Troll Air Round The World: 1+2+3+4+1000+ZOOOOM

[Calle_Hedberg]

Hi,

I've been preparing for a Round The World (RTW) flight with my Ravin 500 (ZU-XML) in between work for about 9 months. The initial tentative departure in Jun-12 was not realistic, but this was later shifted to Oct-12. I had not expected the CAA to be so slow, though - it took them about 4 months to formally respond to my ferry tank application, and I'm also waiting for other stuff like the GNSS approval. Hopefully the remaining paper work will be sorted out in Jan-13, and I'm now hoping to depart in Feb/Mar-13. Final routing/itinerary will to some extent depend on the departure date.

Part of the preparations are obviously to acquire/install the relevant equipment and paper-work, but also to design comprehensive check-lists that will be used throughout the flight. This is particularly important since I might be flying alone on many/most legs - I'm keen to have adventurous co-pilots coming along, but it's been difficult to sign anybody up for that given the lack of clarity around departure dates and routing so far.

The attached Excel file contains a first draft version of those check lists (and two other work sheets with some notes on key aspects plus lengths and conditions for possible ocean legs).

I would appreciate any comments or suggestions related to those draft check lists (or comments related to specific ocean legs or destinations).

Regards
Calle

[hugo_visser]

An idea, contact the Sling factory and share some ideas.

[Zulu01]

If you come through the states , KGSO would welcome you, big airport but very friendly to GA , two AMO friends to help if anything needed and I live 1 mile parallel to runway. Landmark Aviation is the FBO.

I don't need much reason to have a braai.

Also home to the new Honda jet

[scanavphoto]

Ingen øl, ingen tur - sier nå jeg da! Ser hverken øl eller akevitt på sjekklista!

[Viking]

Ingen øl, ingen tur - sier nå jeg da! Ser hverken øl eller akevitt på sjekklista!

Nah, i sydafrika måste man ha Klippies och Cola...

[Bloomer]

Hi,

I've been preparing for a Round The World (RTW) flight with my Ravin 500 (ZU-XML) in between work for about 9 months. The initial tentative departure in Jun-12 was not realistic, but this was later shifted to Oct-12. I had not expected the CAA to be so slow, though - it took them about 4 months to formally respond to my ferry tank application, and I'm also waiting for other stuff like the GNSS approval. Hopefully the remaining paper work will be sorted out in Jan-13, and I'm now hoping to depart in Feb/Mar-13. Final routing/itinerary will to some extent depend on the departure date.

Part of the preparations are obviously to acquire/install the relevant equipment and paper-work, but also to design comprehensive check-lists that will be used throughout the flight. This is particularly important since I might be flying alone on many/most legs - I'm keen to have adventurous co-pilots coming along, but it's been difficult to sign anybody up for that given the lack of clarity around departure dates and routing so far.

The attached Excel file contains a first draft version of those check lists (and two other work sheets with some notes on key aspects plus lengths and conditions for possible ocean legs).

I would appreciate any comments or suggestions related to those draft check lists (or comments related to specific ocean legs or destinations).

Regards
Calle

I shall be following your adventures, if you intend making a blog of some sorts - sounds awesome. A dream of mine if my pockets were not so shallow. . Hope to do Shoreham - Vagar in 2013 which is like a local bimble by comparison. . Best wishes and safe flying – Malcolm

[Mike Wissing]

Calle, Bend Oregon has to be a stopping point!

[Calle_Hedberg]

Hi,

Mmm - getting actual technical feedback out of diehard avcommers is like pushing the toothpaste back into the tube, I can see

Three updates based on recent off-list feedback:
- Hennie Joubert from Titan Helicopters informed me yesterday that the life raft has arrived (that was the only MAIN thing remaining, beyond the CAA paper work).
- Tyre tubes clarification: I will carry one spare tube for the mains and one for the nosewheel (plus one inflate-a-tyre cylinder for emergency purposes)
- I've asked a colleague currently in the US to buy one of those "Inflate-a-potty" for me (for emergency #2 purposes). I have not seen them in any SA shop.

Since I'm in Norway anyhow, I'm also looking into the cost and availability of a lighter Viking aeronautical immersion suit. I do have two suits that I bought from Chalkie Stobbart, but they are of the marine type (Mustang) and very thick/insulated, so more suitable for arctic than tropical waters.

