Flight to Sudan - Critique my plan!

[Katamarino]

Well, I have flown from Rotterdam to Tunisia before, but this is a whole new level. I'd appreciate any comments people have on the plans I've made; I've already incorporated quite a lot of advice from several notable aviation experts on here :ok:

Weekend 1: Ferry aircraft from UK to Antwerp. No mode S means no Holland for me!

Day 1 (Thurs): Antwerp to Sens to Cannes
Day 2 (Fri): Cannes to Scalea, Italy
Day 3 (Sat): Day off!
Day 4 (Sun): Scalea to Sitia, Crete
Day 5 (Mon): Day off!
Day 6 (Tues): Sitia to Luxor
Day 7 (Weds): Day off!
Day 8 (Thurs): Day off!
Day 9 (Fri): Luxor to Wadi Halfa, and return to Luxor
Day 10 (Sat): Day off!
Day 11 (Sun): Luxor to Sitia
Day 12 (Mon): Day off!
Day 13 (Tues): Sitia to Dubrovnic
Day 14 (Wed): Day off!
Day 15 (Thurs): Dubrovnic to Salzburg
Day 16 (Fri): Day off!
Day 17 (Sat): Salzburg to Antwerp (Drop off my passenger who has no UK Visa) to UK.

http://oi51.tinypic.com/30d8qgy.jpg

I have clearances sorted for Egypt and Sudan. I have the visa situation sorted. I'm pretty certain there is Avgas everywhere I need it (including Luxor). I have agents to help out at Luxor and Wadi. I'll have PLB, life raft, vests, immersion suits. I've located convenient hotels. I have VFR, or where not available IFR, charts. I'll have my white shirt and gold bars, on the advice of our Sudan agent! I'll be carefully checking Sitia's opening hours!

So...what have I forgotten? :p

I'd be interested in intermediate stops along my Cannes - Scalea and Scalea to Sitia routes. (Also some of the long return legs such as Sitia to Dubrovnic). Can anyone recommend nice places to land and lunch, and stretch legs? They don't need to have fuel, just to be easy to visit!

[IO540]

I don't like the "days off".

Real pilots don't have days off.

Otherwise I can't see a problem :)

Just make sure the wheel nuts are nice and tight when you park in Egypt. It's probably actually even worse than Liverpool ;)

I take it you carry a satphone. There is quite a long piece of nothing between Sitia and Luxor.

Sitia has specific and on some days very narrow opening hours, so check it out. Mr Dimitris is very helpful and replies to emails :)

[172driver]

Leave Dubrovnik as early as possible to avoid the afternoon buildups in/around the Alps.

Have a great trip!

[jxc]

Stop in Albania and then catch the bus 3euro each way to Tirana great city this time of the year or get a taxi from Airport to Durres and eat on the beach normally get some lovely prawns and bread

[BackPacker]

No mode S means no Holland for me!

Technically not entirely true. You are confined to uncontrolled airspace below 1200' though.

And if you call Rotterdam Tower in advance, you can probably even get into Rotterdam to visit the club. I'd love to see the aircraft and wish you luck.

(Can't give you any advice beyond Antwerp though.)

[Katamarino]

Technically not entirely true. You are confined to uncontrolled airspace below 1200' though.

And if you call Rotterdam Tower in advance, you can probably even get into Rotterdam to visit the club. I'd love to see the aircraft and wish you luck.

This was originally my plan. However, as well as not being allowed above 1200' in normal airspace, one is not permitted into the North Sea area at all without Mode S. This would mean I had to basically fly via Antwerp anyway, and then head North, which seemed a little silly.

I suppose I could have another look into it...it would save some train trips.

[BackPacker]

Given your departure airfield you could route DVR-KOKSY-COA-EHRD or DVR-COA-EHRD and not fly that many extra miles compared to DCT. Either of those routes would leave you clear of the North Sea Area.

But on the scale of this trip it would be a very minor issue indeed.

[Katamarino]

I guess I'll give ATC a call :)

[BackPacker]

If you do, and if they agree, don't forget to give the club a call as well so that they can do your handing. And let me know so that I can stop by and wish you a good trip.

[flyingfemme]

Strange route; but I suppose it's not so much a ferry as a jolly :-)

I echo the "days off" sentiments and suggest that the weather should be the driving factor. At least your plan has some slack to allow for that.

