Ferry Flight to Australia

[collegeboy]

Hey Guys and Gals

I might get a chance to do a ferry flight to Australia. The plane can hold about 15 hours of fuel. So I can take the Hawaii route. IT is equipped with and IFR panel with two GPS's. I would also bring my own GPS for redundancy. Big things I need help figuring out that I am having trouble finding. Survival equipment for rental in California (Suit and raft, and other requirements). And a good program for planning, I am going to download Garmin Pilot to see how it works. I fly for a living and will use it at work.

I would go to HNU then to HIR and make my way into Australia. Has anyone ever done a similar flight and could lend some tips. Also flight permits into the countries. Most of the way should be easy. I'll take Sully's book for a read on the way.


Thanks for the help everyone,
Feel free to pm if you prefer.

CB

[photofly]

Start working on the insurance sooner rather than later.

[collegeboy]

Covered, I work for the company that wants the plane ferried.

[Bede]

Very cool. What type?

[Beefitarian]

That is fascinating. I hope you are willing to write lots of stories here. I sure would love to read about the trip.

You might have to ignore the critics. It's funny how people love to tell you not to do things. I admit that is a lot of open water, bit more than I would want to cross. Some don't mind it at all.

Please consider keeping us informed on how it goes. Picture are also always appreciated.

[photofly]

Watch Moana in case you need to navigate the Pacific from very low altitude.
https://youtu.be/ubZrAmRxy_M

(sings.... "we are explorers reading every sign....")

Buy the suit: $1200 USD from Mustang, which is peanuts compared to the rest of the costs. Don't cheap out on the neoprene gimp suit, get a comfy Goretex one.

[Beefitarian]

Oh no. Looks like photofly has youngsters. My ten year old loves the soundtrack from that movie and it's his current choice for evening pre sleep distraction. Um, yeah.

[photofly]

Oh no. Looks like photofly has youngsters. My ten year old loves the soundtrack from that movie and it's his current choice for evening pre sleep distraction. Um, yeah.

Olo Olo Vaka

[Chris M]

(sings.... "we are explorers reading every sign....")

Well thanks, now that'll be stuck in my head for the next two days.

[photofly]

(sings.... "we are explorers reading every sign....")

Well thanks

You're welcome!
https://youtu.be/79DijItQXMM

[collegeboy]

Thanks guys I am very looking forward to it. Just need some help on the routes a pilot might take. I'll try and take photos, not much of a picture taking guy.

[collegeboy]

Thanks guys I am very looking forward to it. Just need some help on the routes a pilot might take. I'll try and take photos, not much of a picture taking guy.

And Bede it is an Air Tractor.

[gwagen]

Thanks guys I am very looking forward to it. Just need some help on the routes a pilot might take. I'll try and take photos, not much of a picture taking guy.

And Bede it is an Air Tractor.

Is that route even possible with an air tractor? I believe they cruise around 140kts 35gph and with the hopper full of fuel have about 570 gallons.

A quick look with those parameters tells me it's about 4000 miles from west most Hawaiian airport to eastern most Australian airport.

That's 28.5 hours with no headwind.

American Samoa might be possible but any headwind and you'll be looking to ditch in the ocean.

Unless I am missing something??

[Beefitarian]

He said he was planning HIR from Hawaii but it does seem far.

What about somewhere like cassidy international airport (cxi) in the Line Islands. It is not as far west so it will make the trip longer but I think it is closer to HNU

2405 miles

I presume that is statute miles.

http://www.travelmath.com/flying-time/f ... o/Kiribati

[photofly]

Why not crate it?

[Beefitarian]

Photofly, more like Photofloat, amirite? Flying seems more interesting.

Although we could eat poi, sing those songs and get tribal tattoos while we row the boat across the pacific.

[photofly]

It takes a special kind of pilot to actually enjoy 15 hour legs across open ocean at 135 knots. I hope it has an autopilot.

How about a compromise: put it in a crate, and sit in the pilot seat while it sails. It's probably about the same amount of fun. I'll even let you log it as instrument time (simulated).

[Adam Oke]

PM nacho.

Pretty sure he was doing big ferry flights a while back. Not sure if he's on AvCanada anymore....that and spray season is picking up so better sooner then later!

[Beefitarian]

It takes a special kind of pilot to actually enjoy 15 hour legs across open ocean at 135 knots. I hope it has an autopilot.

Hmm, but you get to land on at least one cool island, then Australia at the end.

[collegeboy]

gwagen it is an Air Tractor 802. So 2700 L in the hopper and 1440 in the wings. That makes 4140L or 7659 lbs at 500lbs an hour. 15.3 hours of fuel.

The 802 does the trip every year. Or did with Conair. This is one of the last things I am looking for help with.

Thanks CB

[gwagen]

gwagen it is an Air Tractor 802. So 2700 L in the hopper and 1440 in the wings. That makes 4140L or 7659 lbs at 500lbs an hour. 15.3 hours of fuel.

The 802 does the trip every year. Or did with Conair. This is one of the last things I am looking for help with.

Thanks CB

Ok, maybe you can help me understand then, according to air tractors website the 802 can cruise at 160 kts.

The distance between Honolulu and HIR is 3086NM.

160 x 15.3= 2448NM

What am I missing?

Not trying to catch you out, just understand.

[Eric Janson]

Why not go East? Except for the Atlantic crossing most of the route is over land. You can also fly shorter legs and visit some interesting places along the way. More options in case of problems as well.

[Beefitarian]

Hey... Big things I need help figuring out that I am having trouble finding. Survival equipment for rental in California (Suit and raft, and other requirements). And a good program for planning,...

Thanks for the help everyone,
Feel free to pm if you prefer.

CB

I assume you know about https://skyvector.com

Of course we all know what they say about assuming.

Just at a glance, you could go from Hawaii to Christmas Island PLCH to Funfuti international NGFU to Australia. Makes for shorter legs. I don't know how flight permits fuel etc. are but it is only two stops so not too much to look into.

Then again I'm just a dumb PPL who isn't current so you should probably ignore me. This place is jam packed with expert professional CPLs.

I'm sure they are just waiting for me to make a fool of myself before they bound in to rescue you.

[amraam]

Collegeboy,

Use a company like Skyplan, Colt/WFS, Jeppesen, etc to help with the routing, flight planning, permits, handling and fuel. Will pay off in the long run, especially with the permit requirements for a flight operating under a Ferry Permit.

amraam

[photofly]

if this airplane goes every year, why is there not a huge corpus of knowledge about how to make the trip? why can't you ask the guy who flew it last year where he got a suit? and a raft? What am I missing?