windscreen on departure to the south. Keep a sharp lookout!

Buzz Climbing High

MTN1376 is climbing up high for the final leg. Break out the oxygen tank!

Some Distant Peaks

Two prominent peaks reach for the sky along the way. Very distinctive.

Approaching Quito

Way up ahead, Quito is nestled down in the valley. Pick the route carefully through the big mountains!

Buzz: Almost There!

MTN1376 follows in trail as we all approach Quito, our final destination for the tour.

Don't Get Too Close!

We all need to pay attention to these high mountains as we approach Quito!

Quito Is Up Ahead

Fly through the gap in the terrain ahead and starting descending to the airport. Will the weather hold?

Dropping Weather

Watch out! The weather starts dropping and visibility drops to near IMC. Here comes the rain!

Caution: Buzz On Final

MTN1376 is lined up on final and makes a perfect landing, even with strong crosswinds!

Here Are The Three Amigos

The final two legs of the tour are completed by MTN048, MTN1250, and MTN1376 together.