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Atlantic crossing

rcarsey

Well Known Member
off the beaten path here.. but I was wondering if there have been any RV-12's that have crossed the Atlantic (via Canada/Greenland/Iceland) or even gone halfway and made it to Bermuda? (Of course, with some extra fuel on board)
 
I've not heard of any, but it should be possible with standard fuel to cross the atlantic by the northern route.

You have the advantage of using unleaded mogas, which is much more available than Avgas in the northern area. Refuel at CYVM and Greenland is less than 2 hours away.

Longest leg length can be cut to 350 nm. Another 10 USG of auxiliary fuel would open up a few more options.
 
I?m curious as to why someone would want to do this. Seems the margins are pretty thin given the standard fuel capacity, winds and weather.
 
pretty sure

I am pretty sure when pilots post these kind of questions... they are just looking for a straight forward answer. It does not seem to be an invitation to debate whether or not one should do it.
Opinions and elbows abound on the internet. Van's Air Force readers use the site for data sharing and good stories. That is why there some pretty strict discipline rules that are enforced here.
I was watching the other RV on the weekend, crossing East to West and stopped in Greenland. Fascinating.... and it never crossed my mind to post an opinion on whether the pilot should or shouldn't.
 
It does involve more risk than every-day flying, but with good planning and judgement that isn't too much more.

But the rewards make up for the risks and will leave you with great memories, spectacular sights and a sense of personal achievement.

This is why I did it and I'm happy to see others doing the same.

Next week there are several aircraft flying to Greenland from both Europe and America for a rally and STOL competition in Narsarsuaq. They are doing it in stages of no more than 250nm.
 
You will need to be IFR rated, the plane and the pilot. You cannot leave Canadian airspace to cross the Atlantic without filing IFR.
 
You will need to be IFR rated, the plane and the pilot. You cannot leave Canadian airspace to cross the Atlantic without filing IFR.

That only applies to Oceanic airspace. CYFB-BGSF-BGKK-BIRK-BIEG-EKVG stays outside of the OCA and may be done VFR.

Having the capability to fly through a cloud layer, if needed, is highly recommended.
 
I asked because a long time ago I was curious about round-the-world flights and found a website that listed everyone who made an "offical" RTW flight. I can't remember the name of the website at the moment.

I did notice quite a few RV's on that list.. all in various models.. and of course, this week, Vansairforce featured an RV-8 that made/is making a trans-atlantic flight http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=172403

..so thats what got me wondering if there have been any extraordinary RV-12 flights that anyone knew of.
 
Icing

Careful planning including the right time of year will avoid icing.
This has been of interest to me for a long time.
Peter Gluckman flew a 90 hp Luscombe 8F from San Francisco to Berlin round trip in the 50's. He did not have an instrument rating. he went on to make many long distance flights in a Cessna 190, at least two different Bonanza's and a Meyers 200. He vanished over the Pacific after taking off horrendously overloaded in a Bonanza attempting to set a new world distance record.
Mira Slovak flew a Fornier motor glider westbound across the North Atlantic. It has also been done with an ultralight.
 
Careful planning including the right time of year will avoid icing.
This has been of interest to me for a long time.
Peter Gluckman flew a 90 hp Luscombe 8F from San Francisco to Berlin round trip in the 50's. He did not have an instrument rating. he went on to make many long distance flights in a Cessna 190, at least two different Bonanza's and a Meyers 200. He vanished over the Pacific after taking off horrendously overloaded in a Bonanza attempting to set a new world distance record.
Mira Slovak flew a Fornier motor glider westbound across the North Atlantic. It has also been done with an ultralight.

Thread drift: The Luscombe is now owned by Canadian photographer Louis Helbig who I met while on a long flight around outback Australia in my RV-12 last year. Small world!
 
Luscombe

Good to hear the Luscombe is still around. I knew it went to Canada but had not heard about it for a long time. Marion Hart was another long distance flyer from that era. She was in her 70'swhen she made her first Atlantic crossing in 1953. She later became an earthrounder in her second Bonanza which is in the Davis Monthan Museum.
 
I absolutely see the appeal- Just like climbing a mountain, running a marathon, or even building an airplane. It's the challenge, the planning, training and the accomplishment once done.

Anyone can fly an airplane across the Atlantic for a few hundred bucks (in the back). Far fewer can fly a single engine private plane, and fewer still who can fly a plane they built.

Surely not for everyone, but it's something I'd like to tackle some day too.
 
I admit my transoceanic experience consists of a trip to the Bahamas and one to Catalina Island - both in my Cherokee. Ran into an imbedded thunderstorm on the way back from Freeport. That satisfied my lust for adventure!😜
 
RV12 across the Atlantic

I suppose it's theoretically possible with a standard aircraft. Stornoway in the Hebrides to the Faroes (Vagar), and Faroes to the international entry point on the east of Iceland (Egilsstadir) are around 250nm apiece. Neither allow for a late diversion to anywhere, so once past 200nm you're committed to a landing at the destination, and that's assuming nil wind. Westbound you're fighting the prevailing winds so the decision point is likely to be even earlier. Not recommended for VFR. Vagar can have interesting weather.

Solo, I guess you could install a bladder tank or similar. I imagine you could carry an extra 20 litres in the back if everything else (safety stuff etc) was carried in the passenger seat (area).
 
Never intended any criticism. I am honestly Just asking why in a respectful manner.
If you can find a copy of Jon Johanson's book Aiming High, I highly recommend it, Whether you 'get it' or not, it's just great fun vicariously riding along with him on his journeys. And perhaps it will help answer the question.

Personally I don't at all understand the lure of Mt. Everest -- putting yourself in a situation where you are guaranteed to have your judgement impaired in multiple ways, while also making life-and-death decisions for yourself and possibly others. Really an anathema to all my training as a pilot.

But across the pond / around the world flights? I will probably never do it but I definitely do see the allure.
 
You can fly across the North Atlantic VFR. You do NOT need to be IFR rated or file IFR.

Another plus to the North Atlantic route, you can do it with standard VHF radios. Crossing the Pacific requires an HF radio with a long trailing antenna.
 
Atlantic

The info I have is that Goose to Narsarsuaq to Iceland requires HF. The far north route can be done with VHF.
the really dumb part of this is that a satphone is MUCH better than HF. Dick Rutan and Mike Melville went around the world with just a satphone and VHF.
 
Pretty sure that was Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager (in the Rutan Voyager). :D

Dick and Mike went in longezes. Not non-stop.

In 1997, Melvill and Dick Rutan flew two Long-Eze aircraft that they built side-by-side around the world. This "around the world in 80 nights" flight was called The Spirit of EAA Friendship World Tour, and some legs of it lasted for over 14 hours.
 
IFR or VFR

I have flown the North atlantic route Reykjavik -Goose Bay on two ocations.
Unless things have changed airspace A requiers an IFR flightplan.
If you plan the northern route min FL is 130.
You will face weather that has no forcast.
Even in July you will face icing conditions and clouds.
I had a 55 kt headwind for more than an hour.
Flying into a icecrystal layer cut all of the electric system for 30 min.
I think that static electricity induced a higer voltage than the zenerdiodes
on the main contactor could cope with. After leaving the icecrystal layer, I tuned everything off and then on and everything worked as normal. It has never happened again. You don't know the wind.
On a long flight like this plan for zero wind and carry extra fuel for 3 hr.
You will have a point of no return, you may have to divert.
Don't try this without an instrument rating.
 
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