Leg 22: TTPP-SVCP
Pilot: Bryan K.
We stayed on the island of Trinidad for 11 days. Tom had found a nice remote resort in Chaguarapas and told us to lay low. That meant Teresa spending all day near the pool, and me hitting the bar at 10:00am. Just what the doctor REALLY ordered.
I was actually getting ready to open my first Carib Lager of the day when Tom showed up at the front door of our small cottage.
- “Okay lovebirds, it’s time to go!”
- “What the …”
- “Hurry, your ‘friends’ are getting organized and it’s time to get out. Next stop Venezuela”, he added, just as Teresa was coming out of her bedroom, wearing her “night gown”.
The drive to Port-of-Spain took just over one hour. Of course, when we got to Piarco International my C441 was already fuelled up… and the engines were running!
- “Damn, do I have time for a piss?”
- “I told you Flyboy, your friends are getting organized. When I tell you that, you just shut up and fly the damn plane”, he said in a tone that was intended to put a rapid end to the discussion.
We quickly got ourselves organized. Teresa’s presence sped things up tremendously. While I checked all the gauges, she tuned the nav radios, setup the Garmin 530, and contacted the tower.
At 11:07, I released the parking brake and Teresa started to taxi to the active (runway 10) while I reviewed the flight plan and the approach chart for General Bermudez Airport, in Carupano, Venezuela.
I was not sure yet what the plan was once we reached the place, but since I had never seen Tom THAT worried, I had kept my mouth shut and decided to go along.
Teresa was in contact with the tower as we approached the holding point, but didn’t slow down since we were instructed to continue our taxi on to the runway. I decided to let her “feel the power” of the C441 and manage the takeoff, as I called off the speed and then handled the flaps.
- “This airplane is soooo powerful”, she said over the intercom. “I can feel the vibration going all through my body!”
Another interesting thought…
As instructed by ATC, she turned west not long after takeoff, and trimmed the plane for quick climb to 12 000’.
The flight would be short (around 30 minutes), so we lost no time to get organize for the landing. Tom had warned me that landing in SVCP could be tricky, and the weather report his guys had printed off were not that great. Visibility would be limited in the vicinity of the airport, and there were no ILS installations. The only thing that reassured me was that the runway was more than 6500’ long, so I would have some leverage.
Our flight plan had us fly across the Gulf of Paria, so we were in sight of the South American continent not long after we left. En route, we flew close to the city of Guiria.
At 82 nm from SVCP, we received our first approach instructions and I took over. We continued at our 12 000’ cruising altitude until we were about 30 nm from the airport, where we were instructed to start descending to 4000’.
As expected, the cloud cover was getting more dense has we approached Carupano, and the ceiling lower and lower.
Teresa was handling the communications in Spanish with the airport, and even if I had limited skills in that language I could sense they were giving her a rough time.
- “They don’t want to let us land! Apparently, there is a military convoy coming in about an hour, and the place has just shut down for civilian activities.”
- “Damn, they knew we were coming. Our flight plan was filed and accepted! Tell them we will stop for less than 30 minutes. Tell them we are running on fumes. This place is on my ATW route, and I not going anywhere else.”
- “The military are now in charge of the tower. They’ll never agree to this”, she said just before contacting Piarco Tower again. The exchange was short, and she used some Spanish words I could not even find in the dictionary, but I think it had to do with the guy’s mother or something.
- “No go, they want us to divert back to Guiria (SVGI). I told them we had an emergency on board and that you were about to have to shut down the right engine.”
- “WHAT!!!”
- “You want to land or what?”
It’s at that moment that I noticed we were coming WAY too high. We now had a clear visual to the runway that was sitting in the bottom of a valley that was approaching quite fast.
- “Hold on Teresa! We need to get down… and quick!”
I reduced the throttles dramatically and extended flaps. The Conquest started a steep descent, but I figured I had picked up on it fast enough and we would be okay. From my seat, I could clearly see that soldiers were active all over the place. This would not be a pleasant moment for sure!
We kissed the runway (quite hard again I must admit) at 11:45 local time and I taxied to the terminal. The props were still spinning when I noticed a Venezuelan military officer running towards the plane, with 4 infantrymen in tow.
- “Okay Teresa, time for you to do some magic”, I told my “wife” as we stepped outside.
The officer wasted no time on formalities. “You did not receive clearance to land! This airport is closed for a military exercise! You should have known better than to challenge Colonel Ernesto Salazar. You will pay dearly for this!”
Without a word, Teresa turned around and boarded the plane. I had no clue what she was doing and that made me even more worried.
- “Colonel, let’s go for a little walk, just you and I”, she said when she was back, carrying a small leather briefcase.
Of course, no Latino blooded man, whatever his rank can be, would refuse such a proposition!
- “You men keep a close eye on him”, the Colonel said to the soldiers while pointing at me.
Their “walk” didn’t last long. Both of them came back with a large smile on their faces.
- “I am sorry about the confusion Senor Kirk! Please forgive us and welcome to Venezuela. We can allow you to stay here for 30 minutes but you must leave after that. My general will be coming and your presence would cause much concern to him.”
Still trying to figure out what the heck had just occurred, I walked towards the terminal in search, finally, of a washroom. Teresa stayed behind and continued talking to Colonel Salazar. While inside the terminal, I pulled out my satellite phone to call Tom.
- “What’s up Flyboy? You reached Carupano in one piece?”
- “Actually, we have to get the hell out of here quick. We just landed in quite the mess. Teresa pulled some magic, but we can’t stay.”
- “She’s good for that! Let me make some calls, and I’ll be back in touch with you.”
There was a rusted vending machine in one corner with the front panel opened so I grabbed a few bags of chips since no one was watching. I walked back outside and noted that the brave Colonel and his goons had left and that Teresa was already back in the cockpit, preparing our departure.
- “Hold on just a bit. I talked to Tom and he’s trying to find us a new destination. Said he it would take him about 15 minutes. I am curious, how did you convince the Colonel?”
- “With the universal language of love! Seriously, we are in South America now… money talks around here. Loyalty is easily bought. The Colonel was actually quite fast to do busine$$!”
- “Where did you get the money?”
- “Tom left me a little ‘emergency’ package for situations like these.”
- “Oh how nice of him”, I noted while the satellite phone was buzzing in my pockets.
- “Tom?”
- “Okay Flyboy, here’s the plan. We have some people waiting for you in Ciudad Bolivar. Get your butt over there, and then we’ll reorganize. This might actually help us with the new ‘fan club’ you have. Don’t file a flight plan or anything. Just leave.”
- “But of course Captain…”, I replied.
To be continued… soon!