Your equipment list should include a battery-powered GPS (with local database) and a handheld radio as well as the satphone suggested. Make sure you have a very large pack of the appropriate batteries for all three! And don't forget the medicinal brandy in the first aid kit.

[IO540]

One thing I learnt early on, for long European trips, was to not stop anywhere unless it is a nice place in itself, OK for an overnight stop at least.

[Katamarino]

The "days off" are both to allow slack for weather, and allow slack for relaxing a bit and enjoying the trip :)

[SiClick]

I have flown from the Alps to Dharfor twice, but my aircraft couldn't go more than 320 nm in a single hop, so I needed a few more stops. What are you flying in (More specifically how far can you go between refuels, AVGAS won't be that easy to find as you get to some of you remoter destinations!

[Katamarino]

We're in a Maule with almost 11 hours of fuel :)

[Katamarino]

Backpacker, good call. I sweet-talked ATC, who only normally allow you in without Mode S if you need maintenance, and they have allowed us in to Rotterdam. Should be there from May 29th until early on June 2nd :ok:

[BackPacker]

It still amazes me that you can get all the way from the UK to Sudan with just mode-C, and the only place where you need to sweet-talk ATC into letting you in/through is Holland...:*

[IO540]

Mode S is a northern european hobby, basically. The USA is gradually dropping it, and the rest of the world is not interested in it. It's another "will be great tomorrow; look at the super clever things we can do with it" technology.

Aviation has a fair few things like that. PRNAV is another boat which left the port about 10 years ago.

Mode C is what you need.

[Katamarino]

I guess that the evening of June 1st would be a good one for show-and-tell at the club, and maybe a spot of dinner if you're around, Backpacker :cool:

[nick ritter]

katamarino,

I am not in a position to critique your plan, but I wish you the very best for your trip. It is along the lines of what i hope to do in the not too distant future and look forward to reading about how you got on

Can I ask, with your immersion suits, do you intend to wear these as you fly?, have them half on, half off?

Best of luck,
Nick

[BackPacker]

I've got that date reserved!:ok:

[Katamarino]

Hi there Nick,

Was it you that I flew with at Netherthorpe (G-CCYS)? Or an instructor with a similar name? :)

My plan was to wear my suit fully on, perhaps just with the zip undone, on the long water legs. My passengers could wear them half on, as they'd have more time to get them on in an emergency; my hands, in that situation, would be a bit full.

Backpacker; great!

[nick ritter]

Katamarino,

Must be a different Nick; I fly from WW just outside London and only as a low hr pilot, (just passed IMCr)

Would love to hear how you get on with your trip

Good luck,
Nick

[IO540]

My plan was to wear my suit fully on, perhaps just with the zip undone, on the long water legs. My passengers could wear them half on, as they'd have more time to get them on in an emergency; my hands, in that situation, would be a bit full.

You will be the only person in Greece wearing one, and you will be sweating buckets :)

[Katamarino]

Hmm...perhaps, give that it's summer time in the Med, we could go for jackets and liferaft only...

[Ultra long hauler]

I'm pretty certain there is Avgas everywhere I need it


Mmm, is "pretty sure" enough?

As a matter of interest, what aircraft will you be using?


###Ultra Long Hauler###

[AfricanEagle]

Kat,

along Cannes - Scalea, if you are comfortable with 550m grass you can stop at Sabaudia, I'll take you out to lunch. They also have fuel. Also I wouldn't spend a day off at Scalea, nothing to see or do.

Scalea to Sitia, you could stop at Zante, but check opening hours.

Dubrovnik (worth a day stay) to Salzburg, you could stop at Pula or Portroz.

[Katamarino]

Mmm, is "pretty sure" enough?

Well, Scalea confirmed they have it, Sitia has it listed, and our Luxor agent say they have it. Those are the ones I'd be most worried about.

AE, thanks! I'll have a look, and be in touch :cool:

[debiassi]

I may be a bit late but just be careful re your planning at Sitia, they only sell fuel between something like 7am and 9am or something silly like that and no avgas at LGIR so a little knowledge can save you being held up for the day.
USD is the most commonly accepted currency once you
get into Africa and you will need a big handful in Luxor and Khartoum.
BE CAREFUL OF SUDANESE EUROCONTROL SCAM!!!!
They try and hit you up for airnav fees.
If you intend to fully don an immersion suit, how are you going to change radio stations with fingers like a baby elephant?
If the trip hasnt happened yet, PM me, I have loads more usefull tit bits
and can assist with any charts, contacts etc you may need en route.
Im home for the next couple of days if I can help.

