Colleagues, I am tentatively planning a trip to Iceland this summer, and would like to draw on the collective experience. The aircraft will be a Grumman AA-5B, IFR-equipped, with the range of 575 NM + reserve. The route will probably be LKBU Bubovice – EDHK Kiel – ENZV Stavanger – (possibly EGPB Sumburgh) – EKVG Tórshavn – BIEG Egilsstaðir, then a couple of weeks around Iceland (BIRK Reykjavík, BIAR Akureyri and whatever else comes to mind), then back the same way; if anyone has alternative suggestions or important facts I should know about these aerodromes, please respond.
One important thing I have no experience with is survival equipment. I am inclined to buy a used survival suit rather than rent it; with a life raft, I am looking at all possible options. Please voice your suggestions on this and everything else you consider important!
I am also open to having a companion, either in my aircraft or in a different one – is anyone interested?
Anton
Contact Lawrence Rippon..
He did it one or two years ago in a Commander 112.
For details pm me
Anton on my to do list, but in a Super Cub – so would need a two month window to ensure I pick a nice day to make the sea crossings!
There is a fly in in some remote back country airfield every August – will see if I can locate the details.
The local aircraft have quite a high representation of classics, Cessna 170, Piper Apache, Yaks.
I’m jealous ;)
You can probably rent survival gear from Andrew Bruce at Far North Aviation, Wick and return it on the way back. SEMS in Basildon also do rentals.
I would have liked to have spent more time in Iceland and visited Akureyri and the Westman Isles, but was beaten by the weather. Reykjavik and Egalsstadir were both good airports. The guy in the tower at BIEG was very helpful with advice and planning. BIRK was quite expensive but very convenient and Avgas price is very reasonable.
They still require single engine to plan for 3 hours fuel reserve on landing, though I doubt that it gets policed.
Is the range really sufficient for this trip? I think with this kind of range you probably have no save alternate if you miss the approach at EKVG. The German transatlantic manual has a big red warning to never plan a fuel stop there because the weather can turn bad very fast at that airport.
Does anybody have VFR experience in Iceland? Is the airspace structure complicated?
I flew in VFR and VFR around the island. No problems with airspace and plenty of class G.
Going out to the UK, I filed IFR so as not to be limited by the 5000’ limit under the OCA.
A valid IR is required even if you are flying VFR (see GEN 1.5)
They still require single engine to plan for 3 hours fuel reserve on landing
Ha. That would end the ferry pilot industry….
Well that’s what it says in the AIP:
c. International flights to Iceland in any single-engined
airplane or in any multi-engined airplane that is
unable to maintain flight in the event of failure of its
critical engine:
At least sufficient fuel and oil shall be carried to
allow the airplane to fly to the aerodrome to which
the flight is planned, and thereafter for a period of 3
hours.
d. International flights. The pilot-in-command of flights
to and from Icelandic territorial airspace shall have
a valid instrument rating.
The way that it’s worded would suggest that the 3 hours could be at loiter power.
Of course, if you arrive in Iceland as a result of a diversion from EKVG or BGKK, then that rule wouldn’t apply.
I don’t think anyone complies with that rule re 3 hours. Most aircraft from Narsarsuaq wouldn’t have 3 hours endurance left.
