Whats the longest flight/trip you've made in a light airplane?

[na265]

Ya, he was. As Paul Harvey would say....the rest of the story. The guy was 70 yrs old and had not flown in 15 yrs. He had owned a number of airplanes earlier in his life, I have no doubt that at one time he was a pretty good stick. Hell, he flew many years with no probs at all.

The next problem I had was that he bought the airplane without telling his family. They were not happy. Before I left, I encouraged him to fly more with an instructor and work on his skills. It was hard to tell the old guy I wouldn't sign him off for the BFR. But, he just wasn't safe at that time.

 

[pilotmiketx]

The Apache......well suffice it to say it was in my younger days when light twins were king, even the really slow ugly ones! Nothing like going across this great country at a blistering 120 knots.........twice.........New Mexico and Arizona at 10k in the middle of summer...........ahh the memories of the compressed spine and the sweat. Nothing like 120 degree heat to generate turbulence!!

Ah, yes, I too have not-so-fond memories of flying the Sky Buick for hours and hours and hours. The one I flew was such a POS it had Rayjays and still had a service cieling of about 10000'. I guess I should be grateful that it taught me what it's like to handle an engine failure and in flight fire. Thanks, Death Trap!

 

[F16TJ]

Some people consider the F-16 to be "light" airplane. Logged two 10.4 hours sorties. First was Ramstein AB Germany to Langley AFB, VA and the other was from Honolulu to Misawa AB, Japan.

Pretty much needed a putty knife to get me out of the cockpit!

 

[erj-145mech]

Some people consider the F-16 to be "light" airplane. Logged two 10.4 hours sorties. First was Ramstein AB Germany to Langley AFB, VA and the other was from Honolulu to Misawa AB, Japan.

Pretty much needed a putty knife to get me out of the cockpit!

How many piddle packs does it take to cross the pond? Go pills?

 

[Immelman]

Some people consider the F-16 to be "light" airplane. Logged two 10.4 hours sorties. First was Ramstein AB Germany to Langley AFB, VA and the other was from Honolulu to Misawa AB, Japan.

Pretty much needed a putty knife to get me out of the cockpit!

Is there no autopilot? I realize refueling would be hand flown but I would have guessed you guys would kick back for cruise flight on a/p... not that 10.4 is easy by any means.

 

[F16TJ]

How many piddle packs does it take to cross the pond? Go pills?

No "Go" pills.

Flew the Ramstein to Langley sortie without using a piddle pack! Did make a beeline to base ops for a VERY long relief stop, though!

 

[F16TJ]

Immelman...

Is there no autopilot? I realize refueling would be hand flown but I would have guessed you guys would kick back for cruise flight on a/p... not that 10.4 is easy by any means.

Viper has an autopilot. Not a good one, mind you, but it has an autopilot. Usually you just use the Altitude Hold function to stay in the ALTRAV block and just hand fly your heading. You're always in formation, so there's really no way to synchronize the heading function of everybody in the formation. When it's your turn to re-fuel, of course, you're not on the autopilot then. Formation spacing varies with the WX, too. Flew a 6 hour sortie from Kunsan, Korea to Singapore and we were in the WX for 4 hours and 45 minutes flying route formation (two to four ship widths spacing between jets). THAT was painful!

 

[DaveJ]

I've done PDK to GRB & back many times. Always landed at BAK for refuel & lunch. Did PDK - GFL - GRB - RAP - COD - PDK for one vacation and PDK to FLG & back for another all in my Arrow II. Usually just 3 hour legs.

 

[Andy Neill]

Would you believe my first airplane solo cross country? Went from Colorado Springs to Bellfountaine, OH, to Phoenix, and back with several overnights in Kansas and Iowa along the way. I spent took two weeks doing it.

 

[RichardRambone]

I occasoinally leave from KC to San Francisco or Oakland or some other city on the left cost. Longest was probably in a 182 or Duchess from KC to Oakland in a day. Around 14 hours.

 

[Vik]

The longest trips I've done without refueling are to the limits of the PA-30 I bought about a year ago ... almost 6 hours non-stop. I bought the plane in Florida and flew it in a single day back to SoCal .. 15 hours total, two fuel stops, averaged 145 kts and 14gph total fuel burn. Of course we were flying at something like 55% power for fuel economy, not to mention time building

It was painful. I won't do another trip like that again.

 

[414Flyer]

Viper has an autopilot. Not a good one, mind you, but it has an autopilot. Usually you just use the Altitude Hold function to stay in the ALTRAV block and just hand fly your heading. You're always in formation, so there's really no way to synchronize the heading function of everybody in the formation. When it's your turn to re-fuel, of course, you're not on the autopilot then. Formation spacing varies with the WX, too. Flew a 6 hour sortie from Kunsan, Korea to Singapore and we were in the WX for 4 hours and 45 minutes flying route formation (two to four ship widths spacing between jets). THAT was painful!

Wasnt there a viper pilot once who caught a strap, maybe even something from piddle pack, on the stick, causing the plane to quickly roll and he punched out?