[Katamarino]

Thanks Debiassi; we're in Luxor right now, we found out about Sitia's slightly strange opening hours :ok:

Currently, we're missing two Maule fuel caps (are they interchangeable with C172 ones?), and have no idea whether we're getting into Sudan or not!

[Sam Rutherford]

Hi, fuel caps are identical to Cessna ones - no problem.

For the clearance, the hot tip is not to make two completely separate demands giving differing reasons for flight! :ugh:

At the moment, everything is blocked... :mad:

Fly safe (north or south), Sam;

[mad_jock]

In Dubrovnik don't accept the ground handlers giving you a lift to the hotel. They charge you 4 times the distance and its expensive.

[AfricanEagle]

Dubrovnik taxi fee, airport to town, is 25 euros fixed price.

[IO540]

I don't recall having any trouble in Dubrovnik. It was just difficult to find a hotel in or near the old city, due to the number of tourists.

Croatia runs very smoothly, and I've flown there many times. I am just a bit sad they are joining the EU, because they will now get a mass of crap to comply with. I hope they just do what some other countries (not a million miles away from them) do: ignore most of it :)

[mad_jock]

We got stitched for $100 for using the handlers van.

The old town really is quite special and is on my list of places to go back for.

Also as well just off the coast is where all the med white sharks breed.

[Afpilot]

Hello Katamarino,

I'm planning a (ferry)flight from Netherlands to Ethiopia, so basically the same destination as you did. I'm struggling at the moment to get charts. Where did you get yours? I tried to order ONC online, and I tried with Transair UK, but both negative.
How was your experience with Sudan, since everyone advices me to take the detour via Saudi Arabia (Avgas not available, problem) and Djibouti?

[Katamarino]

Hi Afpilot,

We never actually got into Sudan; the aircraft owner made a mess of the permits so we got no further than Luxor!

As for charts, I used the African Low Level enroute IFR charts for flight in Egypt; they will tell you to fly via airways and IFR reporting points anyway, so you'll want to have these IFR charts. For VFR, if you really want the charts, you could try Onc Chart at Stanfords (http://travel.stanfords.co.uk/maps/Onc%20Chart) which is where I got one of mine.

And, if you want a co-pilot, let me know :ok:

[Contacttower]

When people refer to "clearances" for certain African countries what exactly is being referred to?

Obviously if one wants to fly to France or Spain for example there is no such thing...in what way do countries that require them differ, is it an immigration thing or just permission to enter their airspace?

[IO540]

Practically everywhere outside civilisation (i.e. outside USA, Europe, Australia, etc) you need overflight permits, and landing permits.

These are ostensibly arranged via the country's aviation ministry, but the process is usually unworkable. I spent several months trying to get an Egyptioan one sorted, for Luxor.

So everybody doing ad hoc flights uses "overflight agents", who have contacts who "lubricate" things, and since virtually the entire 3rd world is thoroughly crooked and corrupt, this is the only practical method. I was offered all the papers for £70 per person, done within 24 hours. I've got links to several agents' websites, though I cannot personally speak for any of them.

The bigger flight support services like Jeppesen also arrange this kind of stuff, in addition to black art like Eurocontrol route development :) :) Prices start at a few hundred quid a month.

[Katamarino]

IO540 has it in one. The majority of countries outside the 1st world, and even some in the 1st world, have plenty of bureaucratic barriers to private aircraft even passing through. I believe Australia can be very difficult about private aircraft arriving without the right hoops jumped through.

In Egypt, for example, every single flight needed a permit (with associated number to be quoted on the flight plan) from the military. Our handling agents organised this for $25 a time.

[Sam Rutherford]

We fly light aircraft (and helicopters) regularly all over Africa (and frequently throught Sudan and Ethiopia to/from Cape Town).

Let me know if we can help (clearances, handling and avgas).

Fly safe, Sam.

[VIKING9]

Fly carefully. Two of my main contacts in Sudan confirm currently no AVGAS in the country.

Let me know if need help (clearances, handling etc).