Delivering single engine aircraft to Europe and beyond?

[Cat Driver]

BD.... even with two engines just looking at all that ice in the ocean off Greenland is kind of uncomfortable, I can't imagine force landing in it.

C.D.

 

[Lead Sled]

BD.... even with two engines just looking at all that ice in the ocean off Greenland is kind of uncomfortable, I can't imagine force landing in it.

I've got a few north Atlantic crossings - from the pacific nothwest we normally fly to Fro' Bay then on across. We have an annunciator that comes on when the fuel transfer valves cycle - just about the time we're "well over water". Even though I know it's coming it still comes close to inducing a coronary event. You're settled in, it's verrry early in the morning, the lights are dim, and bam - the master caution along with the fuel transfer light. It gets you every time.

'Sled

 

[BD King]

Ah Chuck,

There is a long story. But will be cut short tonight. As you are well aware, there is a system called TKS, specifically for anti-ice. I owned part of the company that installed the first kit for certification in the US. It was on a 206, and God forbid, it worked........I was asked to take the airplane to England and get the certification there. Said yes, BUT I want a new engine in the airplane. Before that happened a connecting rod broke. The airplane sunk in the Potomic.........To make a very long story short, if you are flying the North Atlantic, take along an anvil. Why? If you have to ditch, grab the anvil and get the ordeal over with.

 

[typhoonpilot]

There used to be a guy that wrote for Plane & Pilot magazine (Bill Cox?) that ferried all sorts of planes all over the world. I haven't read that mag in a while so I don't know if he still writes about it, but there seemed to be a lot of preparation involved with overwater deliveries.

That is the first thing I thought of when reading this thread as well. Bill used to do some work for the dealer I worked for in California. I liked reading his stories about flying across the Atlantic. They are worth reading if you can find the back issues, circa 1986. Other publications have done articles on the process from time to time.

When I was working in Taiwan a Piper Cub was parked in Kaohsiung one day. That being a very rare sight in Kaohsiung, I walked over and met the pilots. A husband and wife team flying around the world in their Piper Cub. They had their Pacific crossing to go yet, but had already come around to Taiwan in an Easterly direction.


Typhoonpilot

 

[Flyin Tony]

Max Conrad (sp) would do it in PA18's.
Here is some other flights he did.

Casablanca, Morocco - Los Angeles
Distance 7,668sm
Time 58 hours 38 minutes
PA24-250

Casablanca, Morocco - El Paso
Distance 6,921sm
Time 56 hours 26 minutes
PA24-180

Capetown South Africa - St. Petersburg FL
Distance 7,879sm
Time 56 hours 8 minutes
PA30

 

[Flyin Tony]

http://www.maxconrad.com/

http://www.southpolestation.com/trivia/igy2/conrad/conrad1.html

 

[Flyin Tony]

A Summary of Max Conrad's history

• 50, 000 hours in the air, the equivalent to about six years
• Nearly 200 solo flights across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
• First light plane flight New York to Paris in 1954 since Lindbergh
• Set an intercollegiate high jump record of 6 feet 8 1/2 inches in 1931 at the age of 28
• Taught more than 3000 people to fly
• Saved a number of lives in the 1940 Armistice Day blizzard
• Wrote book describing his Atlantic crossings, "Green Water"
• Trained 44 airline captains in his Civilian Trainers Program in the 40"s -more than 350 Navy, Army, Air Force, and Marine pilots and 56 licensed mechanics
• Broke almost every record possible in a light plane including around the world in eight days


WOW

 

[Cat Driver]

Oh hell I might as well keep this thread going so..

The longest ferry flight I have done to deliver an airplane was with a PBY from Jo- Berg, South Africa via Malawi, Kenya, DiJoubiti, Saudia Arabia, Egypt, Crete, Italy, Corsica, France, England, Scotland, Iceland, Greenland, Goose Bay, Bangor Main, Conneticut, Norfolk Virginia.

Cant remember how many hours but it was a lot....However the longest non stop I ever did in a PBY was 19 hours and 10 minutes in 1968...f.ck I must be getting old.

Cat

 

[VNugget]

If you're looking for more ferry stories, check out Air Vagabonds.

I've been meaning to read it, but haven't yet.

 

[Flightjock30]

I have always been very jealous of people who have made amazing accomplishments in life in more than one field. For example an All-American college athlete who is also an outstanding college student and who is also good looking and popular! Or a pilot who has flown their entire lives and was also a successful entrepreneur, etc. They get to enjoy the best things in life! Some people are just truly gifted. Max Conrad being one of them in the aviation field.

 

[Lead Sled]

Oh hell I might as well keep this thread going so..

The longest ferry flight I have done to deliver an airplane was with a PBY from Jo- Berg, South Africa via Malawi, Kenya, DiJoubiti, Saudia Arabia, Egypt, Crete, Italy, Corsica, France, England, Scotland, Iceland, Greenland, Goose Bay, Bangor Main, Conneticut, Norfolk Virginia.

Cant remember how many hours but it was a lot....However the longest non stop I ever did in a PBY was 19 hours and 10 minutes in 1968...f.ck I must be getting old.

Cat...
I've finally figured you out - it's all those ferry flights in PBYs. 25K hours? That makes perfect sense now. If you would have done that flying in jets you'd have what, about 6,000 hours?

I envy you. One of my friends was a Navy Black Cat pilot. I could have listened to his stories forever. These were amazing aircraft flown by amazing crews.

My dream airplane is an Albatross followed closely by the PBY.

'Sled

 

[Clutch_Cargo]

I envy you. One of my friends was a Navy Black Cat pilot. I could have listened to his stories forever. These were amazing aircraft flown by amazing crews.

My dream airplane is an Albatross followed closely by the PBY.

'Sled

Agreed 'Sled... I'm more than a little envious too. I always thought that if I had money to burn the PBY would be one to check out in. I've got a print of a PBY cruising over some burnt orange clouds called "Looking for Nagumo." Guess I'll have to settle for sitting in my office and staring at it!

cc

 

[User546]

During WWII a PBY was flying off Greenland in the clouds, when their airspeed dropped rapidly to zero. Full power was applied to no avail. The were on a Glacier.

Yea I remember reading about that one time. They weren't descending though (atleast purposely). What had happened is they had trimmed it out for straight and level flight. And as the time rolled away, they weren't paying much attention to the altimeter, when all of a sudden their airspeed dropped to zero, and they was no more motion to the aircraft - just the droning of the propellors outside. The rest, you can pretty much figure out!

 

[nikoz1200]

Here are some pics from my Florida to China trip from last month. Enjoy

www.photonick.net/gallery3

 

[Bryan D]

If you're looking for more ferry stories, check out Air Vagabonds.

I've been meaning to read it, but haven't yet.

It's a good read. I was surprised at the end to find out that one of the ferry pilots in this book was the pilot killed in Reba McIntire's plane in California.