Leg 015

"One happy island"

The Sonesta YS-11 dive site.

Printed on every Aruba license plate is the expression 'One Happy Island.'

Each time I visit this wonderful island, I test this theory by pushing myself to the limit using means such as scuba diving, snorkeling, parasailing, jet skiing & relaxing topside with a margarita.  I am happy to report that Aruba is, indeed, one of the happiest islands in the world.

In addition to solo fun, I visited my friend Reuben, who introduced me to a new fan of the Brass Globe, Tony.  Thanks for the well-wishes, Tony!  It was awesome day of riding ATVs on the volcanic south coast.  I had a blast & hope you did too!

*Reader note: Tony is a real-world reader of the Brass Globe series who sent me a nice email message.  As a reward, he appears here in Maxwell's XPlane12 world.  If you want to join the adventure, just send a message (link at the bottom of the page)!

Wanda is now proudly wearing 6 flags, with many more to come in the next month as we hop along the Caribbean islands.

Today's plan is to sleep in, go fishing & make a late afternoon departure to the next island of Curaçao, located only 65 miles east of Aruba.  Tony and his two sons need to head back to Barcelona, Venezuela, so I offer to take them with me, as Curaçao is on the way.  Reuben also has a small package of cocktail skewers to deliver to one of his beach bars there, so I add it to my weekend bag.

The weather for flying is fantastic, as it always is in this part of the world.  It is sunny with unlimited visibility and breezy winds from the east.  Our flight will bisect Aruba, giving us a complete view of both coasts, and will be similar over Curaçao, arriving above the city of Sint Willibrordus and its bustling harbor.

Wanda looks good in preflight, Tony and the boys are comfortable, and I double-check that Reuben's box is in the back.  Everything looks great, so let's go.  We take the long taxi to depart on runway 11.  For the first time this trip I get to see some friendly airlines from home - JetBlue, United and American.  The page has definitely turned from South to North America.

Gear coming up, surf coming in.  Goodbye for now, Aruba.  We had a blast!

Our departure from Oranjestad is nominal.  Wanda seems to be happy to be back in the sky after taking a few days rest.  Aruba is an interesting island, compared to the others we shall soon see in the eastern and northern Caribbean; it is mostly covered in brown lava and sand, still very arid.  It is 33C (92F) today, but thankfully we can enjoy that nice Antillian wind that is blowing from the east.

Because our flight is short and we want to get some great photos, today we'll cruise along at only 2,000 feet above sea level.  From here we can still nearly see the girls in bikinis and the iguanas seeking shelter in the shade.

I press shuffle on my device and Jess Glynee's "All I Am" is the perfect soundtrack to sightsee Aruba.  Wanda is already cruising at 2,000 feet just 90 seconds after leaving the earth, so I configure for a nice, steady 160 knot cruise, double check the gauges before we hit open water, then sit back & relax as paradise passes by.

Overhead the Aruba Golf Club at San Nicolas.

Very quickly after leaving Oranjestad, Aruba turns golden brown with splashes of muted greens.  For some reason, the volcanic soil of Aruba is a perfect way to grow plants that are the color of old-style dollar bills.

A friend told me once that only two things are manufactured on Aruba: Coca-Cola (the bottling facility can be seen in top center photo above) and babies.  "One Happy Island" indeed!

Only 10 minutes after departure we are flying over the Aruba Golf Club, with its properly-hydrated fairways sticking out in contrast against the local dull brush.  I see an endless parade of golf carts driven by folks in colorful polo shirts.  I snap a few photos and look ahead to the magnificent Grapefield beach, which will serve as our final look at Aruba.  The bright white sands meet the warm Caribbean water to create lovely aqua reefs.  I don't see many people down there and am envious of those who are spending their evening drinking Coca-Cola and manufacturing babies.

Approaching the southwest coast of Curaçao with the Santa Marta inlet, bay & beach coming in to view.

I complete my cockpit scan one more time before hitting the 40 miles of open water that separate Aruba and Curaçao.  Everything looks good, the autopilot ('George') is managing the entry point, so I decide to press ahead for our next country.

Curaçao is another Dutch Caribbean island.  It is visited much less by mainlanders, which is a shame because it has some of the world's finest snorkeling coves.  I, in my spoiled life fashion, intend to spend a few days doing just that, as I have only visited Curaçao one time many years ago.  The island is enigmatic - and I intend to find its hidden gems while I am in town.

After only 15 minutes of deep blue sea, I can easily see the low-lying coast of Curaçao in the distance.  The Santa Marta beach stands out as a brilliant splash of brown sand against the dark green sea wall behind it.  Curaçao Center passes me off to Willemstad/Hato Intl tower, who clears me to enter direct for runway 11.  The only other traffic at the moment is a ATR-42 arriving three minutes before me.

Curaçao: home of some of the world's finest reef snorkeling locations & hidden cove beaches.

The approach in to Willemstad airport is pretty neat.  I see a mix of little villages, colorful grass fields, a giant solar farm and a really ferrous streak of iron bauxite.  I also fly just north of the massive Curaçao oil terminal, which services the island's largest export.

I battle a 21 knot right crosswind, but make a smooth touchdown just past the numbers on the very long runway 11.  The tower graciously allows me to roll all the way down to the general aviation terminal exit taxiway, where a large cluster of private jets and twins are parked.  Their operators and passengers, like me, have made a wise choice to visit Curaçao this week.  The weather is splendid, the water is very warm and the promise of more good times is a guarantee.  The motto of Curaçao is 'The Island That Has It All.'  Let's find out...