I love the stories about 65hp Jodels, etc going long distance. It most certainly can be done. So what if the trip takes 8-10 hours versus 3-4? People in smaller planes should be able encouraged to take long trips when weather and time allow.
Andrewsfield to Kikity is close on 800nm.
The Palma farm strip tour is also on my to do list, hopefully a nice break from the northern European winter blues.
@WhiskeyPapa I think many long distance flights in slow aircraft are done to celebrate the flight in itself, whereas propably the goal of buying something that cruises 150KTAS and more is shifted towards getting somewhere.
When I owned a share in a Robin DR 400/160 we used to tour each year. The furthest was Tenerife North routing outbound via La Rochelle Madrid CV Tangier and Marrakech. The most interesting long distance trip was Istanbul Sabica Gocken ( in Asia!)routing via Vichy,Rome, and Corfu. The problem was we arrived back from a days sight seeing on 9/11. We needed a special clearance to fly back through Greece.
In all we visited Africa 6 times and flew as far North as Estonia
Longest flight thus far has been from Bordeaux to Fife in a C172. Not all in one go, obviously, but the longest legs our bladders would allow!
I don’t know Maurice Kirk, but he is back in the news in another L-4, and hopefully makes it safely to Cape Town. Having him join a rally is guaranteed to increase the publicity, and he certainly has his share of 500nm + VFR trips.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/missing-welsh-pilot-attempting-cross-12221816
..edit to add another link with background.
Did fly to Regio Calabria Italy and back. Also trips to Germany and Southern France. Don’t want IR so all had to be done VFR.
being retired we are always up for new adventures , last week we visited Prague, and the canal boat lift , sarreburg. recommend.
My first long VFR trip was in 1973 in my brand new Bolkow Monsun. White Waltham-Lympne (for customs)-Lyon Bron-Nice-Marseilles-Avignon-Dijon-Lympne-White Waltham. All with one radio and an ADF…ah those were the days when the landing fee at Nice was a few Francs and an odd number of centimes! And the following year it was White Waltham to Teneriffe via Bordeaux, San Sebastian, Seville, Tangier, Cassablanca, but by then I had fitted a VOR.
Nowadays I do Thruxton-Clermont Ferrand-Cannes-Figari in the Marchetti VFR. GPS has made the nav a lot easier.
