Flying the Atlantic

[Dr Jekyll]

Suppose I had a PPL and single piston aircraft with suitable range, with or without extra tanks, and wanted to fly the Atlantic. Not in one go but via Iceland and Greenland.

What else would I need? Instrument rating presumably. Life rafts obviously. Any particular permissions?

[Eric Mc]

Read how Lindbergh did it in 1927

[Dr Jekyll]

Valid point, just as Orville Wright went solo without a signoff from the Kitty Hawk QFI.

[Eric Mc]

Even better, read the story of "Wrong Way Corrigan" (the clue is in the title).

[FIH]

Sounds like a plan. I haven't done the Atlantic, but I have done quite a bit of foreign stuff in and outside Europe.

You may need entry permits for all foreign countries you're planning to fly into. Ask a specialist Agent like Mike Gray. In some places you may even need a handling agent, as the "port of entry" airports tend to be quite major.

You'll need to file a flight plan to cross each international FIR.

You'll need written permission from the owner of the aircraft, and some extended insurance.

You don't need an instrument rating, just a good forecast.

You can rent a dinghy/drysuit/beacon etc from SEMS.

Local currencies and US$ for landing fees & fuel.

A fuel plan and contingency alternate for each leg. Call ahead before departure to check they actually have the fuel on the day/time you're flying in, what the payment methods are, what the opening times are, and how much it will cost you.

A point of safe return calculation for each leg.

Airport information plates for everywhere you might end up.

A pad of General Declaration forms.

Worth asking someone who has done the actual route.

HTH

FIH

[Fishtigua]

I met a very nice chap who had just done Trinidad to Guernsey in a Britten Norman Trilander. It was a delivery job for Aurigny, the Channel Island Airline, who had bought it.

He said it was ruddy hard work but good fun. He said the sight of a very tall West Indian pilot getting out of his Caribbean painted aircraft at Reykjavík caused a bit of a stir.

[telecat]

Lots of New Light Aircraft are delivered to the UK this way. Extra tanks fitted and Landings setup in Mainland America, Green Land and Iceland. Flight Design were also offering a service where you could fly your New Aircraft to the States.

http://www.wired.com/2012/09/light-sport-european-...

[jonnyb]

Blue spruce route was used to ferry aircraft over during the war. It's still used today.

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

FIH said:

A point of safe return calculation for each leg.

This would only apply to Douglas Bader, wouldn't it?