What is the reserve requirement for twins that can still climb with one engine out, as opposed to singles and twins that can’t?
I note that today winds seem around 10-20 easterly.
In addition to waiting for ideal conditions you would have a pre determined point of decision whether to continue or return – so arguably the suggested 30 knot headwind factor would be used to build in conservative reserves from the pre determined point?
IIRC the ferry incidents have been mainly piston aircraft being caught out by flying into known icing, despite some being FIKI?
In addition to good fuel reserves, ensuring a conservative window for VFR conditions may be adviseable, if such windows exist at these latitudes.
Ultranomad,
1. If you want to bet on that, that is fine with me. I learnt in my dispatching days not to believe in these things but only and only in what the chart of the day shows. If I bet a full trip on such data, the chance is quite substantial that you’ll end up in a fix. I won’t plan any route my plane can’t do with 30 kts head.
2. 22 USG, at what TAS? Holding speed? Yea, you can play with that, but it still won’t work. And if you use unsuitable airports as IFR alternates, again, fine with me but I don’t think a ramp checker would be happy with that. A diversion is not an emergency unless you make it one. And any emergency will have consequences.
3. fair enough. Doesn’t change much in the whole run, 20 miles or so.
Mooney Driver, I’ve done all these calculations, too, and have a few corrections to make:
1. The route to Iceland lies north of the zone of persistent westerly winds. Judging by the monthly wind roses for the North Atlantic, wind directions are distributed fairly evenly, and I can just sit and wait for a tailwind and good VMC weather for each leg.
2. The 3-hour reserve is only 22 USG at loiter speed, and it would only be required at BIEG – I can start using it if I divert. Furthermore, I don’t really have to divert to BIRK; if push comes to shove, I can go to BIHN, only 63 NM away. It’s not an international airport, but in the event of emergency that would be irrelevant.
3. There are three airfields slightly closer to EKVG than Sumburgh – Scatsta (199 NM), Foula (192 NM), and Baltasound (203 NM).
There is the legal aspect of installing a ferrytank in an EASA registered aircraft (difficult nowadays to get a ferry permit which allows to install it) and an insurance aspect to the same. I managed to convince my insurance company to approve and cover usage of an (officially illegally) installed ferrytank. Then, when you are not getting a ramp check, this option might make it possible to make such a trip for those that don’t care to take the risk.
MD dashes a possible trip in the Super Cub, unless I ship it there. I understand getting ferry tanks installed on G- registered aircraft is now quite difficult.
Ultranomad,
The aircraft will be a Grumman AA-5B, IFR-equipped, with the range of 575 NM + reserve.
For this enterprise you will need a ferry tank. Otherwise the range and reserve requirements won’t work out.
Vagar is one of the most unreliable airports in terms of weather that I know of, therefore to rely on it as a relay station to Iceland for me is a no-go already. Any airplane flying to Iceland should be able to do so non-stop and with the rerserve requirements asked for. The AA5 can’t do that.
Sumburgh to Vagar is 220 NM, the nearest alternate is again Sumburgh, which makes it 440 NM. This in theory the AA5 can do. Trouble is the winds, you’d have to expect headwind on this leg (and of course tail on the return leg). A 30 kt headwind will increase the air distance by 100 NM. As pre-planning I never use tail wind on a diversion leg, that cuts it very short indeed. But let’s say, Vagar is at least realistic.
The AA5 has 52 USG fuel if I am not mistaken and uses around 10 GPH with 130 kts. In order to satisfy the Iclandic reserve rule, you will need to land with 30 USG remaining, as if you will need to divert, there is still a lot of distance to be covered which you don’t want to fly at 100 kts. Even if you calculate with 8 GPH, 3 hours are 24 USG remaining.
That leaves you with 22 USG for your trip, which gives you 2 hours flying time. Westbound with a GS of about 100 kts on a good day, that is 200 NM, at a totally unrealistic 130 kts over all, that is 260 NM.
Vagar to Reikyavik is 417 NM. To Eglistadir is 271 NM. You will need an alternate too and for Eglistadir that means Reikjavik, again 206 NM.
Turn it how you wish, 575 NM still air planning range is simply not enough to fly to iceland.
Likewise, the AA5 is too slow for the winds up there. 30-50 kts head is absolutely normal on the westbound leg, less than 20kts is at best annekdotical, means it happens rarely.
To fly from Vagar to Reikjavik you would need about 45 USG trip fuel plus 30 USG legal reserve, that is 75 USG. That means you need at least a ferry tank of 20 USG.
Realistically, for this leg I’d want a normal range of 1000 NM and 150 kts.
And in order for the AA5 to have that range, you’d need realistically 80 USG fuel capacity and 8 hours endurance at 75%.
Sorry, that is what I can come up with.
I have insurance with Traffords, and it does cover Iceland and Faroes, and does provide SAR indemnity.
Just checked my certificate of insurance and covers Iceland and Faroes Is – was not aware of a SAR insurance requirement.
For me the only genuine restriction on Iceland would be insurance. I understand there’s mandatory Icelandic SAR insurance on top of getting your regular mainland Europe insurance to cover Iceland.
Anyone with hard facts about getting insurance to cover Iceland & Faroes? (& Greenland for that matter)
Would you need prior airspace or ferry flight experience (via right seat) or say > 1,000 hrs TT before you could even get covered?
(or maybe some people just conveniently “forgets” the insurance on some of those ferry flights?)
