Wow! This may be a fun flight! Florida to Moscow

[NW_Pilot]

A guy contacted me to ferry an airplane from South Florida To Moscow Russia "Baron 58 with 300 gallon aux ferry tank on top of stock 166 Gallons" I have been looking at http://www.alaska.faa.gov/Internat/Russia/Guide_Page.cfm for flight info any other advice from any personal experience in dealing with Russia? I figure the Bering Straight crossing would be the safest route with less time over water since both engines are about 50 hours till recommended TBO.



I have untill June 1st to plan this he has booked me a round trip airline ticket to go and hire a mechanic to inspect the airplane (my requirement since it's going over large area of water) & have the ferry tank installed so he seems pretty serious. He wants it deliverd no later than July 10th 2006.

 

[Diesel]

Enjoy the green route but russia sucks.

Bring a conversion calculator. Stupid russians.

 

[Geronimo4497]

Stupid russians.

Hey, I resemble that remark!

 

[MFRskyknight]

Yeehaw! Sounds fun.

MFR

 

[gkrangers]

Wow...you'll have enough multi time for a "real" job then.

 

[A Squared]

OK, I have to ask, have you pulled out a globe and looked at it, and looked at where Florida is, and looked at where Moscow is? I ask, because Moscow is much closer going the other way, and trust me, much less of a hassle.

I'm friends with some folks who have flown to Russia from Alaska. It's an incredible paperwork nightmare. You get permission for a single day and time. if you don't make that, you reapply for another slot. You fly a designated route at a designated time. You have to report certain positions within certain times or problems result. There is no Avgas. The folks I know ship drums of avgas to Proividenya ahead of time. The Alaska Airman's Association is probably your best source of information. They will likely seem engouraging, but you should be aware that they have been tilting at this particular windmill with summer trips for 15 years, and as far as I know they haven't yet made as far a Anadyr. Look up Providenya and Anadyr on a chart. Now look how much further Moscow is. Getting to Providenya, while a monumental hassle, will be the easy part. they are used to the yearly tours from the crazy Alaskans. there are folks who are willing to store the fuel for them rather than sell it on the Black Market. The customs and aviation officials are used to dealing with them. Once you're beyond Anadyr, none of this will be true. You'll be flying across some of the most desolate terrain you could ever imagine. Makes Alaska seem positively suburban. Facilities, fuel, Maintenance will be non-existent. I don't mean non-existent as in "hard to find", I mean non-existent as in "they don't exist", no matter how hard you look. I don't know what sort of range 466 gallons will give you, but unless it will take you comfortably from Nome to Moscow wihout refuelling, your fuel logistics will be a *very* serious and uncertain understaking.

If I had an airplane here in Anchorage which I needed to fly to Moscow, I'd give some very serious though to flying East. (approximately same distance, significantly less hassle) If I were in Florida, it would be a no-brainer. Going East you have civilization, you have countries that actually have private civil aviation, so will have fuel, services, etc, readily available at least as far east as Germany, after that, it will get increasingly more difficult, but from Germany, Moscow would be a fairly comfortable, if long flight on the airways

 

[part61]

aa

yep thats the way (east) i assumed you were going. qubec, gander....

 

[NW_Pilot]

OK, I have to ask, have you pulled out a globe and looked at it, and looked at where Florida is, and looked at where Moscow is? I ask, because Moscow is much closer going the other way, and trust me, much less of a hassle.

I'm friends with some folks who have flown to Russia from Alaska. It's an incredible paperwork nightmare. You get permission for a single day and time. if you don't make that, you reapply for another slot. You fly a designated route at a designated time. You have to report certain positions within certain times or problems result. There is no Avgas. The folks I know ship drums of avgas to Proividenya ahead of time. The Alaska Airman's Association is probably your best source of information. They will likely seem engouraging, but you should be aware that they have been tilting at this particular windmill with summer trips for 15 years, and as far as I know they haven't yet made as far a Anadyr. Look up Providenya and Anadyr on a chart. Now look how much further Moscow is. Getting to Providenya, while a monumental hassle, will be the easy part. they are used to the yearly tours from the crazy Alaskans. there are folks who are willing to store the fuel for them rather than sell it on the Black Market. The customs and aviation officials are used to dealing with them. Once you're beyond Anadyr, none of this will be true. You'll be flying across some of the most desolate terrain you could ever imagine. Makes Alaska seem positively suburban. Facilities, fuel, Maintenance will be non-existent. I don't mean non-existent as in "hard to find", I mean non-existent as in "they don't exist", no matter how hard you look. I don't know what sort of range 466 gallons will give you, but unless it will take you comfortably from Nome to Moscow wihout refuelling, your fuel logistics will be a *very* serious and uncertain understaking.

If I had an airplane here in Anchorage which I needed to fly to Moscow, I'd give some very serious though to flying East. (approximately same distance, significantly less hassle) If I were in Florida, it would be a no-brainer. Going East you have civilization, you have countries that actually have private civil aviation, so will have fuel, services, etc, readily available at least as far east as Germany, after that, it will get increasingly more difficult, but from Germany, Moscow would be a fairly comfortable, if long flight on the airways

A Squared, Thanks for the info Yes I Have pulled a Globe and looked. Right now I am just in the planning stages I am checking all available options to reduce the over water time. Seller don't seem to care about costs of getting it there more worried about goverment fees etc. I know the North Atlantic Route would be best but considering the engines are at TBO ‘Unknown’ I will have a wrench go through them either way I go. It would not cost much more to add an additional 160 gallons http://www.turtlepac.com/collapsibleair.htm so I am just researching my options for now as it’s not a done deal as finial destination may even be Finland or Turkey if it's there then NA is the way for sure the buyer has not decided depends on how he want to import it to Russia. Anyways The multi time will be great run her at 55 to 60% power and rack up some good solo multi time.

 

[A Squared]

Well, it does sound like and interesting trip. These folks proably have more information about getting a small plane from Alaska to the Russian Far East than anyone else on the planet. http://www.alaskaairmen.com/

Good luck

 

[MFRskyknight]

yep thats the way (east) i assumed you were going. qubec, gander....

Aw, shoot, but I was hoping he could stop by S. Oregon and let me fly it...

MFR