Longhaul Routes with Mid-sized BJ's

[Evelyn Higginbottom]

Gentlemen

I should be much obliged if someone could provide me with a typical routing from Zurich to Sao Paulo Brazil for a mid-size BJ such as a Challenger 300.

Approximate flight times as well as any opinions about long over-water stretches in a BJ would also be appreciated.

This is for a write-up I am doing for someone unfamiliar with general/business aviation and who is wondering about the practicalities of using a mid-size BJ for longhaul flights once every 6-8 weeks.

[EMB170]

Would go via Sal, Cape Verde islands

[FlyMD]

Yup, Sal, alternate Dakar has worked for me in a G200 on this route. If the plane is even more Range-challenged, Zurich-Tenerife-Recife-Sao Paolo would work as a 2-stop strategy.

The challenge on those legs is crew rest. If commercial, having to position crew to the intermediate stop messes with the cost-advantage over using a larger jet.

Private, it's do-able with a one-stop flight, but becomes a bit irresponsible by night of with 2 stops...

And no, it's not a good idea to try carrying enlarged crew on rest seats in a mid-size jet with paying passengers..

For approximate flight times, use the great circle program available online: insert a TAS of around 450 knots and add 10-15 minutes per leg for arrival/departure: wind is usually not a huge factor on these North-South sectors...

FlyMD

[CaptainProp]

It's about 5:50 + 6:45 via Sal.

If you are not willing / able to charter a long range jet then I recommend First Class with Swiss, Zürich direct Sao Paolo. 12 hour flight overnight both ways, about CHF 6-7000 one way. Not sure but I guess you would be paying about CHF 5500-6000 per hour for a CL300, perhaps a bit less if you commit to buying a block of hours from a single operator.

CP

[Evelyn Higginbottom]

Thank you for the responses.

Could someone confirm the location of the designation Sal?

[PLovett]

Could someone confirm the location of the designation Sal?

Try reading post #2.

[wiggy]

"Sal" in this context is the place name, not the designator.

Sal, Cape Verde - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sal,_Cape_Verde)

Designators are:

IATA: SID

ICAO: GVAC

[Evelyn Higginbottom]

Wiggy, thank you for the clarification.

The Cape Verde - Recife leg is a fair distance over water. What standard safety equipment do most business jets carry on such flights?

[cambioso]

Oh Gawd.............................!!

[CaptainProp]

Paddles and inflatable rubber ducks... :E