The “Glamour” of International Flying for an Airline in Belize by Bryan Babcock

Flying is great. Flying for an airline in Central America is amazing!

The airline I am working with in Belize schedules flights internationally to Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. As a new First Officer, I had no idea what to expect on overnight flights and WOW I was surprised!

I travel frequently and have seen flight crews head to Hilton and Marriott, so my first vision of what to expect was something similar…..nope. Second, the company said that my first excursion was “the overnight Cancun” flight. So, I was expecting that we would head to Cancun and stay overnight at a local resort – right? Nope, the OVERNIGHT Cancun flight does go to Cancun. However, the flight turns and comes back to Belize. I was puzzled…why is this an overnight flight if we are heading back to Belize? The answer was that we were not heading back to San Pedro (where I am based). Instead, we would be staying at the hotel by the airport to be ready for flights out of BZE International in the morning.

OK, no problem….Belize City Radisson Hotel here I come!!! Sorry, not the Radisson. No problem, Belize City Best Western here we go! Sorry, not the Best Western. Hmmm, so where do we go? They laughed a little and said to the Chinese Palace! OK, what’s a Chinese Palace? The other pilot laughed and said, you’ll see.

About 10 minutes later an old rusted mini-van pulls up and very nice man from Taiwan gets out. What am I in for now! We turned around and the van (with no visible suspension) scrapes its way over the speed bumps and out of the airport. It takes us about 5 minutes to travel the 1.5 miles to the “hotel.” More than once I was concerned the van might not make it and we would have to walk.

We then arrive at the Global Village hotel (affectionately called the Chinese Palace). We maneuvered around the barrier and barbed wire gate and into what looked like a WW II compound – complete with flood lights. I was thinking, stay calm and it is only one night. You can do anything for one night.

The captain and I agreed to meet in 15 minutes for dinner. The flight arrived at 8:15 PM and it was now close to 9 PM so I was getting pretty hungry. However, the barbed wire fence made me nervous about wandering too far. The captain laughed and said we would be fine – however, I did notice him speed up as we passed some folks drinking beer by a car just off the road. We had a nice dinner and returned to the room.

The room was white painted concrete blocks and the shower was VERY utilitarian. The first night there were about 20 termites flying around and I just kept saying – You can do anything for one night! NOTE – on subsequent stays I have not seen any bugs and rooms are large, neat and clean.

I was told there would be breakfast in the morning and I headed to the lobby with high expectations. What I found was bread, jam, coffee, and Tang (the artificial orange juice). OK, this is what I should expect on overnight flights…just lower the expectations a bit!

The next day was an overnight to Flores Guatemala. I’m ready, what “Palace” do we stay in tonight? The captain just laughed and said, it’s not where we are staying but how we get there! I was curious when a “took-took” arrived and said 10 Guatemalan dollars to take us to the hotel (about $1.25 US). We carefully climbed into the back and off he went to the island of Flores. A took-took is a covered motorcycle that has room for two people in the back. Typically, the driver puts huge speakers and base in the back to “rock-out” along the way. Many drivers also add light shows all over the cart for that special touch. It was about a 10-minute drive through the streets from Mundo Maya airport through the local city, the causeway, and onto the island of Flores.

I was delighted as we stopped by Hotel Petén, a quaint old European hotel. My room was modest, but WOW what a view of the lake! Downstairs the people were nice and the captain meet me for dinner at a local place run by the “old man.” Apparently, the nicest restaurant on the island is owned by the son and he charges 3 times as much for the same food, I had the tenderloin covered in garlic — WOW! I was delighted that all overnights were not in the Chinese Palace!

We walked around the island that evening and had a great night. The next morning we got up and had a wonderful omelet and fresh Guatemalan coffee for breakfast and our took-took brought us back to the airport.

The following day I was scheduled for an overnight flight to Roatan Honduras. I was a bit anxious … should I expect the barbed wire palace or a wonderful lake view? And what of the food for dinner? (I tend to think with my stomach.) The answer was a bit of both. We exited the airport and into a private car which took us to pick up food for dinner. I was thinking what food do you eat in Honduras? He pulled into the parking lot and we had two choices Pizza Inn or Bojangles! The first night we had Pizza Inn.

Then we went to the airline’s apartment and carried our suitcase up the three stories to the two-bedroom apartment. Again, WOW what a view! The apartment was large, modern and had access to all US channels which was nice because the Bowl games were on and I wanted to see the Texas Longhorns win!

The night was uneventful, but our ride back to the airport was at 6:15 AM and I was beginning to get tired of going to bed early and getting up early for the 7 AM international flight back to BZE in Belize City.

I have been here now 6 weeks and First Officers spend 5-nights per week on the road…So, what have I learned? First, not all overnights for an airline are the same. Second, don’t judge a book by its cover. The Chinese Place was a bit rough and scary that first night. However, I have come to really enjoy the two owners Kevin and his brother-in-law James. They try VERY hard and I learned that if you ask, they will bring as many eggs as you want for breakfast. In addition, the neighborhood is not that dangerous and on Cancun overnight flights you can sleep in until 7:30AM! Third, meeting people at breakfast is amazing.

I have met a theology professor, business consultants, missionaries, and ex-pats during my morning breakfast conversations. These have been rewarding and enjoyable. Finally, life is an adventure and each overnight location is an amazing intercultural experience.

Flying is great. Flying for an airline in Central America is amazing!