Trans-Atlantic Flight in December?

[ShyFlyGuy]

A few months ago, I was asked to move a 4-seat single-engine aircraft (250HP) across the Atlantic to Europe. I have a bit of experience doing so, and when he was asking (September), I had no problem doing it. Now we find ourselves in December with a VAT deadline on Jan 1, and the temperatures in the ocean plunging to near-freezing... I'm just not enthusiastic about it anymore. This aircraft has no anti-icing or de-icing equipment except for a heated pitot-tube.

Anyone know of anyone who's done it in the dead of winter with a light single-engine airplane?

Shy

 

[avbug]

Here comes NWPilot...

 

[pilotyip]

I ferried a DA-20 (jet) across there last December 30th/31st. If it was IFR it was in the ice, until you were way above the freezing level. I did find when looking at wx along that route, if it was forecast to be solid VFR is was, it is was forecast to marginal, you had no idea what the weather would be. Meet a girl at BIRK ferrying at Tri-Islander from England to the Bahamas with no icing equipment. She asked about our experience, I told stay out of the clouds. Evidently she made it, never heard of a Tri Islander not making it. I used to fly P-3's out of Keflavik in the 70’s I remember lots of ice, and at that time of year extremely short periods of daylight.

 

[avbug]

and the temperatures in the ocean plunging to near-freezing... I'm just not enthusiastic about it anymore.

Whether the water is a little colder this time of year or not is fairly irrelevant, as your survival time is low in the north Atlantic any time of year. Even with an immersion suit, you're still flying in a hostile environment.

 

[414Flyer]

A few months ago, I was asked to move a 4-seat single-engine aircraft (250HP) across the Atlantic to Europe. I have a bit of experience doing so, and when he was asking (September), I had no problem doing it. Now we find ourselves in December with a VAT deadline on Jan 1, and the temperatures in the ocean plunging to near-freezing... I'm just not enthusiastic about it anymore. This aircraft has no anti-icing or de-icing equipment except for a heated pitot-tube.

Anyone know of anyone who's done it in the dead of winter with a light single-engine airplane?

Shy

Bad time to be doing it. If there was no timeframe and you were on someone elses unlimited budget to where you could sit in Gander or Sondrestromford for days or weeks, hoping on ideal (well its never ideal in the winter) weather, thats one thing. But there would not be that luxury

September would have been a much much better time. Now you have the coldest time, coming up on winter solstice, and its just brutally bad conditions.

 

[Cat3C]

shrink wrap and a shipping container

 

[Hugh Johnson]

Flew a 210 to RSA in December. As long as you are willing to sit for good weather it won't be a problem except for 100LL. Ferry tanks? If not it will take some very carefull planning. Friend of mine got stuck in Kuluusuk for a week waiting for fuel to be shipped in after a divert. Good luck.

 

[JAFI]

Survival time in that cold water in measured in a couple of minutes. Think very cold, very wet, very dark, and very windy for longer than you may want to do. And it goes from good to bad quickly. Think early summer.........

 

[nikoz1200]

Time of year matters less, as some have already stated. Just stay out of the clouds and out of Narsarsuag with anything less than perfect VFR.

 

[NW_Pilot]

Can be done in December, be ready to wait on the weather for a good day. I stopped doing the North Atlantic me and my family are no longer that hungry.