This morning (Monday Feb 22), Jean Pierre, the local aircraft mechanic is open an he is supposed to be in at 8:00AM. I get to the airport before 8. Carlos, (Jean Pierre's son) gets to the airport around 9:00AM. GKNT is a B*TCH to start but I have figured it out and it takes only takes me 2-3 minutes. I taxi right over to Jean Pierre's and Carlos gets right to work. He pulls the plugs and injectors and we change the oil while we are there. There is a little bit of dirt in the injectors but not enough to cause the troubles I have been having. The spark plugs are fine. Jean Pierre arrives and deduces that the problem is most likely in the electronic ignition control unit. He opens it up, hoping to find something obvious but does not find anything... I am really stressed thinking I am going to have to replace it somewhere during this trip. Finally... we notice a loose wire in the engine compartment. Tracing it down, it is a ground wire directly into the electronic ignition. The opposing pair goes to the starter solenoid. BINGO! that's it. This lose ground is responsible for telling the electronic ignition to advance the spark timing (actually release a shower of sparks) that will allow the engine to start with the (relatively) slow speed of the starter. No wonder GKNT was so hard to start. In fact, given this information, I'm surprised that I managed to get it started at all. PROBLEM SOLVED!!!!
I loaded up GKNT with 375 pounds of rice and as many crutches would fit and was on my way...
Back to Jacmel to drop the stuff off...
A King air had gone off the runway a few weeks earlier. I got a picture as I taxied out.
I was unable to file a flight plan in Jacmel and Port-Au-Prince control would most likely not answer (they didn't). I was concerned about leaving for Jamaica without a flight plan. Bobing around the ocean in a life raft when nobody is looking for you does not really appeal to me. I managed to borrow a cell phone and called Shane. I told him that if I did not arrive in Kingston in 3 hours I would likely be in the ocean. I felt much better when he told me that he had been tracking me with our SPOT receiver and I was on my way.
Over the ocean between Haiti and Jamaica. On top of the clouds... I could be anywhere.
Short final into Kingston.
Shane dropped of my stuff... a quick (on Island time anyway) stop and I was on my way to Montego Bay.
Somewhere between Kingston and Montego Bay
Coming up to the north coast of Jamaica (Montego Bay airport is just barely visible at the edge of the water).
Turning final in Montego Bay. Note the Air Canada flight on the ramp. I was desperately trying to arrive before Anne and the kids but considering the mechanical problems and "Island Time" issues, I did really well getting there just over an hour after they landed.
Fortunately, Anne was smart and just when to the hotel without me.
Although my trip into Haiti was only 3 days, I feel that I had an experience lasting several weeks. It was one of the most challenging and rewarding thing I have done so far in aviation.
I learned that I will never again fly without GPS terrain warning. The new GPS I got just before I left has it and most of my flights over the last 3 days would not have been possible without it.
I also discovered that my Spanish is horrible. Although languages have never been my strong point, Spanish sounds just don't have any meaning for me. I would hear and read back a name/location only to forget a few minutes later, hear it again and forget it just as quickly. I have landed in Higuero 3 times and still cannot pronounce it properly.
Next... 1 week of Vacation with Anne and the kids and much needed sleep.
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