Crossing the Atlantic...

Transatlantic flights are uncomfortable enough in an airliner, flying one in something smaller even less so. If you're going to spend private jet kind of money, get some business class seats on a Boeing or an Airbus.

Transcontinental and transoceanic is not what general aviation is good at.
 
OkieFlyer said:
Looks like a used Commander 690 will set you back in the neighborhood of half a mil.
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Depends on which one you want and what engine times you're looking for. Engine times are big on a turbine and can literally vary the value of an aircraft by a few hundred thousand dollars (or more). It's not unlike a piston twin, but it gets exaggerated on turbines because the overhaul costs get so much higher. Also add in hot section inspections, etc.

But yes, when I was flying Commanders, we figured that half a mil was about the right amount for a decent one. If you want to go with a Grand Renaissance or one of the higher end Commanders, prices go up significantly.
 
Hank S said:
Distances in the Pacific are long, with nowhere else to land. Seems most earthrounders take ~14 hours from California to Hawaii, and that's only a third of the way across . . . or about the same as NY to LA, with nithing but water outside . . .
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I assume Russia is not GA friendly...otherwise that given the right time of year would make earth rounding without ferry tanks possible.
 
I have read about pilots of private aircraft that flew through Russia. They had to hire a guide and follow the airways. Also some airports have only Jet fuel. But its been done by piston gasoline planes. Not sure if they would allow it now what with the politics and all...
 
teejayevans said:
I assume Russia is not GA friendly...otherwise that given the right time of year would make earth rounding without ferry tanks possible.
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coloradobluesky said:
I have read about pilots of private aircraft that flew through Russia. They had to hire a guide and follow the airways. Also some airports have only Jet fuel. But its been done by piston gasoline planes. Not sure if they would allow it now what with the politics and all...
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I used to do a lot of ferry flights with my previous company. One time they had me ferry a plane US-Africa, swap planes, Africa-Afghanistan. They also needed a plane to go back to the US. I almost had my company convinced to to let me ferry it eastward through China and Russia. It was going to come down to how much it cost. My argument was that once I got to Alaska, I no longer needed the services of UVAir. Unfortunately, my Site Lead in Africa said he couldn't do with out me long enough to finish out that third leg, so someone else took the trip. They went the conventional route.

I came THIS close to flying around the world (granted with three different planes). :sigh:
 
teejayevans said:
I assume Russia is not GA friendly...otherwise that given the right time of year would make earth rounding without ferry tanks possible.
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I don't know about the political situation, but from what I've heard, there's no avgas outside of the European part.
 
FormerHangie said:
I don't know about the political situation, but from what I've heard, there's no avgas outside of the European part.
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I sold my Aero Commander 520 with geared GO-435's to Russia. Turns out a lot geared engined planes get exported to Russia and I asked the buyer why. The Russians have a great regulation that says that any aircraft 50 years or older can be run as an experimental (an idea FAA should adopt). But that didn't explain why the geared engines were so popular over there. Well, it turns out that geared engines are most often low compression, relying on high rpm to produce the excess power for a limited time (my 520 had a 5min max power limit). And because they're low compression, they'll accept mogas, which is all you can get in rural Russia. That's why they love 50 year old geared engined planes.:)
 
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