Hour Building Adventures

[petesl]

Hi, Long time reader first time poster – think im in the right place so here goes...An hour building topic with a twist

Since starting my training i've wanted to make use of my hour building time for an adventure of some type and for various reasons its come down to wanting to fly from Florida over to California and back VFR. In the last 6 months i managed to get another pilot just about as keen on the idea as I am, so now theres two of us mad to go and do it, and the time has come in January (ATPLs outta the way) – The route is planned - Coast to coast - VFR in around about 50 hrs in the space of a little over 2 weeks

We have looked around most of the usual schools in Florida and been in contact with most if not all of them, with varing levels of success. We thought we were onto a winner with one school but they have just turned round and told us they feel we don't have the experience to allow us to do it....

So really im asking for two things here
1. Advice from anyone who has done the trip before – Is it possible for 2 hour building pilots heading towards the CPL. We have researched the routes and major difficulties extensively, but nothing beats actual experience

2. Anybody know of a school that i mite have missed which has allowed similar pilots to do it before – Has to be in florida as the flights are booked (fantastic deals) – but other then that we pretty open to anyone –

Thanks in advance

[VFR Transit]

Try Sunstate Aviation, you might want to think about the Aircraft needing its 50 hour check as you trip is around 50 hours!!!!

VFR

[IrishJetdriver]

sounds better than flying from Redhill to Sandown in order to buy crisps

[vlieger]

Try Air America or Aussie Air, both based in Daytona Beach.

[A and C]

Or you could rent one of my Cessna's and fly around europe for much the same price as flying in the USA.

[b.a. Baracus]

I don't think the 50hour check is an issue, because in the u s of a there is no 50hr check but a 100hr instead.... or at least that was the case when I was there. Try www.florida-aviation.com (http://www.florida-aviation.com) sounds like a cracking trip, flying over the grand canyon in Arizona would be very cool.

[Mikehotel152]

Yeah, best of luck. It sounds like an awe-inspiring trip - and I mean that literally - and I'm very jealous. :ok:

I would be very surprised if you have problems hiring an aircraft for the trip - 50 hr check issue aside - because I wasn't going to have any problems doing the same kind of trip in Africa, which is more challenging and no less interesting.

Have fun.

[petesl]

Thanks for all your help and suggestions guys!!

-Have considered the 50hr check and planning to keep on the right side of it, with a few stops that can be left out saving a couple of hours if needed - but that said if it turns out to be a 100hr, we do have a few that can be added in too :O

-Grand Canyon was on the list very very early on - and we've also got some proper random places in a case of "that town name sounds familiar"

-Did consider Europe earlier in the yr, along with Africa, South Africa and Thialand - i think each one would have been fantastic - but it turns out america is the one which works for us.....this time round!!

Planning to keep a blog along the way - with plenty of pictures for added jealousy, so i'll post a link on here if it happens

[A and C]

Quote No 50 hour checks in the USA

Very interesting since Lycoming say that the oil has to be changed at 50 hour intervals (25 hours with just a pressure screen) how will this fit in with the quoted "no 50 hour checks".

As said most aircraft in the USA work on a 100 hour check cycle but that wont obsolve you from manufactures maintenance requirments.