Richard Headrick, owner of Headrick Signs & Graphics (Laurel, MS), became the first corporate aircraft owner to fly direct from America to the island of Ambergris Caye, Belize on February 16, 2010. Headrick, who owns Ramon’s Village Resort on the island, departed from his hometown of Laurel at 8 a.m., with Danny “Sky King” Stringer piloting Headrick’s 10-passsenger Pilatus PC-12 10, and they landed at 11:42 a.m., having covered 1,000 miles.
The island has had an airstrip for more than 40 years, but had no customs or immigration until recently. Previously, all international flights landed in Belize City, and passengers boarded small, inter-island commuter flights to get to the island. Now, any private aircraft with short-field capabilities can land directly on Ambergris Caye, thanks to Headrick’s “reach-for-it” attitude.