Thick fog puts a stop to a 6 am flight to Cuba and I do not get away from Leesburg until 09:45 local. The head wind gets worse over the Everglades swamp but what a spectacle of wildlife, especially the Gators, I seemed to check the engine gauges a little more than normal. The fuel consumption is not good - close on six US gallons an hour and I have taken out my overhead tank. Cannot overfly Cuba, I am soon told, without 48hr wait for a permit. Dominican Republic is a must but a long, long way. Conrad, I might be knocking on your door sooner than expected via the Bahamas.
Turned back in the end and arrive back at the Keys with a T6 Harvard taxing past while a Waco biplane goes for a jolly. And there is a Pitts biplane just asking to be flown. I locate a host for the night. Ray up at Indian River had told me to look him up his name is Freddy and he sorts me out with food, bed, shower and sound advice on “does and donts" if I AM TO VENTURE INTO THE WEST INDIES. Then off to a hangar full of pilots for a beer of sorts, and a yarn or two.
Going for Cuba tomorrow but much hassle is predicted. West Indies is not so civilised as I thought. Bahama islands are both good and bad. Turks and Caicos steal a pilot"s money, will need a good lawyer. Ah, I know of such a person who represented me once in his first job (unpaid) back in the 80s. He now lives in Caicos, must search him out!