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RTW Pieter Nel M20K

Aerodon

By Aerodon
in General Mooney Talk

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Marc_B Veteran

Marc_B

Posted
Posted

This is certainly an amazing adventure, and I didn't realize how small of a group it was.  My first thought was why is he going west bound?!?  From his blog: "The most recent statistics show that 6664 individuals have summited Everest, and 644 have been to space. In contrast, fewer than 100 individuals have circumnavigated the globe solo in a single-engine piston aircraft, and only 22 individuals hold the FAI’s westbound circumnavigator certificate."

I think that I'd get tired of seeing small GS numbers in my Mooney and for me that would be the most annoying thing!  ha ha.

Blue Skies Pieter!  Go west, young man!

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Aerodon Veteran

Aerodon

Posted
  • Author
Posted

>>For powered aviation, the course of a round-the-world record must start and finish at the same point and cross all meridians; the course must be at least 36,770 kilometres (19,850 nmi) long (which is approximately the length of the Tropic of Cancer). The course must include set control points at latitudes outside the Arctic and Antarctic circles.

Pieter shows his route as :

TOTAL       19,462 nm

 

I trust he finds a way to add the missing 400nm.....

 

Fly Boomer Grand Master

Fly Boomer

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Aerodon said:

I trust he finds a way to add the missing 400nm.....

I don't remember specific distances, but his narrative describes multiple significant detours for weather.  Before it's done, he will have opportunities to grow the miles.

Aerodon Veteran

Aerodon

Posted
  • Author
Posted
1 hour ago, Fly Boomer said:

I don't remember specific distances, but his narrative describes multiple significant detours for weather.  Before it's done, he will have opportunities to grow the miles.

I don't doubt that he will fly more.  But it is the 'course' that counts.....

Aerodon Veteran

Aerodon

Posted
  • Author
Posted

That was an interesting read.  So the sailing distance for records is 21,600 which is the distance around the world at the equator.  The aviation distance is 19,850, the distance around the Tropic of Cancer.

If you are going to chase records, seems to me understanding the rules is the very first step?

 

Aerodon

 

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pwnel Community Regular

pwnel

Posted
Posted (edited)

Thanks folks - appreciate your interest.

Some quick comments while sitting in a coffee shop in Kyoto :-)

On 8/7/2024 at 12:33 AM, Marc_B said:

This is certainly an amazing adventure, and I didn't realize how small of a group it was.  My first thought was why is he going west bound?!? 

Marc, I had a specific window of time in which to do this - ie, starting late July and going until around mid September.  Of course I was going to do Eastbound - but the Alaska bush pilots strongly advised me not to attemp the Aleutians after mid-August.  (the issue is icing and weather). Had I gone Eastbound, the Aleutians would have been my final hurdle - and in September.  I would have stressed about it the entire trip and not given myself the best chance to get through there safely.  So I changed around to Westbound primarily because of that.   And I have to say, sitting here in Japan now having done it - I'm bloody thankful I did.  I STILL stressed about it, it STILL wasn't trivial - especially getting into and out of Adak.  

On 8/7/2024 at 1:26 AM, Aerodon said:

>>For powered aviation, the course of a round-the-world record must start and finish at the same point and cross all meridians; the course must be at least 36,770 kilometres (19,850 nmi) long (which is approximately the length of the Tropic of Cancer).

 

Luckily that's inaccurate Aerodon :-).   The FAI requires a minimum of 27000km - ie, 14,578 nm.   Here's the reference directly from the NAA https://naa.aero/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/FAI-Circumnavigator-Diploma.pdf.    But honestly, not that I care too much about certificates and stuff.  I'm doing it for the adventure.  

But yes, the Mooney is a great machine for doing this.  We fly magical airplanes.  

Should be writing up the Pacific crossing today - I'm admittedly slow on the "social media".   I'm entirely self-sponsored - so no obligation except to other interested folks like yourselves.  Reading the stories of Mooney circumnavigators like Brian Lloyd and CaronAnn Garratt inspired me - and I feel obligated to write down things for others that may want to do it too.  (A bunch of folks in the Mooney community have been absolutely great and I will call out all my favorite vendors in a dedicated blog post soon.)

 

Edited by pwnel
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Danb Grand Master

Danb

Posted
Posted
On 8/8/2024 at 3:33 PM, Aerodon said:

That was an interesting read.  So the sailing distance for records is 21,600 which is the distance around the world at the equator.  The aviation distance is 19,850, the distance around the Tropic of Cancer.

