Thread: Anyone have the guts to fly to Bermuda?

It could be done, but I'm not sure that I want to do it in my CT.

Originally Posted by wlfpckrs

It could be done, but I'm not sure that I want to do it in my CT.

It's 640 miles from Cape Hatteras, NC.

Back about 25 years ago I rented a C-172 and flew from Maui to the Big Island and that was way just about too far for me. Could not see the big island on leaving the southern tip of Maui for a while, but on the way back we could see the top of Haleaukea on Maui when we went feet wet, so that helped. Flying over 600 miles of water, NO THANKS. I like to see the ground. Spud.

A CT can make the distance if everything goes well, but your setting up a single point of failure. Everything will have to go perfectly; engine, winds, cloud cover, mechanicals other than engine.... the whole schmear, not one single thing can go wrong. If anyone one of these points go haywire, your out of options... Your parachute won't save you, nor will your life-raft you can't get to, or your dry-suit you can't get on, or your radio that doesn't reach but line of sight, nor your rescuers who won't arrive until after dark at best. Nor is there any guarantee that the Coast Guard won't lose lives in their attempt to save yours. And finally, you've got to get back to the States by flying into the prevailing head winds for 650 miles and tell me what a 30 knot headwind will do to your flight planning. Again, a flight to Bermuda can be done, it's legal and the CT can do it....but should you do it? You taking a passenger? Do they understand the risks? In the end, you pays your dime and you takes your chances. Personally, at this point in my life I would choose not to make the attempt, but I wouldn't mind reading about yours.

ct2kflyer...

that about says it all... or as Dirty Harry might say..."do you feel lucky?"

tim

Sounds boring as hell too, unless their is something or someone very special awaiting your arrival?

Flying over water in a light aircraft is a lot easier than it used to be, particularly given the advent of GPS and is actually safer than flying over mountains or, as I have done, 1000 miles of jungle. But every stage of the flight is critical, you need to be able to handle anything that is thrown at you, whether this be the weather, electrical failure, fuel feed problems or finally putting it down in the oggin.

In fact, while engines do fail, the chances of one failing at the critical moment whilst you are out at sea is no greater than in normal operations, probably less so, because the engine is running under constant load for a long period.

If CT2KFlyer is correct and the prevailing wind is 30 knots on the nose, then a 650 mile leg, with standard fuel is a no go situation, even a 5 knot increase in wind over any part of the journey would give you a critical fuel problem.

You need a good understanding of PNR and Critical Point before you even think of going off-shore and you need to be able to navigate without GPS and fly sufficiently accurately that you can reasonably rely on dead-reckoning from your last certain position.

If you do the things you need to do to ensure a successful long-range over water trip, you will not find it boring, you will be far too busy!

Even after my flights to the Bahamas, even all the way down to Jamaica there's NO WAY I'd take 9WD to Bermuda. The West bound flight would kill you. I went from Brownsville, TX direct Cancun with 160kts on the ground 600nm with a dirversion time line then coming back from Jamaica to Cayman Brac then Cozumel I had a 15 kt headwind at 6500. Cancun to Miami ..nice tail wind again. I'm going to take the new C4 around the "loop" MX, Caymans, Jamaica, Haiti, Domnica R, then north to Turks, Virgin Isls, Bahamas then back to West Palm. Good luck if you go to Bermuda....I'd just take the extra fuel tank like the swiss did