Schinderhannes Posted January 24, 2015 Report Posted January 24, 2015 My wife did about 15 years ago two Transpac ferry flights from OAK to HNL. One flight was a CE177FG - 250 gal ferry tanks - 18h06' - 60gal remaining. A second flight, a CE206, left an hour later and caught up with her half way, and arrived in HNL one our before her. I would expect the M20C to do the flight in 16h as well. Besides ferry tanks you need a HF-radio and a system to pump oil into the engine. You have to get a ferry permit and test flight the airplane. Wind patterns in the Pacific are changing and ferry flight for smaller planes are a seasonal business (Autumn & Winter). Waiting for the right wind for a month is not uncommon. 2 Quote
1964-M20E Posted January 25, 2015 Report Posted January 25, 2015 Too bad our navy won’t help you out. Land on a carrier midway between CA and HI pickup some fuel, grub and shut eye and them be on your way again a bonus while you are sleeping you are getting closer to HI. What about on the deck of a ship especially if good weather is expected? Maybe you could use a large wooden crate on the deck? This should be less than disassembly and reassembly. Quote
Piloto Posted January 25, 2015 Report Posted January 25, 2015 What about on the deck of a ship especially if good weather is expected? Maybe you could use a large wooden crate on the deck? This should be less than disassembly and reassembly. Not a bad idea. But how would you get the plane in the crate from the airport to the shipping port? Assuming there are no low bridges! Crates this big are usually transported in barges like those used by Crowley Maritime. I used to work with them on the North Atlantic Fleet. They also have a Pacific fleet. Check www.crowley.com José Quote
Bob_Belville Posted January 25, 2015 Report Posted January 25, 2015 I think I would get a professional ferry pilot service as mentioned above. They'd know about the ferry tanks, survival raft, overweight ferry permit, etc. etc. 16 hours @ 125 kts is 2000 nm @ 8 gph is 130 gallons plus reserves. @ 1000 # fuel would only be 1-200# over gross @ t.o. Quote
DaV8or Posted January 25, 2015 Report Posted January 25, 2015 Ever thought about selling the plane and maybe purchasing another one when you move and get settled? You might find that a different type of aircraft might make the most sense for island hopping. Just did a quick search of planes for sale and there's almost none listed. None on Controller, one one Barnstormers and two twins on Trade-a-Plane. I expected to see more than that. That doesn't surprise me a bit. Me either. I was just recently on Maui, I can tell you that the state of GA in the Hawaiian islands is kind of pathetic. Not a lot going on other than commercial aviation. The distances between islands is short and the islands themselves small. Not a lot of distance to travel. If it were me and I expected to live in Hawaii for a long period, I would sell the Mooney and buy something cheaper to operate, low and slow and able to handle strong cross wind landings! 1 Quote
carl Posted January 25, 2015 Report Posted January 25, 2015 Monterey to Hilo 2014.5 miles . I think that is the shortest route. @10000 17 in MP 1950 RPM airspeed 128 6 gal per hour 15.7 hours 94.4 gal This is a M20 E book , not a C Quote
N601RX Posted January 25, 2015 Report Posted January 25, 2015 Send Craig (administrator ) a PM. He had his brought over a few years ago. Quote
Jim Peace Posted January 26, 2015 Report Posted January 26, 2015 sorry if this has been posted in another thread,,,happening now: http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Coast-Guard-Plane-running-out-of-fuel-off-Hawaii-6039450.php http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N7YT Quote
Guest Posted January 26, 2015 Report Posted January 26, 2015 Max Conrad flew many Piper Comanche record flights unbelievable distances, so it can be done. 2200 NM should not pose a huge challenge. Clarence Quote
DonMuncy Posted January 26, 2015 Report Posted January 26, 2015 Jim, Can you tell what is going on. The news story said when he was 975 miles out, he said he had 3 hours of fuel and would ditch 300+ miles out. Flight aware says he has zero miles to go. Quote
Jim Peace Posted January 26, 2015 Report Posted January 26, 2015 don't go by flightaware...at least not yet...it will project the flight path and times if contact is lost....it will update it self later on to the real path.... Not sure what is going on but apparently he ran out of go go juice....... Quote
Jim Peace Posted January 26, 2015 Report Posted January 26, 2015 It may also be possible that his gauges were wrong and he just kept going,,,,closer the better correct? Happened to me one time.. I was taking a C210 from Crete to Djibouti. 12.5 non-stop.....no autopilot Fuel gauges broke enroute and it was enroute that I had to change my route by a couple of hundred miles. ...although I was using time and past fuel burns this was my heaviest leg and I really was not sure of my burn rate.. so being on the cautious side I estimated a higher burn rate then normal and doing math in the dark while tired I came up with I could land in the Sudan unannounced and thrown in jail or press on to destination... Decided to press on being that the red sea was under me and it was a full moon AND I could feel the fuel in the ferry tank when I banged on it...... I was young and dumb and only had about 5000 hours at this point in my career at 25ish years old.....would not do it today ( the leg) The worst part of that leg was at one point I decided to visually check the fuel in the ferry tank.... I crawled back to the filler valve..(no autopilot) and I opened the cap and did not know it would be under such positive pressure....it sprayed fuel and strong vapors in my face and filled the cabin with the vapors.....Glad I did not smoke....I did not even want to turn on my flashlight....I thought I was going to faint....... Still not the dumbest thing on that leg.....I can't write what else happened due to legalities...... :-) Did I mention I was young and fearless and low time...... Quote
