Jamaica Mistaica

So the year was 1996, and there was a pilot named Jimmy, who went by the nickname “Bubba,” looking to launch on an adventurous Caribbean tour with his beloved aircraft named Hemisphere Dancer.

The aircraft was a beautiful Grumman HU-16 Albatross flying boat, a former long-range search and rescue aircraft that had served in the U.S. Navy as Bureau Number (BuNo) 137928, but now carried civil registration N928J.

This particular USN flying boat, BuNo 137928, had been retired from her proud Navy service in August 1967, then flown to the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center. There she sat for years while passing through multiple owners, until Jimmy found the old Albatross, purchased the aircraft in November 1995, and completely restored the iconic flying boat, proudly naming her Hemisphere Dancer.

One year later, Jimmy, who you probably already know as famed singer and escapism artist Jimmy “Bubba” Buffett, was starting to plan his Caribbean tour in his beloved Hemisphere Dancer.

Prior to departure, Jimmy was going over the flight plans with his personal pilot, Jim Powell. After looking at Jimmy's plans to land on the north coast of Jamaica, Jim knew that, due to the expected weather and forecast rough seas, a diversion to another area was likely. Jim, the more experienced pilot, advised Jimmy that the risks of a last-minute unexpected diversion to a different arrival location would not be welcomed by the Jamaican authorities, and that aircraft confiscation was a possibility.

Jimmy, being Jimmy, tried to convince Jim that it was all good, saying, “Come on, let's go have fun.”

In the end, Jim felt the risk of a last-minute diversion without any established arrangements for alternatives was too great, and after trying to convince Jimmy to postpone the flight... decided not to go.

So, on January 16, 1996, Jimmy “Bubba” Buffett departed for his flight to Jamaica with U2's lead singer Bono, his wife Ali, their children Jordan and Eve, and Island Records founder Chris Blackwell on board.

Well, wouldn't you know it, but when arriving on the north shore of the island of Jamaica near Montego Bay, the seas were too rough to attempt a landing, so Jimmy diverted to Negril, where the Hemisphere Dancer touched down safely in calmer Caribbean waters.

The problem is, in most Caribbean islands, they don't take kindly to unexpected seaplanes approaching their shores, and on this day, things were no different. As the big white seaplane was taxiing to shore shortly after landing, Bubba, Bono, and all on board were met with a shower of bullets striking the aircraft's hull. The Jamaican police, surprised by the sudden arrival of a foreign aircraft, assumed it was a drug runner up to no good and opened fire on the unsuspecting aircraft.

Bono recounted, “These boys were shooting all over the place. I felt as if we were in the middle of a James Bond movie — only this was real. It was absolutely terrifying, and I honestly thought we were all going to die. Thank God we were safe and sound. It was very scary, let me tell you. You can’t believe the relief I felt when I saw the kids were okay.”

In all, more than 100 rounds were fired at Jimmy’s beloved “Hemisphere Dancer,” leaving a smashed windscreen and multiple bullet holes throughout the aircraft.

Thankfully, everyone was okay, and upon their return to the United States, the Jamaican authorities issued an apology for the mistaken identity and the subsequent barrage of gunfire.

Jimmy, in his true lighthearted nature, saw humor in the entire incident and even wrote about it in a song released a short time later.

"They shot from the lighthouse
They shot from the highway

They shot from the top of the cliff
They'd all gone haywire

We're catchin' fire
And there wasn't even a spliff.”

On September 1, 2023, Jimmy “Bubba” Buffett flew west at the age of 76.

His last words to his sister, Lucy, were "Have fun," a true and honest reflection of his simple love of life approach and live-in-the-moment philosophy... even in his final moments.

Thats a lesson Jimmy could teach us all...

And Jimmy's beloved airplane, the Hemispere Dancer? Well, she now resides at the Margaritaville restaurant in Orlando, and if you take a close look at her fuselage, you might notice the subtle patched-up areas where the bullets struck Jimmy's airplane—a reminder of what he called the "Jamaica Mistaica." and a monument to Bubba's lifelong commitment to living life happy and worry free.