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Cirrus Ditching


Ian

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I don't think I'd really ever want to fly across water out of sight of land.

It is an uncomfortable feeling.

 

When I ferried cropdusters to S America, even following the island chain, there were several long overwater legs, long enough that you lost land behind you and had nearly an hour or more before land cropped up in your field of view, hopefully more or less where it was supposed to be.

 

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The longest ones were S. Caicos to Dominican Republic, Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico, and Grenada to the S. American coast.

 

And usually just dead reckoning - GPS was just a glimmer in some engineer's eye. I think the rule was 1° off course was 1 mile off course in 60 miles. Anyway, it must have worked out because I'm still here!

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The longest ones were S. Caicos to Dominican Republic, Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico, and Grenada to the S. American coast.

 

And usually just dead reckoning - GPS was just a glimmer in some engineer's eye. I think the rule was 1° off course was 1 mile off course in 60 miles. Anyway, it must have worked out because I'm still here!

 

Rule one for such flights:  Carry *way* more fuel than you need to make the flight.

 

I would think that without GPS or a VOR that would be a little scary.  An unforecast wind could play merry havok with your navigation.

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Rule one for such flights:  Carry *way* more fuel than you need to make the flight.

 

 

Burned about 15 gph.

 

Had about 50 gals in the wings, plus 150 gals in the hopper. That's 10 hours of flying in the hopper alone!

 

That should be enough fuel even for a Republitard!

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Interesting thought Duane, but wouldn't a 45 knot wind be producing some pretty large waves? Landing into wind would surely then put you head on to the waves whereas all the ditching advice I've read says that it is advisable to land "along" the swell not "across" it.

I must say that whenever I've crossed the Channel or the Irish Sea I've always been mighty glad to coast in and leave the sea behind!!!!

The rule of Ocean ditching is land parallel to the primary swell, down the secondary swell, with the best into the wind component you can get. When landing parallel, the best position is on top of the crest of the major swell.

 

There is quite a distance between the peaks (highest point) of the primary swell so in the case I mentioned you would land on the backside of the primary swell or the trough. Avoid the face.

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Rule one for such flights: Carry *way* more fuel than you need to make the flight.

Rule #2, early on, let the powerplant sample fuel from EACH SOURCE, if at all possible. That includes the ability to transfer fuel.

The newer generation of aircraft will do it automatically, sometimes even before takeoff.

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