My longest is 13 hours in a Warrior, north atlantic.

 

[Sniper Bob]

When the first flight school I worked at closed, I delivered the airplanes to their new owners. Some went to Dallas, the others went to far off places. The two coolest trips were a 172 to Ashville, NC and a 152 to Long Beach from Lubbock.

If you don't mind, what was the flight school, and do you remember the N number of the 152?

 

[gkrangers]

Departing EVB...stops at ILM and GED, destination 47N.

Thats what I'm gonna do.

Lookin forward to it.

 

[BRIGADEAVIATOR]

asdfghjk

I flew a cirrus from fullerton california to duluth minnesota and back about 12-14 hours each way done in one day. I cant remember but i think two stops in somewhere in Kansas and Chandler Arizona.

 

[Lead Sled]

Forgot to mention it although it probably goes without saying, don't buy yellow Gatorade. Don't want to confuse it with the pee. (I still almost hurl when I think about the time I almost drank from someone's spit cup...)

How about the time I was drinking a bottle of Martinelli's carbonated apple cider when I stepped off the plane. Looking back on it I can see why all of the folks were staring - it looked for all the world like a Miller bottle. :beer:

'Sled

 

[na265]

Sniper Bob, The school was Flight Tech, Inc., at Town and Country Airport. I think it was N93193, that was 13 yrs ago. The guy who bought it was going to take it apart and ship it to India for flight training.

 

[A Squared]

I flew my 180 from Anchorage AK to Old Town, ME and back again. About 70 hours round trip.

 

[Sniper Bob]

Sniper Bob, The school was Flight Tech, Inc., at Town and Country Airport. I think it was N93193, that was 13 yrs ago. The guy who bought it was going to take it apart and ship it to India for flight training.

Cool. I did all my flying (post-private) out of International. None at T&C. I have a friend who got some certificates out there. He has a crazy story about him, a 172, an intoxicated instructor, and the bar-ditch in front of the runway threshold.

Good times.

 

[na265]

So, now you have me intrested. What years were you in LBB? I worked at Flight Tech; had a PA28-160 on lease back, out on my own; and I worked at Lubbock Aero at one time also.

There were some crazy things out at T&C. Do you remember Jason, I forgot his last name, who had the Robison out there?

 

[Sniper Bob]

So, now you have me intrested. What years were you in LBB? I worked at Flight Tech; had a PA28-160 on lease back, out on my own; and I worked at Lubbock Aero at one time also.

There were some crazy things out at T&C. Do you remember Jason, I forgot his last name, who had the Robison out there?

Got here in 90 to go to Tech and have been here ever since. Flew out of LBB Aero and then Stratos. Did a little instructing there, as well.

 

[StrykerFL]

KUDD - KORL 1812NM (Palm Springs, CA to Orlando, FL) in a Cirrus SR22 in 9 hours and 2 stops. Hardest thing was staying awake!! Damn things pretty much fly themselves.

 

[SteveC]

Longest day of flying was right around 9/15/2001. It was a two pilot trip for Wings of Mercy to bring a young mom and her kid back home, stranded after 9/11 shut everything down and stranded most of the organization's volunteer's planes.

Grand Rapids, Michigan to Houston, Texas, and back in a Twin Comanche. One day. One fuel stop each way. Right around 14 hours total flying time.

Second longest was another two pilot trip, this time a 135 charter flight in a C-310 from Holland, Michigan to Pueblo, Colorado, to someplace in central Indiana (don't remember right off), then an empty leg (91) back to Michigan. Close to 12 hours flying (maxed out 10 hours on the two 135 legs).

 

[lowlycfi]

Ferried a Tomahawk from Fort Pierce, FL to San Antonio in one day. Couldn't feel my legs by the end of the day.

 

[erj-145mech]

Ferried a Tomahawk from Fort Pierce, FL to San Antonio in one day. Couldn't feel my legs by the end of the day.

What a glutton for punishment.

 

[nikoz1200]

Longest leg was a C172 from Goose Bay to Denmark... 17.5 hrs
Longest trip in one plane was Florida to China in a PA44... 87 hours in 2 weeks.

 

[FlyingBuckI]

No trips over the pond for me, but I've made a few coast to coast flights. D.C. to Riverside, CA and back in a Seminole...Ohio-Denver and back in a 182 and Ohio-Phoenix in an Arrow. All great experiences! Only one unplanned stop in Topeka for bladder control....I'll never forget that one haha

 

[socal 60]

San Diego, CA to Freeport, Bahamas in a 172.

54 hours roundtrip!!

 

[Geronimo4497]

MHT - BOS - PBI - TQPF - TNCM (St. Marteen) - MIA - MHT 19.9 hours on the hobbs; all of that in a 36 hour clock :crying:. I sure don't miss the pre 91K days.

 

[gkrangers]

Geez, my trip was pathetic compared to someof those.

15.6 hours round trip, 47N (central NJ) to EVB (New Smyrna Beach, FL)