Piper Cheyenne N-reg spotted on tiny field in South America

[Ultra long hauler]

Hi folks,

just a quick question, last Friday I passed by a small local airstrip and this aircraft caught my attention: (sorry for the bad pic, the best I could find on-line)

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3820316/Screenshot%202012-03-12%20om%2009.22.52.jpg
Couldn´t take a picture myself as I was otherwise engaged at the time.
I just jotted down the Registration# quickly.

Apparently a Piper Cheyenne, obviously a N-reg………and this is in Ecuador, you see!

Isn´t this baby a little FAR away from home? If it was bought by a local, then it should carry a local registration as far as my knowledge goes…….

Is this a common distance to travel for small twins?
Anybody more info perhaps? Was she sold?

Cheers,

###Ultra Long Hauler###

[Fuji Abound]

Loads of N reg in Europe and around the world for that matter. There are often good reasons for having an aircraft on the N reg. An aircraft that has been in Europe for years and on the UK reg could for example be transferred to the N reg without leaving Europe.

All that said most light aricraft were bulit in the US so whatever reg. they are on they got to all the far flung parts of the world by some means. An awful lot are flown - trips in single engine aircraft, never mind twins are common place from the US to Europe via Greenland and Iceland. There are a few people who tour light singles and twins over great distances - UK to Australia or even around the world being good examples. Many light aircraft have a range of over 700 miles and with extra ferry tanks the range can be increased significantly. Long tracks of water are the problem so island hopping is the way its done!

To complete the picture some aircraft are freighted but the costs of taking the wings off etc more often than not out weigh the cost of a ferry flight. The larger and more complex the aircraft the more likely this is to be the case. So, you can bet the aircraft in the photo was flown there are some point in its life but since has probably operated "locally", the owners having found it convenient to keep the aircraft on the American register.

Hope that helps.

[BackPacker]

This is always a good read:

Earthrounders: round the world flights in light aircraft (http://www.earthrounders.com/)

Can't go much further than all the way around...

[maxred]

Yes VFR to MIA at 500' is always a good way to travel. Let's you see lots of scenery

[Cusco]

Flying low in a private aeroplane in South America brings problems of its own


gHDZqUa0m1s

[SkyHawk-N]

Those Cheyenne are nice aircraft. 1,400nm range at 280Kts, wouldn't be too much effort to get down to Ecuador.

[zondaracer]

Some non-US citizens set up a trust in the US in order to have a November register, often times to take advantage of the wonderful FAA and avoid the local aviation authority headache/costs. Some US citizens live abroad and have an N-register.

A quick google search reveals that this specific tail number is indeed registered under a trustee.

[BackPacker]

Actually a trust, to the best of my knowledge, is the *only* way for a non-US citizen to "own" an N-reg aircraft. (Other than creating a company around the aircraft.)

In quotes, because technically the aircraft is owned by the US trust, not by the "owner". But the "owner" gets all benefits of the trust.

[Pilot DAR]

The Cheyenne I flight tested two weeks ago should be in Brazil now, soon to enter service there as an "N".

http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/oo252/PilotDAR/Jims%20DAR%20Testing/IMG_3926.jpg

[Dave Gittins]

In Barbados last week and 2 of the local school / renter's aircraft, an Arrow and an Aztec are on N Reg and when in Qatar there was an N reg 337 on the ramp. Belonged to an Ameriacn oil guy who had flown it there and would fly it back when his Contract was up.

Incidentally, also in Barbados last week was a G reg microlight tucked in the hanger. I spoke to the owner, a locally resident Brit who had to fly a microlight examiner out from the UK to keep his currency.

[Ultra long hauler]

Folks,

sorry for my late reaction! (yet again).
I should really quit my job, it interferes severely with my PPRuNe-time!

Let´s see, what did you tell me?


So, you can bet the aircraft in the photo was flown there are some point in its life but since has probably operated "locally", the owners having found it convenient to keep the aircraft on the American register.


Yes, I was wondering if that was possible in Ecuador, and talking to my instructor yesterday--> it is!


Hope that helps.
Thanks a great deal………



Earthrounders: round the world flights in light aircraft (http://www.earthrounders.com/)

Can't go much further than all the way around...

Backpacker, interesting reading……….will get to that when I have more time.

At the risk of stating the obvious... a N-registered cargo aircraft at a small local airstrip in Ecuador might be something you'd want to avoid close proximity to. Just a thought. :)
Hmmm, indeed. My mate pointed that possibility out straight away……….I was "concerned" with the aviation side of it all; while he was cracking the "blanca" jokes.

