Looking for ferry pilot for Oz/Europe trip in Jan 2010

[PlankBlender]

I'm looking for an experienced ferry pilot to fly a well-equipped PA-28 to Europe from the Australian East Coast in January 2010. Owner will be logging all PIC, general flight planning done by specialist company.

Please PM.

[Der absolute Hammer]

Sounds like the owner can log all the time all as he likes but he will not be the pilot in command for all that?

[PlankBlender]

Hey Hammer, why would you say that? Insurance? I would think that if the owner wanted to fly and take the ferry pilot as an 'adviser' who could take control in an emergency if both agree (e.g. in a ditching that the owner has no experience with) that should be permissible. Who would forbid it?

AFAIK, whoever takes responsibility and does the hands-on flying logs the PIC.
As long as only one crew does, it should be legal.

For insurance purposes, it should be important that there is crew with ferry experience on board, although I'd have to check that with the insurer.. not that they would really care who logs what, though..

[lear60fellow]

PA28? it will take weeks of flying at 90 kts to get to europe, and sure all the way to europe is headwind. Would´t be easier and cheaper to send it by UPS?

[Der absolute Hammer]

Probably pop across the Pacific?
There were 2 x PA28 flying in convoy a few years ago on that route. One had engine failure. The other stayed overhead on station as long as he could but that-I think-was that.
When not using UPS or Meccano Mail, I would rather, as the ferry pilot, have an extra 75kgs of fuel, food, water or an extra ELT than a supernumeray crew member, especially one who has no previous experience of ferry flying.

[S.F.L.Y]

than a supernumeray crew member, especially one who has no previous experience of ferry flying.

I guess that at the end of the trip this pilot would have ferry flight experience...

[l8starter]

Quote:

"e.g. in a ditching that the owner has no previous experience with"

OK hands up everyone who has previous experience of ditching ??????????

Sorry :))))), somebody had to ask, and will be interesting to see what comes back . . . . . .

L8.

[toolowtoofast]

Why would an experienced ferry pilot want to ride shotgun in an Archer? For the right (read LOTS) of $$ maybe, but I can't see it.

[jungle drums]

Hi PB,

Be really careful,

Many years ago I had an unplanned diversion to Calcutta in a Gulfstream 4. We parked on the ramp near the only other aircraft there – a Cessna 152.

I proceeded to do our handling for a total of about US$280.00.

It was the standard Indian thing – do the Calcutta marathon around the airport visiting about twenty different offices for a sign off. In several of the offices, I had to field land-line calls from sharks in Mumbai and Delhi who had heard of my diversion and were offering to help do the turn around – for a fee. The ‘mates’ network was running hot and they could smell blood.

In one of the offices I met the chap from the Cessna 152 – an English chap flying from Oz to the UK (IIRC) and he was counting out $100.00 dollar bills. I think he ended up counting out about $10,000 worth – and that was just for his Indian sectors.

I thought about it and decided that if I ever did that sort of trip it would be in an aircraft with ferry tanks where I could over-fly these sort of places. Then you also wont have to worry about finding Avgas too often – it is very hard to find especially through southern Indonesia between Kupang and Bali.

Don’t waste your performance on a safety pilot – you don’t need him.

Fit ferry tanks instead.

Good Luck, JD

PS; Alternatively - take a good (skinny) mate or relative instead and have a ball. Then you can have a great trip with someone you like and relive it when you get older.

You will be well experienced by the time you get to the edge of Oz.

[sycamore]

Check-out the Catalina trip in `history and nostalgia` ref fuel /lack of ,in Indonesia now. They`re stuck with engine probs,but Indos have comandeered all Avgas.

[Chicken Leg]

Check your PM's.

[PlankBlender]

PA28? it will take weeks of flying at 90 kts to get to europe, and sure all the way to europe is headwind. Would´t be easier and cheaper to send it by UPS?

115 KIAS (180HP), around two weeks of adventure with a ferry tank..

Alternative: wings off and have custom crate built (around $5-6K AUD), pay for everything from container handling, customs/import of non-flying aeroplane (few K), shipping (around 10k), delivery to home airport from main shipping port, putting her back together again. Total around 20-25k. For roughly similar money I can fly her, get great experience and do something not many pilots get to do..

Jungle Drums, I hear you, thanks for the advice, I'm using White Rose in the UK for the flight planning and will heed their advice and get a handling agent in India to prevent these sort of issues. Ferry tank is definitely part of the equation, TurtlePac is the hot favourite. With a 140 liter extra bladder that goes on the back seat I'll still be (just) within W&B limits, and even the 250l bladder would be workable.

toolowtoofast, I've got plenty of takers already, still inviting more expressions of interest, will make a decision in the next week or two. Experience, personality, and timing are main decision factors.

OK hands up everyone who has previous experience of ditching ??????????

I've got several ex-military guys interested in doing this trip who have specialist training in ditching execution and survival. That sort of skill might make all the difference..

Hammer, what on Earth are you smoking? :eek:

[lear60fellow]

We have to follow this flight, it´s going to be a nice adventure, take lots of pictures and keep us updated!!!!

[PlankBlender]

Definitely will, lear, I'm very much looking forward to it.

If anyone has recommendations on where to go for supplies like life raft, rental HF/sat phone, etc., and on any other mandatory pieces of equipment, let me know. Advice always welcome!

:ok: