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YLL on Tour...

Dan,
I have been over the Pond during the Air Transat Race in 1981 and many times since, professionally. But none of my crossings can match what you’ve just made, written and shown. Your photographs, especially of the ice cubes and the US land are extraordinary witnesses of what you have planned and achieved. Bravo ! All my admiration, all my congrats to you. And my thanks, too.

About the risk, when back in Paris after the Transat, and due to some issues we encountered on the return legs, I had said to myself : I’m happy and proud but never again. I have stuck to this, making my retirement much wiser than yours. Even if your reports have somewhat shaken my certainties, I’ll remain sensible. Anyway, the Jodel I own is not capable of such a journey ; remember the nasty remarks you said about these “oldies” !
I am at times in Switzerland for mountain flying, who knows, we might meet.
Cheers,
Michel

LFLG - Grenoble le Versoud, France

dutch_flyer wrote:

You should turn your adventure into a coffee table book!

Ibra wrote:

When the book is coming?

It sure wasn’t the idea when I started this thread…
But having put quite a few hours of work into it, I decided to import the whole works into a Word doc. I’m now doing some light text editing, de-americanising, proof reading, and correcting or adding little details.

This will then be printed as a pdf, and then be downloadable from my very website, aerofun
I might set up a donation box to some charity or environmental organisation, but would like to keep the publication free.
And yes, the direct download link will be posted here on EuroGA!

I have been, and still am, an avid reader of trip reports, quite a few being available on this very site, others elsewhere on the net. I bought most books available relating to SEP RTW (Round The World) flying. And this is just a mini payback

Dan
ain't the Destination, but the Journey
LSZF, Switzerland

dutch_flyer wrote:

I would be very interested in hearing is about the logistics

Well, not much I can tell you about since I did it all myself.

Places like Iceland have mandatory handling, Greenland is similar. The fees are expensive (not sure about the exact amounts since I’m still getting a lot of bills as I write these lines..), but affordable. And since the service is excellent, worth the money.

I did all of the weather briefs myself, so never resorted to handling for that. I did file all FPLs, but for those in Greenland, where the AFISOs are helpful and efficient, especially regarding the codes for survival equipment etc.

Overflight authorisations are not necessary if flying in a certified aircraft. Fuel, file, fly.
As for homebuilts… I won’t go into details here as it would drift into politics…

Dan
ain't the Destination, but the Journey
LSZF, Switzerland

Ibra wrote:

many long 500nm distance trips is they all have the same boring concrete terminal with handling agents and few talks about flight plan routings and how to get clearances being the biggest gig of the day

Agree.
An interesting example is the group from Pilot und Flugzeug that decided this year on a trip to Oshkosh and back.
I’m not sure that playing airliner at FL200+ in a multi or turbine, then overflying Mr Ice Cap twice without even looking down so as to be in time for the champagne reception will return the same experience. No ratings assigned, just not my style

People with way smaller aircraft, no electronics, just basic flying, have done these crossings before. The experience is just different for different people.
And the way I took suited me, in all modesty, perfectly

Dan
ain't the Destination, but the Journey
LSZF, Switzerland

michelb wrote:

Air Transat Race in 1981

Well, my congrats as well! I read about it a few times, and also about the previous races such as the 1987 Paris-Pékin-Paris Air Race. Fascinating stuff indeed. The more so considering the equipment, or rather lack of, in those times… brave men.

michelb wrote:

About the risk, when back in Paris after the Transat, and due to some issues we encountered on the return legs, I had said to myself : I’m happy and proud but never again. I have stuck to this, making my retirement much wiser than yours.

Thanks for all of your interesting comments.
Regarding my own feelings… happy? Yes, mega. Mega-happy it all went super well, and as stated before, all expectations have been surpassed.
Proud? Not really… I have been lucky plenty. The weather has been mostly on my side, though I played its game, as usual. Mechanical trouble, few to none. Mostly thanks to me doing my own maintenance, and a reliably built ship… and here goes another person I completely forgot to thank, apologies! Thank you for having built an outstanding and reliable aircraft Fritz, applause everyone!
For the rest I had some baggage, mostly acquired through my professional and private aviation devotion in the last say 40-50 years. Old fart. Yes, me

Risks vs age. I’m not sure I would have done the crossing 20 years ago, call me chicken
Now being retired, I’ve probably (…) lived most of my life, and I’ve had a good one. Passing away now would have been less bad (…) than 20 years ago… maybe

Dan
ain't the Destination, but the Journey
LSZF, Switzerland

Dan wrote:

Risks vs age. I’m not sure I would have done the crossing 20 years ago, call me chicken
Now being retired, I’ve probably (…) lived most of my life, and I’ve had a good one. Passing away now would have been less bad (…) than 20 years ago… maybe

Yes. Today the kids are grown up, all material stuff is taken care off, insurance, testimonies. The point in time the gods have set for me to bite the dust is getting closer and closer. I have no clue when that is of course, only that the rest of the life is getting shorter and shorter

It’s doubtful I will ever do such a magnificent trip like yours, but it for sure is incredible inspiring.

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

I too would like to thank @Peter for hosting a platform where we could read and see Dan’s wonderful trip.
But at the risk of straying off topic IMO Dan’s trip report incredible, inspirational as it was is only one of several really superb trip reports that Euroga has hosted this year.

France

You have at times interfered significantly with my ability to get any meaningful work done. Thank you for that and for this magnificent trip report. Look forward to the tabletop version

Perhaps you should consider an “ask me anything” thread related to your trip. Meanwhile would you care to expand on how the “cloud break procedure” went to someone very new to flying? And how you handled weather overall?

EBGB EBKT, Belgium

it was is only one of several really superb trip reports that Euroga has hosted this year.

No straying off
I think we all agree. I read a few of them, not all as even for me a day only counts 24 hours 😂

Dan
ain't the Destination, but the Journey
LSZF, Switzerland

@Dan really enjoyed the write up, the photos, the camaraderie, you sharing the POIs, really generous and talented blog!

The photos were so great I just wonder whether EuroGA might negotiate permission to produce a Calendar and make it available to forumites (€50 suggested retail price :)), could be the start of a new tradition and help keep the site well funded?

Some ferry pilots recommend kayak gear instead of Mr Blobby immersion suits, might be easier to extract oneself in event of a ditching.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Oxford (EGTK), United Kingdom
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