FloridaMan Posted January 26, 2015 Report Posted January 26, 2015 What kind of time do you have now if you consider 5000 hours to be low? 1 Quote
DonMuncy Posted January 26, 2015 Report Posted January 26, 2015 I saw another report where he apparently successfully ditched 230 miles out from Maui. Quote
1964-M20E Posted January 26, 2015 Report Posted January 26, 2015 Not a bad idea. But how would you get the plane in the crate from the airport to the shipping port? Assuming there are no low bridges! Crates this big are usually transported in barges like those used by Crowley Maritime. I used to work with them on the North Atlantic Fleet. They also have a Pacific fleet. Check www.crowley.com José Good point. Where I am I have several airports that are close to places where you can get it to a barge then make the transfer at the major port. I still like my idea about using an aircraft carrier but the Navy wouldn’t like it. Helping out a citizen especially if the carrier was already going form Sand Diego to HI would be a good PR event. Heck they could make one trip a year ferrying aircraft between the two and charge normal shipping rates. The owner would board and a Navy pilot would land the plane on the deck at sea. The owner could fly the plane off and land at the destination. Cool opportunity for non military pilots. Just about any single could land and take off the deck without any special equipment. Quote
carusoam Posted January 26, 2015 Report Posted January 26, 2015 Two planes lose fuel, land in ocean off Hawaii http://www.cnbc.com/id/102368015 Cirrus deployed the chute... -a- Quote
BorealOne Posted January 26, 2015 Report Posted January 26, 2015 Two planes lose fuel, land in ocean off Hawaii http://www.cnbc.com/id/102368015 Cirrus deployed the chute... -a- Just saw the video - that parachute assisted belly flop looked like it hurt! Quote
Jim Peace Posted January 26, 2015 Report Posted January 26, 2015 Talked to a friend of mine who was flying out of PHOG today and he talked to another airline pilot who said the Cirrus had fuel trapped in a bladder tank.... Quote
chrisk Posted January 26, 2015 Report Posted January 26, 2015 Just saw the video - that parachute assisted belly flop looked like it hurt! I just watched the videos. I think I would have soiled my pants if I was flying that Cirrus. The first few seconds after the pull, the plane adopted a very nose down attitude. Also, it seems like the Cirrus sunk really fast. --It gives me some consideration for wearing the life jacket and keeping the life raft in the back seat. As to the belly flop, or the water landing of the twin. The guy in the twin did a great job, but it looked more intense than the belly flop. 1 Quote
Mooneymite Posted January 26, 2015 Report Posted January 26, 2015 These events certainly made the disassemble-crate-ship-reassemble route look shorter than the MRY-HNL route! 1 Quote
Jim Peace Posted January 26, 2015 Report Posted January 26, 2015 These events certainly made the disassemble-crate-ship-reassemble route look shorter than the MRY-HNL route! You mean safer..... Quote
Mooneymite Posted January 26, 2015 Report Posted January 26, 2015 You mean safer..... Well, quicker, too. Quote
N601RX Posted January 26, 2015 Report Posted January 26, 2015 Lasar has posted pictures in the mooney flyer before of them removing the wing and placing the entire plane in a shipping container to go overseas. They should be able to provide a quick quote. How do most insurance companies handle a across the pond ferry? Does it require a special exemption? Quote
bonal Posted January 27, 2015 Report Posted January 27, 2015 Lasar has posted pictures in the mooney flyer before of them removing the wing and placing the entire plane in a shipping container to go overseas. They should be able to provide a quick quote. How do most insurance companies handle a across the pond ferry? Does it require a special exemption? Actually there are 2 Mooney's in the container. Quote
Piloto Posted January 27, 2015 Report Posted January 27, 2015 An SR22 ditches 250nm from Hawaii comming from CA. Pilot commented he could not get fuel from the ferry tank. He was rescued 10 minutes later by a cruise ship. You never empty the ferry tank last!!! When flying with auxiliary ferry tanks: 1. Take off and climb to cruise altitude on wing tanks. 2. After achieving cruising altitude switch to the ferry tanks. 3. Verify fuel pressure. 4. After all ferry tanks are empty switch to the wing tanks. If the ferry tank fails to supply fuel you can go back to the wing tanks and return to land. Be familiar with the ferry tanks and its operation. As per the rescue video I concluded that Mooneys float longer and don't flip. Choose your rescue wisely. José Quote
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