LRod wrote:
Now you're not going to fool this old ZJX controller. You had to go
over FML (probably, assuming you were flying out of Douglas) first,
then CAE, then SAV to pick up V3, since it came over SOP, FLO, CHS,
NBC (I don't think there was a VOR at NBC--probably just the TACAN,
but we wrote strips for it for separation purposes), before getting to
SAV.


I actually flew out of Rock Hill, SC so my flight plan would have me take off,
intercept V37 a few miles south of FML, then it was over Columbia (CAE),
Allendale (ALD) Savannah (SAV), Brunswick (SSI) and then down V437 to avoid JAX
coming back ashore at OMN to pick up V3, then on to Vero Beach and out to sea
(125 degrees) again to Grand Bahama Island, then turn to 090 until I picked up
the NDB at Marsh Harbour (my most common destination down there). If I was
headed to Bimini, I stayed with V3 until Ft. Lauderdale and crossed over at that
point. But most of the time my first navaid in the Bahamas was Grand Bahamas
Island.

Incidentally, I've never flown to the Bahamas with more than one engine. I've
taken a C-172 RG once; Cherokee Six/Saratogas many times; and C-210s many times.
The C-210 could make the trip nonstop. All of the others required landing and
fueling at Vero.


JAX became CRG (VOR is on Craig Field), DAB became OMN, and dozens of
other examples. It may be that was already done by the time you were
flying it. Back in the day for me is 1968 to 1973. Then I transferred
to ORD and ZAU. I've been retired ten years.

The good old days indeed. Mine are just a little older, I suspect.


For me it was 1978-1990. I ended up losing my flying job when the company went
tango uniform, then my medical almost simultaneously over some perceived blip on
my EKG. The FAA wanted me to have all this expensive testing done and I had no
money. I went to nursing school instead. Fast forward to 2005: I needed some
surgery and that question of my heart came up again after an EKG. I ended up
having a full workup including a heart cath, courtesy of my insurance company
and what do you know? FALSE POSITIVE! Pass the french fries, please.

I got my medical back, got a bienial, and took an instrument comp check. Back
in the saddle again! But DAMN! It sure is expensive nowadays. So them were
the good old days...