If you are going to chase records, seems to me understanding the rules is the very first step?

 

Aerodon

 

Who the heck makes up theses rules..

Jetrn Enthusiast

Jetrn

Posted
Posted

@pwnel congratulations on your first daunting leg Alaska to Japan.  Could you report out your planned hourly fuel flow, man/ rpm, and planned true airspeed. Did you calculate your performance based on the l/d graph?  Best wishes on your upcoming legs. I will be following along here and on your blog.

pwnel Community Regular

pwnel

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Jetrn said:

@pwnel congratulations on your first daunting leg Alaska to Japan.  Could you report out your planned hourly fuel flow, man/ rpm, and planned true airspeed. Did you calculate your performance based on the l/d graph?  Best wishes on your upcoming legs. I will be following along here and on your blog.

Here's what's in my Foreflight performance profile.  It said prior to the Adak->Sapporo flight that it requires 135gals, and it came down to almost exactly that.  The combination of performance profile and Foreflight's wind forecast was heartwarmingly accurate.  I ended up staying at 8000ft (initially because of headwinds - but later one I just didn't see the need to climb as I wasn't going to gain much - was going along at 148kts TAS and about 10kts headwind component.).  My original plan was filed for 10,000ft - and that's what the fuel/time calcs was based on.   Btw, I landed 5 minutes after my planned arrival - after a 14h flight! :-)

Climb TAS 105
Fuel flow 24.7 gal/h
Climb rate 500 fpm

(Note, I did pull the MAP to 34 and RPM to 2600 which still gave me 500fpm but at around 19 gal/h)

Cruise TAS @ 10,000ft 150
Cruise fuel at LOP - 9.4 gal/h

Descent TAS 160
Descent fuel 9gal/h
Descent rate 700 fpm

 

Edited by pwnel
  • Like 4
Will.iam Grand Master

Will.iam

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, pwnel said:

Here's what's in my Foreflight performance profile.  It said prior to the Adak->Sapporo flight that it requires 135gals, and it came down to almost exactly that.  The combination of performance profile and Foreflight's wind forecast was heartwarmingly accurate.  I ended up staying at 8000ft (initially because of headwinds - but later one I just didn't see the need to climb as I wasn't going to gain much - was going along at 148kts TAS and about 10kts headwind component.).  My original plan was filed for 10,000ft - and that's what the fuel/time calcs was based on.   Btw, I landed 5 minutes after my planned arrival - after a 14h flight! :-)

Climb TAS 105
Fuel flow 24.7 gal/h
Climb rate 500 fpm

(Note, I did pull the MAP to 34 and RPM to 2600 which still gave me 500fpm but at around 19 gal/h)

Cruise TAS @ 10,000ft 150
Cruise fuel at LOP - 9.4 gal/h

Descent TAS 160
Descent fuel 9gal/h
Descent rate 700 fpm

 

I think your descent profile is very conservative, might want to look at your actual real world numbers next time you fly to get better accuracy. I know in my M20K at 20” 2200 rpm and 700vvi i can hold 160 and my gal/hr is about 4.5 half of your predicted. I usually just keep the cruise power and start further out at 300vvi and I’m at 160 or if i do 500vvi with 9+ gal/hr i will be way faster than 160. 

  • Like 1
pwnel Community Regular

pwnel

Posted
Posted
On 8/15/2024 at 7:39 AM, M20F said:

@pwnel I am on a bit of a holiday and thinking of going to Adak via AS.  What is it like?

Totally worth the visit.  Few people will ever see it.  And PM me - as I left a full drum of AvGas there as a community emergency stash and asset - so that's enough to get you back to Cold Bay where there is also gas.  I'd go in August still or leave it till next July. (the gas will last - it's 2024 dated)

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  • 2 weeks later...
Flash Rising Star

Flash

Posted
Posted

Pieter is now in Crete. It looks like he had some weather to cope with between India and UAE. I'm eager to read about his travels once he has the time to update his site (which for now doesn't describe anything post-Japan).

pwnel Community Regular

pwnel

Posted
Posted
On 8/31/2024 at 6:27 AM, Flash said:

Pieter is now in Crete. It looks like he had some weather to cope with between India and UAE. I'm eager to read about his travels once he has the time to update his site (which for now doesn't describe anything post-Japan).

Updated Flash - although I'm slow.  Weather into Singapore and weather over Bay of Bengal and into India - not fun :-)

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