No Passport Needed to Fly With A.S.W.I. in Kingston

From the beginning of time, humans have been fascinated by air. Since we have no wings, we’ve used our well-developed frontal cortices to create our own way to fly and in 1903, the Wright brothers executed the world’s first successful airplane flight. One century later, airplanes are now the modus operandi for moving goods and people, and gets the task done in hours instead of days by land or sea. Within Jamaica, however, land transport reigns supreme on a dense road network of over 20,000km. Nonetheless, Jamaica has three international and three domestic airports, which makes it possible to fly within Jamaica without needing a passport! Here’s how I took a recreational flight with the Aeronautical School of the West Indies (A.S.W.I.) in Kingston recently, and how you can too.

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Aeronautical School W.I.

The Aeronautical School of the West Indies (A.S.W.I.) is located at the Tinson Pen Aerodrome, a domestic airport located on Marcus Garvey Drive in Kingston, Jamaica. It is currently the only certified flight school in Jamaica and offers training courses for private and commercial pilots, as well as instrument rating, instructor rating, time building and my favourite, experience flights. Experience flights are perfect for those who want to explore a career in aviation or for thrill-seekers who want to try a new adventurous activity. Their instructors will allow you to be in control of the aircraft for a short while so you can experience the exhilaration and euphoria of flying.

How to Book Your Flight

Bookings are made on their website and goes as follows:

• 15-minute circuit around Kingston from Tinson Pen: US$80 per person.
• 30-minute circuit around more of Kingston from Tinson Pen: US $150 per person.
• 60-minute circuit from Tinson Pen to the Ian Fleming International Airport (OCJ) in Boscobel, St. Mary, and back: US $275 per person. My captain advised that this flight at sunset from the cockpit is one of the most memorable views he’s ever seen.

Flights are done on Saturdays from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm, must be paid in full prior to confirmation, and they accept either cash or bank transfer. Adolescents can get this experience too (with parental permission of course).

My Experience + What to Expect

I must admit, I’d only ever flown commercial prior to this so I was a little nervous about flying in a two-seater monoplane. I’ve watched small aircraft coming in to land at the Montego Bay airport by Dead End Beach, and I’ve always thought the descent looked a little, err, bumpy– hence my apprehension. However, I like trying something that scares me ever so often so off I went to my experience flight appointment last Saturday at 10am.

I got there about 40 minutes early, so I had time to read and sign the waiver then wait in their lobby. It was super cool that the person who greeted me by reception was Jamaica’s first Muslim woman pilot! (She took my photo too as this was a solo trip, bless her soul). Anyway, the lobby was attractively decorated with miniature planes and a wanderlust-inspiring clock. They also had interesting aviation magazines, and a lovely book printed by the Jamaica Gleaner to commemorate our nation’s 60th anniversary of Independence, entitled ‘Best of Jamaica’. It was a great way to pass the time, and reminded me about our national airline, Air Jamaica, which is unfortunately no longer in operation. I’m happy to have flown on it at least twice, and I still have relatively clear memories of Air Jamaica.

Finally it was my turn to fly, and after a warm introduction to my pilot/instructor for the morning + a few photos, I was assisted into the cockpit and given some safety instructions. My pilot was Cpt. Lawrence and he did his own safety checks of the craft before settling into his seat and starting the engine while explaining details about the controls and take-off. After a short taxi down the runway, we were off and soaring above Kingston. The view from the cockpit is 100x better than the tiny dirty windows of a commercial jet! I could see what looked like a gazillion rooftops, some football fields, schools, and landmarks such as the Half-Way-Tree bus park and the National Stadium. It’s amazing how tiny these looked from air! The communities we flew over included parts of Mona, Jack’s Hill, Constant Spring, Red Hills, and Portmore, and this aerial view explained the peak-hour traffic. All those endless houses with tiny roads like ribbons in between them, oh dear.

My turn to fly came very soon, and it was actually not as difficult as I’d imagined to keep the plane flying at a constant altitude of about 1,000 feet. My captain videoed the whole thing so I realize I held the controls for a grand total of 3 minutes and 36 seconds. Of course, he has duplicate controls on his side to ensure our safety because I’m not a licensed pilot (nor am I trying to become one). But, this was very very exciting and I’d highly recommend everyone giving it a go at least once. Recreational flying is definitely an exhilarating experience, and the view from the cockpit is second to none.

My captain did all the work of bringing us safely to land, and I’m glad. Certainly, landing must be the hardest part of flying (or at least, so I’d imagine). I felt on a high for the rest of the day, knowing that I’d conquered my fears and had another awesome solo travel experience in Jamaica.

Wrap Up

I love knowing that we have recreational flying available in Jamaica now, thanks to the Aeronautical School of the West Indies. I love knowing that we have a certified flight school for aspiring pilots too! This will hopefully nurture a strong future of aviation in Jamaica, and encourage more Jamaican youth to consider aviation as a viable career path since the option to study it locally now exists. Have you ever taken a recreational experience flight, or would you like to? I hope I’ve added something new to your bucket list. 🙂 Let me know in the comments below.

If you liked this post, you would also enjoy:

• 8 Fun Things to Do in Kingston
• Exploring Kingston’s Art Scene
• 10 Jamaican Food Festivals to Check Out

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