3 1/2 hours of water across the gulf would you do it?

[Rally]

So flying from Florida to Central America. Go around through texas and spend 10 more hours. OR. Go down through Key West then across 3 1/2 hours to Cancun. The aircraft is a single and does about 100 knots in addition it holds about 4:45 in gas so I'd have 1:15 when I got to Cancun. What does every body think? My idea is if you have a engine failure your at least not far from the Coast Guards reach and the water is at least warm, I would'nt do it without a raft and vests obviously.

 

[Vladimir Lenin]

yes,
two years as a cfi, i'll do anything to get away from the mundane

 

[Huggyu2]

Is it your airplane, or are you ferrying it for someone else?

 

[SkyBoy1981]

Nope...but thats just me. Life vest and raft or not, I value my life too much. Just isn't worth the risk.

 

[MarineGrunt]

Nope. I think it's asking for trouble in a light single. Especially a 3 1/2 hour flight over a large body of water, while pushing fuel reserves, not including an extra pad in case you need to divert for weather... bad idea.

Now a nice twin with a good weather radar, yes.

 

[ferlo]

It's been a long time but isn't there some kind of reg that says you need to be able to glide to a suitable landing place if you lose an engine over water?

Although, 2 hrs from land and the engine quits you've got bigger problems.

to answer your question, No I would not do it.

 

[USMCmech]

It's been a long time but isn't there some kind of reg that says you need to be able to glide to a suitable landing place if you lose an engine over water?

No such regulation in the FARs.

Now your insurance policy may be another matter entirely, but you're OK with the feds.



Now Key West to the Caymans is a regulary flown route. And there is little time that you are out of reach of land. KEYW to Cuba is only 90 miles & at 10k MSL you can glide 20, so you are only out of reach of land for 20 minutes or so. I don't know of hand what the overwater distance from cuba to the caymans is, but it's something similar.


There is a regulary flown "cayman caravan" where dozens of singles fly to grand cayman. Very few ptoblems.

OTOH you only have one engine.

 

[Rally]

No, it is for pleasure. I think my main concern is really not so much being over water for 3 1/2 hours because whats the difference between that and the bahamas, your still gonna ditch and your still going to get wet. I think I may do it if I had the extra baggage compartment tank with a extra like 19 gallons or something thats like almost 2 1/2 hours, no biggie on reserve.

 

[MarineGrunt]

It's been a long time but isn't there some kind of reg that says you need to be able to glide to a suitable landing place if you lose an engine over water?

The reg that you are thinking of is if you are operating for hire, and flying beyond power off glide distance from shore, you need to have the appropriate survival equipment.

 

[MarineGrunt]

No, it is for pleasure. I think my main concern is really not so much being over water for 3 1/2 hours because whats the difference between that and the bahamas, your still gonna ditch and your still going to get wet. I think I may do it if I had the extra baggage compartment tank with a extra like 19 gallons or something thats like almost 2 1/2 hours, no biggie on reserve.

I ddi the math and if it's a 172, you should have about 2 hours fuel when you get there. If you do a straight shot from the Keys, you come within a couple miles of Havana's airspace. I'd be pretty careful about that, make sure you have a good GPS. Still wouldn't do it without wx radar though. (at least in IMC)

 

[semperfido]

So flying from Florida to Central America. Go around through texas and spend 10 more hours. OR.

...you need to build time. take the long way.

 

[HoursHore]

The world need less pilots.

Go for it.

 

[User546]

The reg that you are thinking of is if you are operating for hire, and flying beyond power off glide distance from shore, you need to have the appropriate survival equipment.

Correct, the regs are addressing when you need to have survival equipment onboard.

I personally would not ever do that. Especially in a 100-knot, light single. Don't ever count on the Coast Guard being close enough. Are you going to get the radio call out in time, is the radio signal going to be strong enough to get to the right person, are they going to be able to find your exact position in a timely manner, is the weather a sure fire bet?

You don't want to end up halfway across the Gulf and have to make a decision whether or not to turn back or not. With a 1.5 in reserves, that sounds like a lot, but keep in mind your headed west, and at the wrong time of season you could have some vicious head winds. And your only working with 100 knots to begin with, even 30 knots of headwind knocks you down to 70 knots groundspeed.

If it was me, I'd personally spend the extra 10 hours and ride the coast all the way down. You'll always be close to an airport/help if your aircraft develops trouble or you encounter weather, and best of all, you'd have much better scenery to look at, and it'd be a lot more enjoyable and less stressful then taking a chance going across the drink the long way.

We flew over the Gulf just last week from Texas to Florida, and just the hour or so we were over it, it sure began to feel lonely staring down at that blue water as far as you could see.

Just remember this, if your airplane goes down in the middle of the Gulf, you survive and are floating in your raft for a few days waiting on someone to come fish you out.... would that extra 10 hours really have been such a big deal?

 

[C425Driver]

No, it is for pleasure. I think my main concern is really not so much being over water for 3 1/2 hours because whats the difference between that and the bahamas, your still gonna ditch and your still going to get wet. I think I may do it if I had the extra baggage compartment tank with a extra like 19 gallons or something thats like almost 2 1/2 hours, no biggie on reserve.

There's one big difference between going to Cancun and going to the Bahamas if you end up ditching - if you ditch half way to Cancun you will be treading water much longer while you're waiting for a rescue attempt or a shark attack.

C425Driver

 

[KigAir]

I see that you have an ATP. Shouldn't you be able to make this decision yourself?