Fly a cessna to america? [Archive]

Ominater

3rd Sep 2009, 17:24

Hi, im currently a student pilot and I was just curious on weather it would be possible to fly a cessna from england to america. Obviously not direct, but looking at google maps i figured youd go to scotland first, then the faroe islands, iceland, greenland and finally canada and then america. Anyone know if this is possible or would it exceed the maximum range of a cessna.

Shunter

3rd Sep 2009, 17:56

Yes, it's perfectly possible although you don't state which type of Cessna. It takes a lot of planning and you'd need several things:

1. Almost certainly the back seats removed and ferry tanks installed to give a suitable safety margin in terms of range.
2. An IR.
3. An experienced transatlantic ferry pilot aboard before you stand any chance of getting insurance.
4. A lot of patience sat around waiting for the weather and winds to be right at your various stopping points. Flying in a 60kt headwind and/or solid sub-zero cloud you can't get out of is likely to end undesirably.
5. A Mr Blobby immersion suit, a robust liferaft and a personal locator beacon.

All that aside, I know a couple of folks who've done it and it really is the trip of a lifetime. Should the opportunity arise I would love to do it myself.

Pace

3rd Sep 2009, 18:24

Ominator

I see you are 16 and a student pilot? Shunters advice is good. "usually" not always the winds are more favourable the other way.

I have done the crossing but in the relative comfort of a corporate jet at FL390 if you PM me i can give you access to pictures i took and placed on the net. I have friends who do ferry work in singles but they are braver than I as that expanse of inhospitable sea must be a very lonely place in a single.

I would go with Shunter on the fact that you really need to tank the small Cessnas weather winds etc can change very quickly.

Good luck

Pace

Captain-Random

3rd Sep 2009, 18:40

Looks like it is possible

Transatlantic Cessna 150 (http://www.cessna150-152.com/transatlantic.htm)

BackPacker

3rd Sep 2009, 22:33

Earthrounders: round the world flights in light aircraft (http://www.earthrounders.com/) has lots of stories and references of folks who have done it.

Because of the weather in the North Atlantic I know some folks prefer to do the Azores-Newfoundland route instead of Iceland-Greenland. But you have to have sufficient range for that.

Pilot DAR

4th Sep 2009, 02:22

I've done eastbound transatlantic 3 times, and westbound once, in propeller powered aircraft One eastbound I flew much of the way was a Cessna 303, the smallest I flew. We did that with internal fuel only. My fellow pilot on that flight flew lots of singles across eastbound, but those were always solo flights. It requires considerable experience, planning and resources. As mentioned, you just will not get insurance, or the required clearances without the experience. Westbound in most light singles would really be pushing it! Friends of mind took a Lake Amphib last summer, and a Renegade across earlier this year, spending more than a week in Greenland waiting for weather each trip.

That having been said, a representative flight can easily be done by renting a plane in Iceland, having flown there commercial, and flying around a portion of the island. I did that last year, and it was a delight.

Pilot DAR

Sam Rutherford

4th Sep 2009, 07:09

Hi,

Have a look at my blog if you want to read more - feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Safe Flights, Sam.

Ominater

4th Sep 2009, 11:25

Cheers for the replies guys and some interesting links too. Nice to see it can be done and looks like quite a fun adventure too! Also, I saw someone mentioning insurance and is aircraft insurance a requirement like car insurance in U.K or is a just reccommended?

Phill

5th Sep 2009, 20:00

Very doable indeed.

Ditto Shunter.

Not the sort of area for inexperienced pilots in singles, and even twin, pistons.

Oh, and the experienced ferry pilot bit, it's like an insurance, but on your life!

debiassi

19th Sep 2009, 23:10

Most insurance companies state at least 5 atlantic crossings before they will touch you. Iceland require 25k additional coverage search and rescue as a pre requisite. At this time of year heating and de icing will be needed probably in Greenland and Northern Canada. VFR is possible below 5500ft but at that altitude, very unlikely to maintain VMC conditions for the whole route. If you need a cheap ferry pilot pm me.

englishal

20th Sep 2009, 07:57

I have done the crossing but in the relative comfort of a corporate jet at FL390
That's cheating, that is like rowing across the atlantic on the Queen Mary :}

1800ed

20th Sep 2009, 08:51

Not Cessnas, but I think they're good photos of the crossing:

https://www.cirrus147.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=25&Itemid=1000149

Hugh_Jarse

22nd Sep 2009, 13:42

1800ed : that site you've linked to gives a certificate error and a "do not proceed" security warning ...

Molesworth 1

22nd Sep 2009, 14:01

No it was'nt a Cessna! It was a Pilatus PC12 Turbo-prop.