Part of the reason why the Colombians make such great STOL LSA´s are the short runways over there. If you are the proud owner / operator of a remote well maintained 1000 meter strip, you may well get unwelcome visitors one night and apparently the authorities don´t necessarily buy your "but I love aviation!!" argument for operating that strip. Tricky…….
Better make do with a 450 meter bumpy strip!


Some non-US citizens set up a trust in the US in order to have a November register, often times to take advantage of the wonderful FAA and avoid the local aviation authority headache/costs. Some US citizens live abroad and have an N-register.

Interesting………I really wonder if it would work out cheaper in this case.
The Ecuadorian aviation authorities (DAC) are not too shabby, believe it or not; things are quite straightforward for LSA owners anyway.

The Cheyenne I flight tested two weeks ago should be in Brazil now, soon to enter service there as an "N".


Okay Pilot Dar; another great photo! I guess that pawl on the back is for survey purposes! Or perhaps an over the top device to fight hangar rash?
Mine is bigger than yours, beware!
Do you know the reason why they register this particular Cheyenne as "N" by the way? Just $$ or other reasons too?

Sorry folks, if my question was silly. Talking to my instructor, it is not as unusual as was pointed out by all of you before. Me & my big mouth.
However, I do like my "mystery planes"………planes which makes you feel like "what the heck is her history??". South America has no shortage of wrecks (read planes "in storage") at the larger airports and I often wonder……….where from, where to & why?

Not only wrecks though: 2 days ago I saw 2 red & blue (I think) DC-3´s sitting at the cargo apron of GYE?? Where from, where to & why??

I might start a thread about some mystery planes……….with a few pics I came across recently. GA stuff, obviously.

Cheers,

###Ultra Long Hauler###

[Pilot DAR]

ULH,

Perhaps it was two of the fleet of four, of which this ("Polar 5") is one. I have finished training in Polar 5 just today, and am headed home.

I know that the route for these aircraft to Antarctica is the west coast of South America, though I don't know the stops. The four Basler BT-67/turbine DC-3's are: "EAI", EAJ", "AWI" (Polar 5), and "HGF" (Polar 6).

Polars 5 & 6 are highly modified for research. EAI and EAJ are standard passenger/cargo/combi aircraft.

If you Google search images for POlar 5, there are lots (many of which seem to be mine! - I wonder how that happens!).

http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/oo252/PilotDAR/Aircraft/9169001.jpg

[maxred]

Great pic Dar, I have promised myself a DC3 rating before 'I GO'. Better hurry up before there are none left.

[Ultra long hauler]

ULH - thanks for the South American info. I am always interested to see your photos from far away.

Silvaire1, going through this old thread, I suddenly realized that I didn´t live up to my promise, so decided to post a few random pics from South America.
Here we go:

Snake on the cowling of a fellow club member yesterday:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3820316/Screenshot%202012-05-06%20om%2020.56.03.jpg

He fell of during the touch down.

A sorry sight I saw at Santa Marta, Colombia:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3820316/Screenshot%202012-05-06%20om%2020.59.14.jpg

And then this, at an airfield not too far away from the club:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3820316/Screenshot%202012-05-06%20om%2020.55.26.jpg

Here´s a better angle:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3820316/Screenshot%202012-05-06%20om%2020.55.06.jpg

Will this Thrush fly again?

This thread doesn´t make a lot of sense anymore, but I didn´t want to start a separate thread either.

Cheers,

###Ultra Long Hauler###

[Newforest2]

Would guess that the Columbian immigrant would be US registered and one of the approximately thirty aircraft exported to the US. I wonder how many of these are still airworthy?

[Newforest2]

But only available to AOPA registered members!:uhoh:

Glad you could read between my lines on the purpose of the plane being in Columbia. ;)

[patowalker]

The March 2012 edition of AOPA Pilot says of 43 Beagle twins built in total, 20 went to the RAF and that now "few remain". It does mention thefts of some aircraft by drug runners.

The one in the photo is almost certainly the one mentioned in the article below. Google Earth shows where it was abandoned, close to the perimeter fence, between the threshold of rwy 01 and the terminal at Santa Marta airport.

Avioneta ilegal procedente de Centroamérica aterrizó en Santa Marta | ELESPECTADOR.COM (http://www.elespectador.com/noticias/judicial/articulo190737-avioneta-ilegal-procedente-de-centroamerica-aterrizo-santa-marta)

[Ultra long hauler]

The one in the photo is almost certainly the one mentioned in the article below. Google Earth shows where it was abandoned, close to the perimeter fence, between the threshold of rwy 01 and the terminal at Santa Marta airport.

Spot on Pato, I remember that clearly! Between the terminal and the threshold.
Interesting stuff people!

Tomorrow I´ll go for another X-country, let´s see what I can come up with.

Cheers,


###Ultra long Hauler###