Around the World in a (Simulated) Airplane, Part 3 : Across Jamaica to Haiti with Layover on Aircraft Carrier

See the above region on Google Maps

At the end of part 2 of our round-the-world tour, we had just landed on a tiny airstrip upon making a first landfall at the western tip of Jamaica, arriving there from Cuba by way of the Cayman Islands.

If landing the larger 6-seater airplane, the Beechcraft Baron 58, on that tiny airstrip wasn't a workout enough for my still-limited landing skills, later landing on an aircraft carrier, while in transit to Haiti, certainly stretched my abilities!  Fortunately, I had fortified myself with a training video on handling sideslips, i.e. fine alignment with the landing strip.  That has been my Achilles' heel so far: ending up a little diagonal and/or offset, just as I'm about to touch down...  Getting better, though :)

North-West of Jamaica : Montego Bay

In Jamaica, I've been fascinated by two gorgeous bays: the first one is Montego Bay, close to my original landfall on the island.

Here are two views of Montego Bay in Google Earth, approaching the airport from opposite directions.  In the video below the photos, you can see those two same views, as I first approach the airport from the west and then overshoot and turn around.

Google Earth view of my initial approach, from the west (Montego Bay in the foreground)

Close-up view of the airport from the opposite direction (Montego Bay is now in the background)

Video clip of the two above approaches:

Crossing Jamaica, to Kingston

From Anna's travel blog  (Source)

I came across an intriguing travel blog: Things to Do in Jamaica Beyond the Resorts.

Jamaica is much smaller than our earlier major island, Cuba.  It's only about 230 Km (140 miles) by 75 Km (45 miles); so, it's easily crossed, with both north and south coasts at times visible during my flight.

Crossing Jamaica in its long dimension, towards the capital of Kingston

Approaching the bay by Kingston

Taking a first peek at the hills just past Kingston

Kingston Town beaches, Jamaica  (Source)

Across the Blue Maintains of Eastern Jamaica

As if the two major bays weren't impressive enough, Jamaica had one last departing gift: the Blue Mountains of its eastern side.  With peaks reaching 2,260 m (7,400 ft), I had to crank up some altitude gain without much dilly-dallying!  Especially impressive elevation for such a a relatively small island!

The Blue Hills rising in the background.  Kingston is on the left, by the bay.  The eastern end of the island visible in top/right

The Blue Mountains.  The altitude gauge is showing 5,700 ft; must climb: peaks reach 7,400 ft, (2,260 m)!

Village up in the Blue Mountains  (Source)

Just to the east of the Blue Mountains is the Rio Grande :

Bamboo rafts on the Rio Grande (Source)

Landing on an Aircraft Carrier between Jamaica and Haiti

As luck had it, early on in the 190 Km (120 mile) water stretch between Jamaica and the nearby Haiti, the aeronautic chart of the simulator showed an aircraft carrier.

I had tried a landing on an aircraft carrier when I first started using the simulator, with disastrous results, cough, but after so much more practice, I actually managed this time.  That's what simulators are for, aren't they? ;)

A tense moment prior to my first successful landing on an aircraft carrier

Whew, managed to land! (near the center, on the side of the runway)

While on the subject of aircraft carriers, I recommend the earlier episodes of a remarkable 10-part PBS documentary that I watched,  Carrier (2005) :

Here's my review of it:

Extended documentary about life on a huge aircraft carrier, for the duration of a 6-month deployment, a couple of years into the Iraq war.
The earlier episodes are interesting and engaging, but the long series (10 episodes) eventually runs out of steam, and becomes fairly trite and tedious by the end.
The documentary isn't about the military hardware and firepower; nonetheless, especially when the soap-opera aspect rears its head (increasingly so in later episodes), it would've been interesting to hear a little more about the ship and a shade less about the people.
Too much focus on low-rank sailors and the high-school-like quality that their world often possesses.
The reality-style feels cheesy at times, especially in the last two episodes.
While the documentary generally shines a favorable light on the military, it doesn't have a pro-war bias, and in fact several interviewees come out against the Iraq war or express major reservations about it.

Haiti Landfall, and the lush "Pic Macaya" National Park

In the middle of nowhere, 55 Km (35 miles) prior to reaching Haiti, I pass by the tiny Navassa island, about 3 Km (2 miles) across:

And then I finally catch sight of Haiti :

Haiti landfall, arriving at the western end of the island of Hispaniola

The same bay (Baie des Irois), as seen in Google Earth

Shortly upon arriving at the western end of Hispaniola, the island shared between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, I was awed by the lush beauty of the Pic Macaya National Park; notice the sharp climb as I get nervous about getting too close to the mountains! Elevations in the rugged park reach 2,350 meters (7,700 feet)

Traversing the lush "Pic Macaya" National Park; notice the 5,100 feet (1,550 m) in the altimeter gauge

Topographic maps of Haiti:  map 1    map 2  (notice the tall "Macaya Peak" near the western end)

Upon having crossed over to the north coast, about to land by the town of Jeremie.  Notice the landing strip near the center

AIRPORTS:  Negril (little air strip), Jamaica, (MKNG) ; Montego Bay, Jamaica, Sangster Airport, (MKJS) ; Kingston, Jamaica, Norman Manley Airport (MKJP) ;  aircraft carrier in Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and Haiti ; Jeremie airport, Haiti (MTJE)


CONTINUED IN  Part 4 : Crossing Southern Hispaniola from Haiti to the Dominican Republic

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