AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2022 - 56

The former smuggling airplane's final resting place is
beneath the shallow water about a half-mile south of the
runway at Norman's Cay, and it's well known among divers.
The World War II-era Curtiss C-46 Commando came to
grief in 1980 when Colombian drug kingpins Pablo Escobar
and Carlos Lehder made Norman's Cay a launching pad for
transporting cocaine to the United States.
Through bribes and intimidation, the Medellín cartel
ran Norman's Cay with impunity from 1978 until 1982.
Eventually, pressure from the United States and Bahamian
governments led to a crackdown, however, and better U.S.
radar capable of tracking airplanes throughout the region
forced smugglers to change methods.
In recent years, Norman's Cay has been redeveloped
with high-end homes and luxury cottages, and its paved
runway can accommodate business jets and charter flights.
I circled the airplane wreck several times in the Bonanza
with Travis Klumb in an SR22T on my right wing before we
finally got the lineup right for the C-46 shot.
" Got it, " Rose said over the intercom. " I've got the feeling
you're going to see this picture on the cover of next year's
AOPA Bahamas Pilot's Guide. " (See below.)
" We didn't have power, but we could charge our phones
in our cars, then go to the top of the hill to reach the outside
world, " Murray said. " Hundreds of people used to walk up
there every day. "
Six months after Hurricane Dorian, the first COVID-19
wave struck. Reconstruction stopped, then fitfully restarted.
The island's electrical power station was wrecked in the hurricane
and the replacement took more than one year to build.
" COVID was a big snag, " Murray said. " We would have
recovered a lot faster without it. "
Eventually, however, the Abaco population came back,
the economy rebounded, and nearly full employment has
returned. Despite the destruction and the hardships of the
last three years, Murray's optimistic about the future.
" We didn't have an economy for two years, " he said.
" Everyone lost a lot, but we were all in the same situation
and pulled together. It's the people that make the place, and
we've got good people. "
Murray's Yukon had a shattered windshield and grill
from the storm, and a friend helped find replacement parts
at a junkyard in Orlando. Now, you'd never know the vehicle
had been damaged.
Baker's Bay, a luxury resort near Marsh Harbour, is open
Murray points out some of the devastation on Abaco from
his 2008 Chevy Yukon.
The Tipsy Seagull, a restaurant in Treasure Cay where
he used to tend bar, is obliterated. Many homes in an upscale
neighborhood are damaged, and some are vacant. In Marsh
Harbour, a trawler in the middle of town waiting to be dismantled
for scrap. A former dentist's office serves as a
hurricane time capsule with broken windows, desks and
chairs strewn about, and rusting file cabinets positioned
just as they were when the storm hit.
A hill beside the main road is known for being the only
spot on the island where survivors could get cellphone
reception immediately after Hurricane Dorian.
and thriving, and the parking lot where workers board ferries
is overflowing. Real estate prices are rising, and abandoned
homes are starting to get torn down and replaced by new
ones. Demand for construction workers is higher than ever.
It takes about 20 years for an Abaco pine tree to fully
mature, and Murray said he takes heart knowing that the
process is silently underway.
" All these dead trees you see everywhere are only
good for firewood, " he said. " But when you look down at
the ground, you see new trees sprouting, and that makes
me happy.
" No one planted those trees, " he said. " They're all just
growing naturally. They're coming back, and so are we....
We've all been through so much, but we're back and we're
carrying on. " dave.hirschman@aopa.org
Bahamas Pilot Guide includes up-to-date airport data access
AOPA's comprehensive Bahamas and Caribbean pilot guide books are packed
with information about flying to the islands, including airport data and the layout
of each island, customs information, descriptions of the local culture, and tips
from other pilots for where to stay and fun things to do. This year, we've taken
the great content you'll find in the guides and integrated it into our Airports
and Destinations Directory, which has served hundreds of thousands of AOPA
members and users for more than 50 years. Now you can find all the content
from the guides, plus frequent safety updates, temporary closures, diagrams,
and more. When you purchase a print or digital copy of the Bahamas Pilot
Guide, you can get started with your one-year subscription to exclusive guide
data in the directory right away.
aopa.org/pilotguides
56
AOPA PILOT / August 2022
http://www.aopa.org/pilotguides
AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2022

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