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

[pilotmiketx]

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...)

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

As long as it doesn't require a type.

And no King Airs, not even the small one!

No type and no King Airs...Got it.

PC-12 Coast to Coast several times.
PA-23-160 Coast to Coast twice

The 12 was a bladder buster being Single pilot, Whoever thought that an airplane with nearly 8 hours endurance should be flown Single pilot needs to be slapped.

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!!

 

[BushwickBill]

This summer i brought back a new 182 from Kansas to the S.F. bay area. The 50k headwind was great. I couldn't belive how hot it was at 10,000.

 

[gkrangers]

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...)

The yellow is my favorite too

And, those damn spitters...everyone dips around here. Can't tell if a bottle is full of iced tea, soda, or spit around here!

 

[GravityHater]

I have done a few 12 flight hour days in small airplanes. You do end up with an out of body experience. At the last stop the hotel and restaurant people will give you questioning looks, as in "should we do a tox screen on this dude?"

 

[erj-145mech]

My longest is from PDX to CXO with a fuel stop in Blythe. Took the southern route due to weather over Colorado and Utah.

 

[Iflewjetz]

I used to deliver Helio Couriers in the early 90's out of South Carolina. I delivered a few to Alaska, West Coast and Central and South America. The longest nonstop flight I had was from Panama City, Panama to Quito, Ecuador. It was 7 hours 20 minutes. I figured it was better going nonstop rather than landing in Columbia with a nice STOL Bush airplane. The range was 8 Hours on it. I agree with the Gatorade Bottle. I ONCE didnt have one and WOW did that suck! I know a guy who once had to take a dump in his flight bag because he didnt want to land. Yes, he bought a new flight bag.

 

[na265]

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.

The Ashville was cool bc the new owner keep me there for 5 days doing a BFR. He paid me $300/day and flew my arse off. It was the most money I ever made as a CFI. BTW, he never did get the BFR sign off. The LGB trip was about 12hrs in the airplane. It was a long day. The fun wore off at about 6hrs.

 

[gkrangers]

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.

The Ashville was cool bc the new owner keep me there for 5 days doing a BFR. He paid me $300/day and flew my arse off. It was the most money I ever made as a CFI. BTW, he never did get the BFR sign off. The LGB trip was about 12hrs in the airplane. It was a long day. The fun wore off at about 6hrs.

He was that bad ?

 

[Immelman]

Southern Oregon to OSH and back in a C172, by myself, age 18.... oh to work for the flight school! That was a grand trip & adventure. Glad the owner trusted me that much. Longest day was 9.5 hours on the hobbs, coming home... somewhere around the Wisconsin/MI border to Boise.

 

[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.