Has anyone got statistics on the engine failure rate for single engine light aircraft?

I'm sure a reasonably maintained engine can be expected to last through to its TBO without suffering a complete/total power loss. If it should fail, the likelyhood is for a partial, rather than total failure. With that in mind most water crossings from the UK should pose few problems. That said, it's amazing how 'auto-rough' immediately engages in the brain the moment the coast slips by under the wing... especially at night... but then that's another story!

I always take the Cap Gris route to minimise the risk at max height.

I also carry out mental risk assessments (written ocassionally)and stop short of immersion suits and dinghy. Lifejackets and ELB are my personal answer. If I did manage to survive the ditching I would be Peed off if I couldn't float and bleep.

But if you are a "survivalist" and insist on wearing a bloody uncomfortable Immersion Suit surely you should also have a parachute.
The I.S. will only be of use if you manage to get out of the aircraft and into the water alive.
Evacuation prior to HITTING the water would address the first risk, staying alive in the water would be the second, and recovery the third.

I have chatted with guys nervous about the Channel hop but think nothing about transitting the Wash or Thames Estuary or even the Welsh Mountains!... strange.

Mind you with the present weather I think we'll all need immersion suits soon http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/redface.gif

Well what a debate...fantastic! I'm sorry cusco I cannot offer any advice on the civilian market Zoot Suits, exept to say that any is better than than none at all. We have a suit wich is issued to all three services as standard. (bar a few minor differences). And as for the comment about parachutes from Beagle....your still gonna get wet at the end of the ride down.

I have done no research on this but..I'm sure an IM suit and a good quality strobe light would be cheaper than a dinghy. I know which I would fork out for, and it dosent bigin with 'D'!!

Hope all your flying is enjoyable whatever and wherever you go.

H.P
No I haven’t done the trip but Iceland is among the few places that captured my imagination since I was a child. I remember sitting with my encyclopaedia and looking at the photos. I will be there one day either as P1 or Pax.21. If you would like to know which route I have planed than you can find it at the bottom.

New Block
Yes, I am very serious. I had planned to fly a 6 seater twin last summer and looked for people to share the cost. There were many that wanted to come and share the experience but not the cost. The argument was that I need them as Safety Pilots because they are I.R. Then I thought of flying it with the wife on single but could not rent. All said that I have a lose nut, then business took over.

TBEE
Sorry can’t help with statistics but I think that you are right. My engine is about 2500s/n and 300 since top. I was told that a well maintained IO540 can reach 5000h as long as it goes through top every 1000h. As a rule of thumb you can say that the harder the engine works the shorter its life. The O/IO540 are rated from 250hp up to 350-375hp. (or near these figures). The TBO of the top end engine is 1600-1800h.
Another point that should be taken into account is Pilot Handling. Many do not cool the engine before landing. Reducing power on Downwind in some cases is not enough. It is best to start reducing the power (in stages) about 10 miles out, this way you avoid cool-shocking the engine. Also, rapid and sharp increase/decrease of RPM is bad as the balance counter weights are thrown against the crankshaft.

Suggested Route
I have planned a very conservative route with 2 stop over for safety reasons and fuel uplift. The first stop is at Wick, Scotland and the second at the Faroe Islands (Faroe Islands can be avoid down to a/c range).
Total flying time (still wind) should be +/- 8h. depends on a.c type and if departed from the South East. From Wick to the Faroe Islends it is 250 miles mostly over water. From Faroe Islands to Iceland (ING VOR) is 270 miles over water and another 142 miles to Reykjavik over mountains and lakes. There is a slightly shorter route but the penalty is a longer time spent over the water. The nearest airfield to ING (in case of an emergency or fuel shortage) is some 50 miles to the NW. Therefore, I think that anyone who wants to join (not as a pax.) MUST have a range of 420 miles at least! The mountains along the route peak to 3000’ (also in Scotland) and they reach 6000’about 10 miles north off ING VOR. However the route does not cross over the mountains as you turn west towards Reykjavik. (From there it is not too far to Greenland, Canada and the USA and the Caribbean…Ahhhh, SUN at last!!!)
Shall we arrange a PPRUNE Fly In?

Flarecheck..
Start with 'D'? Tell me, I don't understand.
Thanks.

With ref to which I would fork out for...an IM suit and strobe light or a Dinghy...D for Dinghy.

AC-DC,

You’re on for a BIRK fly-in...if I can persuade my flying buddy to go north instead of south next year (we were thinking of the warmth of Tunisia) :)

I reckon the still-air flight time for the Arrow from EGPC-EKVG-BIRK is ±5 hours. When are you thinking of heading up?

In the meantime, I thought you might enjoy this diary of two grumpy old farts who went transatlantic in a C182, bitching and moaning about everything on the way!
http://www1.club.ch/aviation/flight/varia/transat.html

There’s a description of the EGPO-EKVG-BIRK route somewhere in there too.

Horsepower

[This message has been edited by Horsepower (edited 11 November 2000).]

Flarecheck...

I believe the military procedure with fixed wings was always bale out and not to risk ditching if possible, has this changed and if so, why?

As I dont write the rules I can only assume that this was for the reason of the price of human life. To survive ditching at well over 100 knots would be a feat of pure luck whereas surviving an ejection is not realy a problem. Fly the A/C to a safe(?) point to let it ditch or crash land (away from populated areas etc etc) then eject. The chance of survival from ejection far outweighs the chance of survival from attempting to ditch 200 tonnes of metal, And the MoD dont have to retrain another Jet Jock. (I'm sure they could write the A/C off against tax!!)

H.P
Thanks for the site. I will give it a go. I would like to go July/August.
However. Greece is also a nice place.

Flarecheck ...
Thanks. It is a brain problem, intermittent.
Have you got some good advise if the flight to Iceland will go ahead?

[This message has been edited by AC-DC (edited 12 November 2000).]

Standby on that one as I am very busy at work at the mo as we have the "Aviation Standards Team" with us. I'll get some info together and pass it on shortly.