Preparations completed

---

Naturally, it takes a lot of time to prepare plane and pilot for the trip over the Atlantic. Although I do my flight planning mostly with the computer (FliteStar and the excellent FlitePlan Pro for IFR routing), it still takes a lot of time to familiarize with the routes and the airports. Now the planning is almost complete - yesterday I got the last travel documents (International Waiver from TSA that allows me to enter the US with private airplane), and the N-America data base for my Garmin 430 GPS, that is the primary navigation tool for the trip.

The ferry tank installation has been tested on a flight to Toulouse - all works fine. Yesterday I loaded the plane with all camping gear for Oshkosh, the emergency equipment (life raft, survival suit, survival equipment, oxygen etc), and now I'm almost ready to go - except some papers on the ferry tank installation are missing, the shop forgot them last Friday.

But now its almost time to go - I plan to depart tomorrow. The route for the first day is planned: it will be two long flights: Rotterdam to Wick in North Scotland, going all over England to follow some acceptable IFR routing (4:45 hrs). From there another 4:20 hrs over the Atlantic to Iceland - Reykavik is the destination for the day.

Now the weather has to cooperate as well. I'll fly the trip mostly under instrument flight rules (IFR, i.e. t can go through the clouds and land in rather poor conditions), but I want to see the area and enjoy the destinations in good weather. Today, a cold front is moving over England, and the forecast for the route looks like its going to stay in clouds all day. But by tomorrow, the front has mostly passed England, and it should be more rewarding to fly then. And Reykjavik should be fine as well, and the forecast for Greenland for the following day seems fine as well. So tomorrow will be the start of the trip.

---

Photos

the route as planned
Rotterdam to Orlando Sanford via Iceland, Greenland, Canada

Mooney DDN
The plane (47 years young) during a recent flight with Keith Miller's GOKMA. Picture taken by Lia Bavdaz from PHPAL.

the ferry tank
Cockpit of DDN with Turtle Pac ferry tank on rear seat

Comments

[Keith Miller]

OSHKOSH 2011
See you in oshkosh on the Wednesday . At last i have a good reason to come to work!!! ( so i can switch my computer on and check your progress ). First beer is on me at Oshkosh

[Dru & Keith]

Good Luck
Good luck and fair tail winds - see you in Oshkosh!