Freeport, Grand Bahama
Easy border crossing
The Bahamas welcomes pilots from the United States, including sport pilots as well as those who fly under BasicMed.
You can depart the United States from any airport. Florida’s Treasure Coast International Airport in Fort Pierce (FPR) and Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE) have excellent FBOs that will ensure you have appropriate safety equipment (flotation vests, rafts) if you need to make any last-minute purchases or rentals.
You must land at a Bahamas airport of entry to clear Customs, even if you plan to go to other islands during your visit. We suggest first-timers land at Grand Bahama International Airport (MYGF) in Freeport, which has plentiful GA parking, fuel, and a customs office—as well as numerous lodging options. At customs you can complete Form C7A that lets you hop from island to island. A busy tourist destination, Freeport makes a perfect base from which you can explore some of the other islands, such as Staniel Cay and its swimming pigs; Great Harbour Cay, where you’ll likely run into likeminded pilots searching for a delicious lunch; or Crooked Island, where you can try bonefishing.
There’s more to flying to the Bahamas than what we can adequately cover here, including the requirements for filing and opening an ICAO flight plan plus clearing Customs and Border Patrol once you have returned to the United States. Take a deep dive into those procedures at AOPA.org—but don’t be intimidated. The prep work for making this trip is probably the hardest part of the journey. Once you’re in the air, the real adventure begins.
