DonMcMullen
Active Member
Some of you wanted to hear about my trip, with Gregg Healy, to Mulege. Here it is: By Don McMullen
I first received an E-Mail from the Baja Bush Pilots requesting 100 airplanes to airlift supplies to the hurricane victims in Mulege & Santa Rosalia, Baja. I connected with the people in charge, and asked Gregg if he wanted to fly along with me. I filed the EAPIS and international flight plan, grabbed all the paper work, my Passport, packed a small bag and we departed on Thursday, Sept 23 at 8:00 am. We climbed to 10 500 ft and went via Catalina and then direct to Browns Field, San Diego. We picked up about 300 lbs of supplies, mostly clothing and footwear. We had to put our ditty bags in front under our legs making it hard to move and we got the canopy closed.
We took off from Browns, activated our flight plan and went across the border squawking 1200. We headed directly for San Felipe as directed by BBP. They had made arrangements not to charge us for bringing the relief supplies into the country. It was quick and easy at San Felipe although I think they ripped us off a little on the price of the Visas. Leaving San Felipe we headed down the coast of the Sea of Cortez for 2 hours and came to Mulege airstrip. It is on the chart but doesn?t have any airport ID. So I kinda guessed the location and entered a user waypoint. 30 miles out we called Jack McCormick, President of the BBP, for any instructions. He told us to do a soft field landing and land short although they had fixed a path across the ditch caused by the storm.
It was rather a rough landing - Gregg said just like landing on a dirt road, kinda bumpy. We made it and it wasn?t so bad. Jack waved us to parking and helped us unload the airplane into a pickup. We didn?t know what we were going to do now. Gregg and I talked it over and decided to stay at the Serenidad Hotel for the special $35. room rate which is usually $80. They had just refilled the pool and it looked good. We had a couple of soft drinks talked to two other pilots at the bar and decided to go to town for an early dinner.
Jack McCormick gave us a ride into town and told us that the best place to eat was the Equipales Restaurante so that?s where we went. On the way there we could see much damage from the Hurricane like trucks turned upside down, flattened palm trees, lots of mud and many businesses closed and boarded up. The meal we had was great. I had the sea bass and Gregg had the shrimp, and the total for two was about $30. including a couple of drinks each. We and the 2 other pilots we ate with took a taxi back to the Serenidad Hotel. After a short nap we went into the pool, got a couple of beers at the swim up bar and stayed up to our necks in the pool to keep the bugs from biting us. The temps were in the high 90?s and it didn?t cool off much at night.
I was very tired so I took a shower and went to bed, but Gregg had met one of the other pilots that had come in late and stayed up talking to him. I met him also, a nice guy from Arizona area named Bob.
The next morning early I grabbed a cup of coffee and we took off for Guaymas 100 miles across the sea of Cortez. We talked to Bob the other pilot of a 172 and he was telling us how he forgot his passport and hoped he didn?t have trouble getting back into the United States. Just about that time I remembered that I had forgotten my passport and all my Mexican papers under the bed at Serenidad hotel. So we turned around and headed back to Baja for my passport. We called Jack on the radio and he went and got our stuff and brought it to the airplane. I didn?t even have to shut down the engine.
It was only about ? hour to Guaymas, and the check in was fast & easy. This is the best place in Mexico to check in (honest) and avgas was only $3.00 a gallon.
After eating breakfast at a new little Mexican restaurant just across the street (Gregg, Bob, & Me) we took off for Calexico in the USA. There we cleared customs (the easiest place to clear customs I feel). After having a lunch of more Mexican food we headed for home.
This was not only a real rewarding trip getting many thanks from the towns people but a lot of fun. Gregg says it is one of the best trips that he has been on.
That?s the story and I?m sticking to it? see you later
Don
P.S. Gregg took this picture of us landing at Serenidad airstrip Mulege Baja.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1Qf5IktADk
I first received an E-Mail from the Baja Bush Pilots requesting 100 airplanes to airlift supplies to the hurricane victims in Mulege & Santa Rosalia, Baja. I connected with the people in charge, and asked Gregg if he wanted to fly along with me. I filed the EAPIS and international flight plan, grabbed all the paper work, my Passport, packed a small bag and we departed on Thursday, Sept 23 at 8:00 am. We climbed to 10 500 ft and went via Catalina and then direct to Browns Field, San Diego. We picked up about 300 lbs of supplies, mostly clothing and footwear. We had to put our ditty bags in front under our legs making it hard to move and we got the canopy closed.
We took off from Browns, activated our flight plan and went across the border squawking 1200. We headed directly for San Felipe as directed by BBP. They had made arrangements not to charge us for bringing the relief supplies into the country. It was quick and easy at San Felipe although I think they ripped us off a little on the price of the Visas. Leaving San Felipe we headed down the coast of the Sea of Cortez for 2 hours and came to Mulege airstrip. It is on the chart but doesn?t have any airport ID. So I kinda guessed the location and entered a user waypoint. 30 miles out we called Jack McCormick, President of the BBP, for any instructions. He told us to do a soft field landing and land short although they had fixed a path across the ditch caused by the storm.
It was rather a rough landing - Gregg said just like landing on a dirt road, kinda bumpy. We made it and it wasn?t so bad. Jack waved us to parking and helped us unload the airplane into a pickup. We didn?t know what we were going to do now. Gregg and I talked it over and decided to stay at the Serenidad Hotel for the special $35. room rate which is usually $80. They had just refilled the pool and it looked good. We had a couple of soft drinks talked to two other pilots at the bar and decided to go to town for an early dinner.
Jack McCormick gave us a ride into town and told us that the best place to eat was the Equipales Restaurante so that?s where we went. On the way there we could see much damage from the Hurricane like trucks turned upside down, flattened palm trees, lots of mud and many businesses closed and boarded up. The meal we had was great. I had the sea bass and Gregg had the shrimp, and the total for two was about $30. including a couple of drinks each. We and the 2 other pilots we ate with took a taxi back to the Serenidad Hotel. After a short nap we went into the pool, got a couple of beers at the swim up bar and stayed up to our necks in the pool to keep the bugs from biting us. The temps were in the high 90?s and it didn?t cool off much at night.
I was very tired so I took a shower and went to bed, but Gregg had met one of the other pilots that had come in late and stayed up talking to him. I met him also, a nice guy from Arizona area named Bob.
The next morning early I grabbed a cup of coffee and we took off for Guaymas 100 miles across the sea of Cortez. We talked to Bob the other pilot of a 172 and he was telling us how he forgot his passport and hoped he didn?t have trouble getting back into the United States. Just about that time I remembered that I had forgotten my passport and all my Mexican papers under the bed at Serenidad hotel. So we turned around and headed back to Baja for my passport. We called Jack on the radio and he went and got our stuff and brought it to the airplane. I didn?t even have to shut down the engine.
It was only about ? hour to Guaymas, and the check in was fast & easy. This is the best place in Mexico to check in (honest) and avgas was only $3.00 a gallon.
After eating breakfast at a new little Mexican restaurant just across the street (Gregg, Bob, & Me) we took off for Calexico in the USA. There we cleared customs (the easiest place to clear customs I feel). After having a lunch of more Mexican food we headed for home.
This was not only a real rewarding trip getting many thanks from the towns people but a lot of fun. Gregg says it is one of the best trips that he has been on.
That?s the story and I?m sticking to it? see you later
Don
P.S. Gregg took this picture of us landing at Serenidad airstrip Mulege Baja.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1Qf5IktADk
