I’m just a little bit tempted. Fancying a trip to Glenforsa next summer (haven’t been this year) and this would make it possible non-stop.
Normally, the routing would be via Amsterdam, then REFSO, into Norfolk and then up across. However, this usually requires a fuel stop.
If yes, what type of emergency gear would you want to have on board? (A raft, obviously, but what else?).
In summer: Yes, provided the wind/waves are reasonably low.
Emerrgency equipment: Raft, life vests, a watertight bag for the mobile phone and handheld radio. There is lots of oil rig traffic in that region, both helicopters and ships, you shouldn’t be in the water too long. You will probably be able to ditch not further away than one kilometer from the next oil rig from almost any position during that flight…
I wouldn’t. But then I’m a scardy cat when it comes to cross water flights!
Do you have an IR? If not, I’d also be thinking about weather across such a vast area without any ACTUAL reports.
I am doing it, even in winter. I assume there is a risk involved. In 2 weeks time I will be flying in a Cirrus SR22 Turbo non-stop to Bergen (Norway) from the Marine base Den Helder, The Netherlands and then for another stretch of 3,5 hours to the Lofoten islands, mostly over water. I will be wearing a survival suit, life vests and a life raft at hand, but doubt if an engine failure will give me any good opportunity to survive in the freezing cold water.
Here some picture of me “playing around” with the Emergency Descend Mode (EDM) in the Cirrus above the North sea last year: http://www.flickr.com/photos/terwelle/sets/72157633016976867/
To be honest, I won’t do this that quick anymore, but I am planning a trip to Oxford in December and would fly it IFR at a high altitude and thus would expect a route more or less straight over the North sea from Amsterdam to the west to the UK.
I would do it. (I have to cross the Irish Sea often enough so I’ve got equipment). I would use my drysuit, carry a raft (we have a 6 person raft for our 2 seat Auster!), life jackets, PLB.
Yes, I would – if the weather was good. But I would fly high so that i have a chance to ditch next to a ship. I would not do it in IMC, or night. It also depends in what airplane. In a well maintained plane that is technically ok it is very very unlikely that the engine will have a catastrophic and unannounced failure during this flight. I would not do it in a plane i don’t know well.
People are different, turbulence over the Alps can scare the shxx out of me, while flying ove water doesn’t really scare me …
I would have a RAFT, good vests, a Personal Beacon – and enough Fuel :-)
I would do it, albeit in an aircraft whose provenance and maintenance I know intimately. A tired piece of mystery wreckage from a flying school fleet would NOT do it for me. I would also want at least an EDM700 as this really takes a hell of a lot of the guess-work out of what the problem is and how bad it is – and will very often give you warning of an impending problem some time in advance.
I really think that the modern range of engine monitoring equipment available today, has significantly changed the odds in the game of twin engine verses single engine light aircraft. In the past, save for some pretty inaccurate general information supplied by an egt working off one cylinder at random, engine management was largely a matter of educated guesswork, hence the need for a spare engine in case one went pop. Today, with a modern engine management unit, most of that guesswork has gone and, if it’s a machine you fly regularly, any deviation from the norm will stand out like the balls on a dog.
However, having said all of that, I would want a raft, lifejackets, and a PLB (ELT is useless for the sea). I’m with alexisvc, a faceful of granite screeching out of IMC gloom scares me more than flights over water in a SEP as, at least over water, there is a good chance of a successful ditching.
I would do it as well. Raft, vests and my usual gear, but I’d go for a survival suit and maybe FL200.
I would do it too but, as per wsmempson, with no maintenance compromises and in a plane I know very well.
An additional factor might be the sea state, as ditching in 50kt (30ft waves, say) isn’t going to work, IMHO.
A while ago I planned a trip Shoreham EGKA to Trondheim ENVA which the TB20 can do nonstop (900nm) but never went because I could not find 3 consecutive days at ENVA of non-icing flyable wx …
