Woody Woodward ferry pilot mystery

[JammedStab]

It is a story from long ago but interesting nonetheless. No doubt one of many who have disappeared, a former owner of my aircraft did the same while crossing the English Channel. I wonder if anyone here remembers this gentleman......

From Flying Magazine, 1965

The Woody Woodard Mystery

Clark ‘Woody’ Woodard was a local and well known 40,000 hour professional pilot and flight instructor. He ran an airplane ferry service and instructed pilots on safe ferry flight practices. After 352 cross-ocean ferries, he was lost when crossing the Atlantic Ocean. He was last located approximately 300 miles northwest of the Azores and was flying a Lake Amphibian aircraft. He did send a Mayday message and was operating a locating beacon on regular schedules so that his batteries would last more than the continuous 72 hours of a standard emergency beacon. He was not only prepared for ditching at sea with life raft and survival suit, he had lost engines in various airplanes over the years, and was cool in an emergency, always walking away unscathed from his exploits.

Strange circumstances surround the search and the 63 year old pilot was never found.

[flyboyike]

What kind of aircraft do you own?

[dc9-32]

always walking away unscathed from his exploits
No offence, but clearly there is always a first time.
Despite ferrying a Lake Amphibian across water, the risks are still incredibly high regardless of the number of hours the pilot may have.
Survival suits, rafts etc are only useful so long as the aircraft does not hit the water at the wrong angle. Otherwise, well, it's game over.

I am still baffled as to why some ferry pilots want to fly the North Atlantic in an aircraft that has about 4hrs maximum range, in the middle of the night when no alternates are available.