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Island Birds is a small but very reliable local charter airline with three Piper aircraft based in the BVI. Their hanger and offices are in the BVI’s main airport, Cyril E King Airport on Beef Island, just off Tortola. Much of their work involves transfers for people arriving in and leaving the Caribbean, between the regional hubs and the BVI, but they also offer inter island transfers, day trips and some excellent airborne sightseeing around the Virgin Islands themselves. Island Birds are certainly not limited to links between the BVI and regional hubs, though. They can land in almost all the islands between San Juan in Puerto Rico and Grenada at the southern tip of the Lesser Antilles, including St Barths.
Island Birds is headed up by Bob Lemire, an American who built up 36,000 hours of piloting experience during a career with US Airways. He took early retirement in order to set up a Caribbean airline in 1994 and has since flown over 1000 hours in the islands now, becoming one of the area’s most experienced pilots. He is also one of the few pilots based in the BVI who is qualified to land in St Barths, so if you are setting up a two centre holiday with BVI and St Barths, then Island Birds can fly you direct (please see Routes for current destination information).
The two other pilots in the fleet are Marshall Hodges, a Canadian who has spent many years flying VIP jets, and Steve Pelletier, a Frenchman who has been flying a plane since before he was old enough to drive a car. He has worked as a Flight Instructor in the States and importantly he is also licensed to fly into St Barths. The pilots are backed up by FAA licensed mechanic Jonathan Ettienne from Dominica, who maintains the fleet, and the efficient Nadia. It is to Nadia that you will most likely speak when arranging a charter because she oversees the flight schedule and the general running of the office.
The advantage of a private charter is that you travel at your convenience. You are not constrained by regional schedules, which in the Caribbean do quite often get delayed. However, if there is a delay on your incoming international leg, Island Birds will find out about it and be there for your arrival. If you are travelling in a group, say as a family or friends travelling together to join a yacht, then once you fill the plane, it becomes quite an attractive option. Other conveniences are that the pilot can meet you airside. You will be collected at Immigration, escorted to collect your bags and then taken back out onto the apron rather than your having to go through into the Arrivals Hall. And then your charter simply leaves when you are ready, which in turn means that you are able to reach your destination more quickly. Finally, in case you are a budding pilot, one of you gets to fly up at the front of the plane.
The main hubs for incoming passengers from the States and Canada are St Thomas and San Juan and these are very regular runs for Island Birds. They also meet passengers flying in from Europe, principally in St Maarten and in Antigua. In addition to transfers, Island Birds can assist if you are island hopping (see below). Some of their business is also airborne sightseeing, see below. Very occasionally Island Birds offer share charters when things are busy. They will take requests to share from the person making the booking so It is worth asking, but it is rare because it is hard to schedule and clients often charter an aircraft for the convenience of having the plane to themselves.
It isn’t all people and cargo, though. Island Birds gets some unexpected and occasionally strange requests for transportation. They have flown a dolphin before now, the occasional dead body, and on one flight, a small herd of very large pigs. Imagine getting them into the back of a plane! |
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Fleet
Island Birds Fleet consists of 2 Piper Aztecs and a Piper Navajo. The Aztec carries 5 passengers and has 2 large carpeted baggage compartments, each holding up to 150 pounds of luggage. The Navajo carries 7 passengers and has a carpeted luggage compartment in the nose. Luggage can also be stored in the cabin, behind the rear seats as well as the wing lockers. Aircraft are equipped with first class interiors including leather seats and curtains. The Navajo is fully air-conditioned
Both aircraft have twin Lycoming engines and cruise at 160 knots (184 mph). All are fully radar and GPS equipped. Island Birds operates under a certificate and is closely checked by the FAA (U.S. Federal Aviation Administration). Safety briefings and briefing cards are as required by the FAA, and, although not required, all aircraft are equipped with life rafts
The aircraft take a maximum of 350lbs maximum of luggage. This is made clear at the time of booking and the only circumstances under which they accept more is if there is another of their planes with sufficient space covering the same route soon after. |
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Routes
Island Birds cover all the islands between San Juan in Puerto Rico in the North-west and Grenada and Barbados at the south-eastern limits of the Lesser Antilles.
Due to Caribbean regulations, either the start or the finish point of your journey must be in the BVI or in American territory (the USVI and Puerto Rico). Of course you can link these places with almost all of the islands in the Eastern Caribbean, both the hubs and all the very different islands farther south.
Currently Island Birds is unable to make the link to St Barths because of bureaucracy. For the time being no US-registered plane is permitted to land on the French territories and vice versa. |
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Island Hopping
One of the fun things about the Caribbean is that islands so close to one another can have a completely different atmosphere, which makes it fun to travel about a bit. In the Virgin Islands themselves, many of the islands can be visited by boat, but where there are no links a plane is obviously the best way to get there.
A few examples of islands that you might visit are Anegada, which is just a 12 minute flight, or possibly St Croix, which has the strongest Danish heritage remaining in the USVI. Or the islands off Puerto Rico, Vieques or Culebra, about 25 minutes away. Much further and you’ll need to spend the night, but of course if you wish to have a two centre holiday, then Island Birds can help with the internal transfers too. |
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Sightseeing
The Virgin Islands are wonderfully attractive from sea level, but they are equally beautiful from above and Island Birds is happy to take you on a sightseeing flight. Their itineraries are entirely custom made, but a thing they often do is to add 10 minutes of flying time (cost US$200) to a charter that you have already taken. Typically, on arrival in the BVI they might fly closer than normal to the islands in the chain, then across to the Dogs and up to Necker Island, across the North Sound and then back along Virgin Gorda before heading across to Beef Island airport. |
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How to Book
If you wish to make further enquiries, request a quote or make a reservation, please use the WEB LINK or DIRECT EMAIL ENQUIRIES facility at the top of this page to make contact with Island Birds, or if you wish to telephone them, please click on TELEPHONE CONTACT to reveal the number. |
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