All invitations for braais etc are noted with gratitude - time will tell how many of them I'll be able to attend without jeopardising progress

Trust scandihooligans to assume any adventure must be accompanied by binge drinking to be really fun . That aquavit idea ain't bad, though - I've already purchased one bottle of linie-aquavit that I'll carry on the journey. We'll see how many times it will have crossed the equator and the ITCZ before the end (shaken very badly, not stirred, yes?). Only problem is to identify who to drink it with - South Africans, whose idea of booze is a Windhoek Light and maybe a Castle, tend to run for cover when they get a whiff of aquavit ....

Regards from a sunny and winterly Norway
Calle

[Calle_Hedberg]

Hope to do Shoreham - Vagar in 2013 which is like a local bimble by comparison. .

Hi,

Vagar (Feroe Islands) is on my tentative list too - I've never been there. Even if I should manage to do the Alaska to Longyearbyen via the North Pole leg instead of the usual cross-atlantic trip via Reykjavik (Iceland), I will still try to include Vagar somehow. As long as I don't have to eat whale meat, had it often enough when I was a kid...

Regards
calle

[Viking]

Hi,

Mmm - getting actual technical feedback out of diehard avcommers is like pushing the toothpaste back into the tube, I can see

Three updates based on recent off-list feedback:
- Hennie Joubert from Titan Helicopters informed me yesterday that the life raft has arrived (that was the only MAIN thing remaining, beyond the CAA paper work).
- Tyre tubes clarification: I will carry one spare tube for the mains and one for the nosewheel (plus one inflate-a-tyre cylinder for emergency purposes)
- I've asked a colleague currently in the US to buy one of those "Inflate-a-potty" for me (for emergency #2 purposes). I have not seen them in any SA shop.

Since I'm in Norway anyhow, I'm also looking into the cost and availability of a lighter Viking aeronautical immersion suit. I do have two suits that I bought from Chalkie Stobbart, but they are of the marine type (Mustang) and very thick/insulated, so more suitable for arctic than tropical waters.

All invitations for braais etc are noted with gratitude - time will tell how many of them I'll be able to attend without jeopardising progress

Trust scandihooligans to assume any adventure must be accompanied by binge drinking to be really fun . That aquavit idea ain't bad, though - I've already purchased one bottle of linie-aquavit that I'll carry on the journey. We'll see how many times it will have crossed the equator and the ITCZ before the end (shaken very badly, not stirred, yes?). Only problem is to identify who to drink it with - South Africans, whose idea of booze is a Windhoek Light and maybe a Castle, tend to run for cover when they get a whiff of aquavit ....

Regards from a sunny and winterly Norway
Calle

Well Calle, this scandihooligan is able to drink some aquavit with you, should you come and visit the best scandinavian country, Sweden. Knowing how bad the Rand is, and how much aquavit must cost for you, I will even sponsor it!
I am seriously jealous about your trip, it sounds nice, and with a nice time frame as well, no need to rush things and put yourself in a predicament. I like it.
It also leaves enough time to recover from heavy nights sharing aquavit with scandihooligans...
Maybe the suits from Chalkie is not such a bad idea afterall, as you are likely to float in the water for a loooong time before S&R will pick you up, and hypothermia is a killer, even in not so cold water.
Talk to the boffins (I am not) and get some facts. The discomfort and extra weight of wearing a thick suit while flying could just be the difference in keeping you alive long enough for S&R to get to you.
The chances that you will be able to get your raft out of the aircraft before it sinks in daylight is slim. At night very unlikely. What you wear, if you have to ditch, is what you take with you, in most cases I've read of, the rest goes down with the aerie.
But as I said, talk to the boffins, and read up as much as you can and make your informed decision on that.

Best of luck and safe flying!

[Wildtreks]

Sverige best? Lol jaja... Kjempe tur du har på gang Calle!

[Calle_Hedberg]

Maybe the suits from Chalkie is not such a bad idea afterall, as you are likely to float in the water for a loooong time before S&R will pick you up, and hypothermia is a killer, even in not so cold water.
Talk to the boffins (I am not) and get some facts. The discomfort and extra weight of wearing a thick suit while flying could just be the difference in keeping you alive long enough for S&R to get to you.
The chances that you will be able to get your raft out of the aircraft before it sinks in daylight is slim. At night very unlikely. What you wear, if you have to ditch, is what you take with you, in most cases I've read of, the rest goes down with the aerie.

