These pictures are from my trip to Puerto Rico in April 2005. The main reason for going was to attend my brother's wedding. Being an aviation buff, I decided it would be fun to try to find a way to go flying down there. I searched the web, and the first entry that popped up was the home page for Juan Jiminez, who also happens to be building a BD5 single-place jet. Since I'm also building my own plane, I dropped him an email and asked if he would be willing to show me his project, and some basic questions about flying in Puerto Rico. He responded quickly, and was very helpful.
After arriving at Munos International Airport on the red-eye flight (yawn), I called Juan and told him I was there. He said to meet him at Isla Grande airport where his hangar was, so I jumped in a cab and headed over there. His plane was really interesting, far more unique than my stamped out kit plane. The single place jet has broken several records for speed, size, and weight. The BD5 weighs a mere 358 lbs, is 12 ft long, and has a 17 ft wingspan, topping 300 mph. Very cool.
After looking at the plane, we went over to the flight club next door to see if there were any instructors available. Luckily, one was there and had a couple of hours to kill before his next lesson. He briefed me on the departure and approach procedures, since we were so close to Puerto Rico's main international airport, and decided to fly to the Arecibo Radio Telescope, the big one featured in the movie "Contact". Round trip we logged 1.1 hours. Seeing the north coast and central terrain of Puerto Rico from the air was a fantastic way to start the journey!
After staying a night in San Juan, we headed down to the southwest part of the island, which is known for its great beaches and resorts. The little town of Boqueron was the spot where everyone congregated for the wedding. In the end, due to mixups getting a priest, we ended up having the wedding in Ponce. I became the last-minute best man, though it was more just a formality since all of Zac's closest friends were up there. My little brother looked so cute in a tuxedo, and Isabel was gorgeous in her wedding gown. It all worked out great.
After the wedding, I caught a ride back up to San Juan, and stayed in a hostel in San Juan Viejo (Old San Juan). I stayed in Guesthouse Old San Juan. It wasn't much for $35/night, but it is a feature than nobody wants to spend more time in their room than they have to, and so it's really easy to meet people to hang out with. The next couple of days I spent exploring the fort in Old San Juan, and just walking around town experiencing the sights. With only a week to visit and wedding plans in the middle, it was hard to do too much. It was a good balance between seeing the sights and relaxing, and visiting with friends and family who flew in from all over the place for the event.