Fuji Abound

22nd Sep 2009, 16:54

1800ed : that site you've linked to gives a certificate error and a "do not proceed" security warning ...

Its fine - the security certificate has just expired that is all.

whirlwind

23rd Sep 2009, 02:51

In 1995 Torquil Norman & Henry Labouchere flew East-West trans-Atlantic in a (then) 59 year old de Havilland Dragonfly. They were both awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Royal Aero Club.

As if that weren't enough, Sir Torquil flew a DH Leopard Moth across the Atlantic, writing about it in Pilot magazine in June 1996.

Put that in your Cessna and smoke it!!
WW

Pace

23rd Sep 2009, 07:19

That's cheating, that is like rowing across the atlantic on the Queen Mary

Englishall

What do you mean cheating? You try rowing the Queen Mary across the Atlantic single handed :)

Pace

Mike India

23rd Sep 2009, 16:42

Hi Skip Undo,

They are right, I did it on a Pilatus PC12. The first photo on the first part is actually a Cessna, and I guess its misleading. Sorry

However I met a fellow ferry pilot in Iceland and he was doing the crossing on a V tail 1964 Bonanza, Well..... You can read about him on my Part 3 Atlantic Crossing on a Single Engine Airplane Part3 (http://hubpages.com/hub/Atlantic-Crossing-on-a-Single-Engine-Airplane-Part3)

Thank you anyway and enjoy flying
Remember Flying is dangerous cause you drive to the airport

sleemanj

24th Sep 2009, 05:12

Try and get hold of "Flight of the Kiwi" by Cliff Tait.

He flew solo around the world in an Airtourer (single engine piston low wing) back in 1969, crossing from Canada to Scotland via Greenland and Iceland, at low level (from memory he liked to stay around 3 to 5000 ft).

He wrote a second book "Water Under My Wings" about his later ferry flights (once he'd proven to himself and the world that it could be done and he could do it, he made a lot of ferry flights of light singles).

Sir Niall Dementia

24th Sep 2009, 07:08

I did it for a year as a job, and flew 19 crossings. One trick I was taught by a very experienced ferry pilot was to time your arrival at each stopover early in the morning, until you are very confident of the route and all destinations. His thinking was that flying into improving daylight when things may not be going right and you are tired provides a level of mental comfort that flying into growing darkness does not. So long as you aren't caught by early morning mist/fog (common in high latitudes) then I believe he is right.

These days I wouldn't try it without a cruise level above fl360, a speed below m.8 and a pretty face to deliver tea/coffee/ jokes to me and my mate.

I met some amazing people in that year and learned a huge amount from them. The pay wasn't bad, but we were paid by the trip and I was broke, hence the number of trips. I got home for a total of twelve days in the year, but those trips are some of the logbook entries I am proudest of.

Romeo Tango

25th Sep 2009, 17:57

I've done it 3 times out and back in a Robin. You just need to be careful.
Easier now with GPS etc.

turbine100

29th Sep 2009, 12:32

Hi

I have been trying to get an opportunity to do this for sometime and to come along as I dont have the previous crossing experience to do it on my own.

Currently have CPL / IR etc etc.

If anyone is going to do one in the coming months and wants a hand from the UK or Europe to the U.S, I would be interested and will cover my own expenses etc.

Please PM if anyone is interested.

Thanks

IO540

29th Sep 2009, 14:51

Here (http://www.starsfly.co.uk/forms/transatlantic.pdf) is a USA trip report (8MB PDF) written by Nigel Webb when he had the TB20 N33NW.

In a TB20 this kind of trip is mostly a logistical / weather planning / SE risk acceptance exercise; no ferry tank is needed. From top of climb, FL100 plus, LOP, it will go for 1300nm in zero wind. Not that there will be zero wind on that route very often :)

Sam Rutherford

19th Oct 2009, 16:09

I think I have discovered an insurer for first-timers, ppl etc. wanting to do an Atlantic crossing.

PM me for info.

Safe flights, Sam.

Neptunus Rex

19th Oct 2009, 17:49

With any Cessna, the ferry tank fuel has to be pumped into the main tanks,which are in the high wing. A mate of mine was ferrying a Cessna and doing fine until the electrics failed. All of a sudden, all the fuel in the ferry tank was unusable! When his main tank fuel ran out, he had to ditch. Fortunately, he was in warm waters and near a small island. He ended up in jail for two days because all his identity docs had gone down in the aircraft.
So, in addition to all the points made in previous posts, make sure you have a standby hand pump for the ferry tank and have all your important documents on your person in a waterproof bag. Plus - a Personal Locator Beacon to help the SAR crews find you.

http://www.augk18.dsl.pipex.com/Smileys/drowning.gif

debiassi

29th Dec 2009, 14:56