My advice in Central
America is: 2 pilots; 2 engines; and daylight VFR conditions.
Good advice!
In 1979, I was in Haiti, which was then in the clutches of Jean-Claude ("Baby-Doc") Duvalier and the group of thugs established by his father and known as the Volunteers for National Security (better known as the Tonton Macoutes or "bogeymen"). I needed to get from Port-au-Prince to Jacmel on the southern coast. The distance between the two cities is only about 35 miles by air and 65 by road – but the road was in such poor condition that the drive could take more than 6 hours even on a good day. A small airline called Haiti Air Inter was offering service between Port-au-Prince and Jacmel using a Britten-Norman BN-2 aircraft – a twin-engine turboprop, capable of carrying about eight passengers at a time – one similar to this:
When I boarded the aircraft I found myself sitting by a man carrying a loosely-woven straw basket which appeared to contain a live chicken. On second glance, I noticed that it was not just any chicken but actually a very angry fighting cock apparently offended by his present circumstances.
During takeoff, I shifted my attention from the fighting cock and turned to look out my starboard-side window expecting to enjoy a view of the Haitian coast and the mountains in the distance. What I noticed instead, however, was the tire on the fixed landing gear just below my window. More particularly, I noticed the six-inch bald spot on the tire -- no tread, no rubber, only some frayed cords of the carcass body.
Although we landed at Jacmel without blowing the tire, I rented a VW Beetle for the return trip to Port-au-Prince. It came as no surprise when I later read that a BN-2 owned by Haiti Air Inter had crashed in January 1980.
Reliable aircraft. Lousy maintenance. Recipe for disaster.
