Transatlantic in Arrow??

N961EA

Ok, so I’ve hit the 1000-hour mark on my ATP journey and I’m getting ansty...lol...I’m considering going big and attempting an overseas flight to Europe. I’ve done a lot of reading and it seems that (short of installing HF radio and some survival equipment), the only risk is that my airplane is normally aspirated and does not have the performance to combat 50-100kt headwinds. I don’t mind abandoning (or selling) the plane in Europe if the westbound trip is impossible due to headwinds, but I’m wondering if the eastbound trip is even possible in a non-turbo light piston...
Does anyone have any anecdotal evidence eithet way? I’ve found stories about TBMs, Pilatus, and King Air’s, but nothing about 1967 Arrows lol

Jmcmanna

There is some routing up though Canada, Iceland, Greenland, maybe the Faroe Islands to the UK that has been done before. Definitely not for me, but I think the combination of anxiety and boredom would be the toughest part of the whole thing to overcome. I’d probably want more than 48 gallons useable, too!

N961EA

No worries about anxiety and boredom, lol...been putting along across the US in all kinds of weather and have done 700+nm non-stop trips....throughout all that, I’ve come to fear one thing: headwinds and the inability to fight them and maintain altitude....if can find a route with no high terrain, I think I’ll be fine.

Scott Sherer

Lindbergh seemed to get there non-stop in a non-turbo piston, lol. My old Seneca made the trip across many times, but that was a twin-turbo. My first thought would be: what is too much risk? Winds, bad weather, ice up north, engine failure, other mechanical or navigational failure. What does the pit of your stomach say?

N961EA

Lol thanks for the encouragement..ok hmmm..,according to my aerobatics instructor, I have a stomach of steel..lol....weather, no problem, been in thunderstorms, snow, lightning, icing, wind shear, etc...engine failure & electical failure no problem, been there done that in Ohio (will have a dinghy for the ditching in the Atlantic..lol). Nav failures...hmm let me think about that (I have triple GPS sources on board, but I can see your point...mag vs true can get really jacked up in Greenland)....
Headwinds, very scary...But @Jmcmanna mentioned Faroe Island...that is a great out...makes my longest leg over water ~250nm... The challenge will be terrain+headwinds on the return flight...will you keep you posted...it’s gonna be uuuuge!!!

N961EA

Correction, ~450nm over water. Here’s a draft flight plan. @48hrs of flight...just in time for an oil change lol

himmelrr

That is some major league flying. There is a lot of planning that would go into a flight like that. You will be in a non-radar environment a lot. You also need to do last minute, planning based on winds for “equal time points” and divert windows. Also, a lot of that area of Canada is remote and might as well be water. Are you familiar with reporting requirements, diversion procedures and lost comm procedures? Up north, weather changes quickly and unexpectedly. The worst I’ve seen is OVC 003, 1/2 +RN winds were 45 gusts to 65. All this with a better than 3000/3 forecast on departure and an enroute check on the HF.

There is no way I would do it with an Arrow and I have in King Airs, Metroliners, DC9s and 737s. It your life though...

N961EA

Roger that. I plan on joining the major league I respect your turboprop and turbojet experience; wouldn’t lower level flight still be manageable in an Arrow? There won’t be extreme icing/turbulence at 10k feet, no?

Jmcmanna

There could definitely be icing at 10K; anywhere above the freezing level in the clouds could potentially be an issue. For reference, around Chicago in July the freezing level had been hanging around 15,000’ and we did have icing pireps above that. I think being flexible on the schedule would be key.

Austin

Remember, FDR told Lindbergh to put his airplane in a box and ship it home.
Austin

N961EA

Lol I think they’re weren’t on great terms....
Lindbergh’s plane was specially designed for his trip and held 450 gals of fuel... My Arrow holds only 50 and it will be full of emergency equipment. So technically my mission is way more difficult...:)

Jmcmanna

Just saw a post on Reddit about someone planning the same thing in a Mooney and thought Elio might be interested.

https://www.reddit.com/r/flying/comments/d5le7s/my_route_that_i_planned_to_cross_the_atlantic_in/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

N961EA

Wow, westward is even more challenging. But the Mooney has got the power for it. It is actually the westerly headwinds that might kill my project...I just don’t want to ship it back and I love it so much that I don’t want to abandon it in Europe

Scott Sherer

Elio, the westerly winds aren't a problem. Just keep going east till you hit the US.

N961EA

LOL good idea. Let me find another $20K real quick

Jmcmanna

I’m sure flying GA through Asia is a piece of cake politically.....

N961EA

Yeah, I’m planning a route via Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan...muahhahahhahaha

MikeJJ

Elio, please don't put your hand in the corn picker!

N961EA

I’d rather do this

https://www.dropbox.com/s/an25bndu2g4nqld/Cuban Eight.mov?dl=0

Jmcmanna

I got dizzy watching the video! I’ll just go ahead and baby my Arrow instead

B7474ret

This trip can easily be done in your arrow, with the proper flt planning and wx briefing, and most important, do this trip in April, the 1st of May... Best wx for a crossing... Talk to the ferry guys , who do this all the time.. You just need more fuel..... A 250 Comanche just did this.. Ck out you tube.... Btw.. I did this in 1977 in a c337 non turbo.. No GPS.. But lots of gas. And a lot of planning

skorina

My advice is to seriously consider the trip, but first get advice from people who have done this before in small planes. But if it was me, I would take smaller steps. Take some trips to southern Canada, then northern Canada to gain some high latitude experience. Fly to the Caribbean to get over-water and border crossing experience. Good luck.

N9091Y

Old old pilots... You can fill in the rest . Imho