Hi Seattlepilot, long reply for you...
As always, your mission should drive the planning. Are you doing this GA flying to Istanbul solely for business (ferry)?
Obviously, safety & wx is your first consideration, after that:
If this is more of a pleasure flight then your planning priority should be to avoid potential headaches (logistics/$$/navigation...), especially if you have little experience with the Old World & EuroControl.
If you just need to move the airplane to Istanbul and could care less about stopping & smelling the roses, then plan to minimize time/distance/cost & "just get her done"--there are plenty of well-worn routes, and proven methods.
Does your trans-Atlantic "professional ferry pilot" know Gatwick is NOT your final destination? If he knew, it is shocking that he did not immediately advise against going there
. I echo the opinion shared by many in these posts: Gatwick is a rediculous waste of your $/time. Plus, for a Yank, adjusting to Gatwick first time (IMC???) will be more challenging than SeaTac.
Next, I will bash you, with good intentions of course
. If you are already paying a ferry pilot, why not keep him all the way to Istanbul? Many guys would do it for a flat fee. Ending up in UK vs. Turkey the incremental cost for you is relatively small. Maybe you want some freedom while in Europe, or just wish to maximize profit? I don't know but you seem to indicate not having Euro experience (planning, wx, re-routing...it just isn't USA). So, having a good ferry pilot with you until Istanbul may save you lots of headaches, not to mention $. Going one route vs. another, or even into a different airport could eat up all the profit that you think you will save (diff in fees/handling/hotel...). Finally, it is much safer for you to have two sets of eyes in unfamiliar ops.
When I took a Seneca II un-tanked, I went via CYFB. You did not mention which model Seneca you are taking, but since you will go via Halifax, will it be tanked? (C-N asked for "max endurance of your aircraft" You should post & let us know because it affects your ops in Europe too...that way you can receive relevant advice.) If you are hard-headed & insist on dumping your ferry pilot after his Atlantic crossing, why not consider taking over in Ireland or Scotland? It is very pleasant flying for you from either area. There are good airline connections & you can avoid London airspace entirely
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Anyway, just a few general comments:
- Some replies obviously came from folks who had flown in parts of your route: i.e. there are VAST areas where avgas is NOT available; unlike what we are used to in the US. Even when an airport is published as having avgas, it doesn't hurt to call ahead to confirm availability.
- Since you are ferrying a Seneca & talking about Jepp trip kit, I expect you are IFR rated. If not I would ax the idea of doing this VFR--solo & unfamiliar, no need to take a chance with airspace, regs, etc. Especially if you hesitate about buying charts.
- You should get good enroute low charts. You need it for route planning & likely inflight re-routes (to-what-intersection? say-again? ain't-got-that-in-my-Garmin? oh-that's-how-you-spell-it...f***-where-is-he-taking-me). Fun.
- Unless the Atlantic crossing goes south via Santa Maria, Iceland is a perfectly good stop. This is true even if you don't like girls! Now that it is cheaper (since bankrupcy) it is also a sound financial decision. Greenland and Norway are expensive--give them a call.
- Plan which countries you will over-fly, this is not complicated. But a quick glance at those posted show at least one requiring pre-arranged permission. It matters also if you have a ferry tank.
- Start this ferry as soon as you could if the airplane is ready. Try not to wait around for 1 month; freezing levels will only get lower; you may have a higher probability of paying the ferry pilot for wx delays (+food +hotel, etc.).
You received some good replies here, pm me if you need any clarification.