Jan_Olieslagers wrote:
The same difference led someone here to declare LFAT is “on the doorstep” from my EBZH homebase whereas in fact it is so far as to require refuelling
What is the range on your aircraft? EBZH to LFAT is 145nm.
That is not really the point, Colm. Still, for what it is worth:
-) I am not legally allowed to fly that in a straight line, controlled airspace is closed to me, at least in BE. The straight course would have me violate the airspace of EBBR and LFQQ and , on weekdays, EBBE, perhaps even EBCV though they aren’t active very often.
-) fuel capacity is 29+29 litres, fuel burn of the 912 12-15 litres/hour. I trust you master maths sufficiently.
@Flyingfish, the main thing I have learnt is that buying a plans-built aeroplane is a very risky strategy unless you personally witnessed the build or know the aircraft type extremely well. Neither were true in my case but I would consider myself to be rather well-educated now…..
buying a plans-built aeroplane is a very risky strategy unless you personally witnessed the build or know the aircraft type extremely well.
That’s exceedingly true… from what I hear. I still look at some ads however, after I land from a 7hr flight into a 50kt headwind 
500 NM+ was my bread and butter flying. Coventry to Hassfurt is around 500NM.
Normal cruising altitude is FL170 or 180 depending on direction.
I don’t fly that much anymore, lost the drive.
For Boscomantico:
Yes,I landed twice in Alghero and bought their expensive avgas.They had a permanent pump next to a big hangar.
Jan_Olieslagers wrote:
I am not legally allowed to fly that in a straight line, controlled airspace is closed to me, at least in BE. The straight course would have me violate the airspace of EBBR and LFQQ and , on weekdays, EBBE, perhaps even EBCV though they aren’t active very often.
At least in Germany, microlights aren’t excluded from Class D or C airspace, is that the case in Belgium? Anyway, the detour from Hasselt via Kortenaken, Aarschot, Beerzel, Duffy VRP, Mouscron, EB VRP, Sains-en-Gohelle to LeTouquet is just 158 NM or around 300 km. So assuming 15 l/h you have 3 hours safe flight time with a comfortable reserve and unless a quite strong headwind slows you down to 100 km/h you wouldn’t have any problem to get to LFAQ. You can refuel there. (I didn’t do to Welzow in one flight either, nor to the Aero or to Notts or Hede/Hedlanda.) Refuelling stops are not a problem at all.
On the Jodel meeting I have met a french couple who flew from west France, from a little airfield in the southern Pyrenees up to Hede/Hedlanda in a 65hp Jodel. There was a Belgium couple, too, who flew there with a Rans S6. Small and slow aircraft must not stop you from discovering Europe. After all, going across borders is what the aircraft is for!
Yes yes, @mh, nothing new there, thanks. I was merely pointing out that a distance that looks to one pilot like “on the doorstep” may make quite a flight for another. Making “500NM” say very little. “long endurance 4h-vfr pilots” might have been a more meaningful title for this thread, is all I wanted to state.
I found this image where I just was on my way back from South Africa to Teuge Airport (EHTE) in the Netherlands to find out that I had still 4785 NM to go :-) and most of it (except for the part in Europe) flown VFR without autopilot.
Not on one leg though
I think the most any “normal” SEP/MEP has ever done on one leg is about 2500nm e.g. Africa-Brazil, or UK-Joburg with one stop. Obviously with a ferry tank. I once worked out that a TB20 could do that, if departing 30% over MTOW which is the max for which you can get a signoff, and reportedly Tarbes did test fly them at that weight.
