South Bimini is a great first trip to the Bahamas to “get your feet wet” in regards to international procedures. Only 56 nautical miles from Miami, Bimini is just a short hop from the US mainland. Bimini is actually two islands, North and South. Access to the North island is via a small ferry boat that operates continuously all day. The North Island is has a new large development called Bimini Bay

 bimini bay resort - With plans for a hotel and casino. Houses and town homes are available for rental now.

 Information on dining, fishing, snorkeling and other activities can be found here.

Getting There

 VFR - Make sure to file an international VFR flight plan and activate it after leaving Opa Locka or Tamiami airports class Delta by calling Flight Service on 122.2. The FAR/AIM says you must be on a flight plan and squawking a discrete code to penetrate the ADIZ. Some people think this is inbound only, but the ADIZ is a zone and you “penetrate” it outbound as well. Just fly GPS direct or navigate to the ZBV VOR. When you have the island in sight about 10 miles out, call Miami Flight service on 126.7 to close your flight plan. Miami radio can be reached on this frequency at 1500 feet or higher in this area. Phone access to close on the ground is difficult or impossible. Bimini is uncontrolled, so just announce intentions on 122.8. No one will answer a Unicom call, but just listen up on the frequency well out from landing to determine runway in use and winds from other pilots there or on nearby islands. Most “Bahamas flyers” are helpful with wind and runway reports.

IFR - Not Recommended
 This is just too short of a trip for the altitude Miami Approach control will require and there are no approaches there anyway. If you do choose to do it, form Opa Locka, file Miami Nine Beech transition direct because that is what you will get every time.

Getting Back

 The biggest problem with the return is US customs notification. You must notify US customs of your arrival time no more than 24 hours before and no less than 1 hour before you arrive. You have a 2 hour window to show up, an hour before or an hour after the time you gave them. The best way to do this is to give notice before you leave the US for a day trip. Access to a phone in Bimini is difficult. They do have special “blue phones” for pilots in the Bahamas to do this, but they rarely, if ever work. If you find yourself needing a phone, it’s best to buy a Batelco prepaid card in the terminal and use the pay phone.

VFR- Make sure to open your flight plan and get a squawk code on 126.7 before penetrating the ADIZ. You will be told something to the effect of squawk VFR code 1270 (or some other code) for Customs ID unless notified by ATC. If you later pick up flight following you may be assigned a new code. When you land, go straight to customs and also remember to close your flight plan.

IFR - File direct Dekal WAVUN One arrival Opa Locka. You will be assign that rout every time. Once airborne, get your clearance from Miami approach

Flight times