Hi

I don't agree with that - low wing aircraft tend to float for a little while, and since the Ravin 500 has retractable u/c the chance of flipping over is not that significant. So I don't see why the extra 10-20 seconds it will take to pull the life raft out will be a likely problem.

The "light-weight" suit I'm considering is the one used by offshore pilots in the North Sea and - I think - various air force pilots, so it's pretty good (and designed for pilots), although I presume offshore pilots ditching in that area will be picked up within a few hours, weather permitting. See attached for info. My trip will be over some rather remote areas (e.g. South Pacific), so without the liferaft inflated and water etc I wouldn't survive long enough for the suit to matter much anyhow.

And it's the boffins I'm trying to reach via this thread!

Regards
calle

[BenSmit]

Nah, i sydafrika måste man ha Klippies och Cola...

Got that bit at least

[Mike Wissing]

I don't agree with that - low wing aircraft tend to float for a little while, and since the Ravin 500 has retractable u/c the chance of flipping over is not that significant. So I don't see why the extra 10-20 seconds it will take to pull the life raft out will be a likely problem.

This is flawed thinking Calle. You are assuming the sea/water is calm, and that your landing is controlled and perfect.
I will be lecturing at a USAF AFB soon, and I will pick their brains on your behalf. Part of this particular base fly in the Artic, so they will be the right people to talk to.
Do you have any specific questions you want me to ask?

[Calle_Hedberg]

I don't agree with that - low wing aircraft tend to float for a little while, and since the Ravin 500 has retractable u/c the chance of flipping over is not that significant. So I don't see why the extra 10-20 seconds it will take to pull the life raft out will be a likely problem.

This is flawed thinking Calle. You are assuming the sea/water is calm, and that your landing is controlled and perfect.
I will be lecturing at a USAF AFB soon, and I will pick their brains on your behalf. Part of this particular base fly in the Artic, so they will be the right people to talk to.
Do you have any specific questions you want me to ask?

Mike,

Firstly, I'm not actually "assuming" anything - I'm just reporting what most of the literature seem to indicate, like this quote from http://www.pilotfriend.com/safe/safety/ditching.htm :

However, having said that, the statistical chances of surviving a ditching are high. It is estimated from UK and USA data that 88% of controlled ditchings result in few injuries to pilots or passengers. You are more likely to die after ditching by drowning, usually hastened by hypothermia and exhaustion. By wearing a life jacket in the aeroplane your survival prospects are greatly improved. However in cold water, 15 degrees Celsius or less, your life expectancy in the water is only about one hour.

Secondly, every piece of survival equipment you carry is a compromise between safety and comfort/usability: I'm fully aware of the axiom that whatever you carry on your own body is ON AVERAGE more likely to stay with you and thus available than anything not carried on your person. BUT you cannot sit with a large arctic immersion suit + life jacket + flares/signal mirrors etc + PLB + 20 litres of water + food + shark repellent ++ and expect to stay sane (or to be able to move). So I'm aiming for three "sections" of emergency equipment utilisation, assuming a controlled ditching without serious injury:

- Section 1 is what I carry on my person: Constant wear survival suit (preferably comfortable enough to endure) + constant wear life jacket + PLB + signal mirror & light + a little bit of water and food. First priority will of course be to ditch without significant injury and then be able to get out of the aircraft.

- Section 2 is the 4-person RFD life raft I'm carrying, which is a compact package that also include a small survival pack. It will be stowed in front of or just behind the co-pilot seat (i.e. within easy reach). Second priority will be to pull the life raft out of the aircraft and inflate it.

- Section 3 is the survival/ditching pack with extra water and food, first aid kit, etc. That will be third priority to get out of the aircraft and into the raft

Specific questions to experienced arctic flyers:
1.
Please ask if they have emergency procedure check-lists suitable also for single-engine pistons - if yes, try to get copies. Might save me a bit of work and provide insights.
2.
Please ask which weather services they find most reliable for arctic areas: US/Alaska? Canadian? Norwegian? Iceland?
3.
Ask them to identify any omissions in my draft check lists... (could be a good exercise?)

Regards
calle