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Re: Europa-List: HJ 460 trip report....

Subject: Re: Europa-List: HJ 460 trip report....
From: William Daniell <wdaniell.longport@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2019 17:01:51
Sorry Bob I did get it but with all the other bureaucracy for the trip I
must have overlooked a response. Sorry.
thanks
William Daniell
LONGPORT
+57 310 295 0744


On Sat, Jan 12, 2019 at 10:48 AM Robert Borger <rlborger@mac.com> wrote:

> Will,
>
> Sounds like you have had a very =9Cinteresting=9D journey so 
far.  Almost all
> airports are =9CFriendly=9D to GA aircraft.  Did you not rece
ive the flight
> plan I sent back on Dec 1?  You didn=99t reply, so perhaps you didn
=99t.
>
> Here=99s what I put together trying to avoid as much troublesome ai
rspace as
> possible and refuel at the least expensive fuel stops:
>
> KMFE (entry); KBEG (low cost gas); KBEA (waypoint); 00R (waypoint or
> fuel); 5R8 (waypoint or fuel); 0R1 (waypoint or fuel); 79J (waypoint or
> fuel); 40J (waypoint or fuel); X35 (land/fuel); KCHN or X06 (waypoint or
> fuel); F45 (waypoint); 04FA (land)
>
> If you insist on KBRO as a point of entry then KBRO; KPIL; KBEA
>
> This track keeps you inland and close to airports along the way in case
> one is needed.  It avoids the worst airspace issues but you will still ha
ve
> to contend with MOAs, they are everywhere.  Flight following will help wi
th
> them.  Distance 1308 NM, enroute time would be 12:45+stops and would burn
> about 53 gal of fuel.
>
> Please don=99t hesitate to ask about alternates if the legs are too
 long.  I
> based this on the performance of my Europa and is pretty conservative wit
h
> fuel.
>
> Heat will be less of a problem as you get further north.
>
> Wishing you the best of luck with your electronics.  I=99ve had my 
iPad
> blank out from heat.  Always at the worst possible time.
>
> Keep me posted on your progress.
>
> Blue skies & tailwinds,
> Bob Borger
> Europa XS Tri, Rotax 914, Airmaster C/S Prop (130 hrs).
> Little Toot Sport Biplane, Lycoming Thunderbolt AEIO-320 EXP, Hercules
> Prop.
> 3705 Lynchburg Dr.
> Corinth, TX  76208-5331
> Cel: 817-992-1117
> rlborger@mac.com
>
> On Jan 12, 2019, at 8:34 AM, William Daniell <wdaniell.longport@gmail.com
>
> wrote:
>
> Sunday 6 Jan Bogota Medellin 1:15 flight time 150nm 120kt
> Monday 7 Jan Medellin Bureaucracy
> Tuesday 8 Jan Medellin Gelabert Panama 404nm 3:46 128kt av speed landed
> with 1/4 tank 4 gals - we started with 6 gals in the aux tank and 15.
> Panama Controllers helpful and professional - albeit their radios were no
t
> working well and we had issues to Tocumen Approach - one of the other
> pilots in the air mentioned that they had been having issues.
> Wednesday 9 Jan we planned to go to Limon Costa Rica we took off from
> Gelbert and then had to return due to weather 1.5 hours.
> Thursday 10 Jan Gelabert to San Jose Costa Rica.  Shortly before David
> northern Panama the Dynon started flashing Green Red Blue white and black
> in succession so we decided to land in David. Gelabert to David is 206 nm
> 2:53 97kt.  The unplanned stop in David caused a lot of confusion with th
e
> authorities and we had to get gas which they don't have on the field.
> Everyone was very helpful, for example Operations got a taxi driver to ta
ke
> the aux tank to fill up at a local gas station.  But having landed at 090
0
> we took off again at 1330.  The Dynon came back up within 15 minutes of
> landing so we assumed that the fault was due to heat.  iLevil and analog
> engine instruments backup worked exactly as planned to provide air and
> basic engine data.     So we decided to continue with a jury rigged shade
> for the Dynon.
> David - Liberia Costa Rica.  We had originally planned to fly to San Jose
> GA Airport MRPV but on on seeing towering cumulus we asked to continue to
> Liberia which was authorized. 227nm, 2 hours, I dont have any other data
> because my ipad shut down due to heat....it was easily 100 degrees in the
> cockpit.  Costa Rican Controllers were super helpful, even pointing out t
he
> sights to us as they tracked us on radar.  We landed in 18ktG25 without t
he
> slightest problem.
> The Dynon repeated its fault so we decided on reaching Liberia and talkin
g
> to Dynon to return to Miami for the weekend to pick up a new unit which
> should be arriving today.  Kudos to Don Jones of Dynon tech support but n
ot
> so happy as this is the second unit in 100 hours and the second
> transponder.   The interesting thing is that the unit continued to functi
on
> despite the screen failing.  The AP worked and we got wifi attitude (when
> the ipad cooled down) and voice alerts.  I have powerful cold air tube to
> the back of the unit but its hard to cool down the front.
>
> We plan to return to Liberia on Monday install the new Dynon unit and
> continue.  We plan to go to Salvador Ilopango.  Then we are at a fork in
> the road which depends on weather.
>
> One fork goes Cozumel Key West.  This is 385 nm.    We have 24 gals on
> board.  Today according to Foreflight we have a 2kt headwind and will
> consume 19.1 gals (2 gals taxi 7 gph climb 5.5gph cruise).  this leaves a
> reserve of 4.9 gals which if you had options would be fine however the on
ly
> option to KEYW is cuba!  Also this doesn't include deviations which are
> common in the Caribbean due to build ups.   So unless we can guarantee a
> good tail wind and clear skies I feel that this is risky.
>
> The other fork goes Tapachula Mexico Brownsville and round the gulf to
> 04FA Miami which is over 1000nm and we would have to contend with the
> weather in Southern USA which can be variable.  However I feel that if th
e
> weather is kind we can push on - 3x2 hour legs in a day is perfectly
> possible.
>
> Lessons learned -
>
>    - Heat is tough on the body and takes a toll on electronics.  We need
>    more sun shade and ventilation.
>    - The back systems worked BUT we hadn't thought about how to actually
>    use them....It would have been very useful to have a means by which th
e
>    Android iLevil PFD back up could have been placed in front of the pilo
t.
>    The way we solved this was for the Co Pilot sing out the speeds on app
roach
>    (which incidentally resulted in very stable approaches) but it might h
ave
>    been different if I had been on my own.  I would have had to have the 
PFD
>    on my lap or something like that which certainly wouldnt have been opt
imum
>    and might have been a serious issue in marginal conditions.
>    - So far we have spent more time on bureaucracy than actually flying.
>
> A request:  I know I have asked this before but can you all help me with
> suggestions for routes between KBRO and KTMB.  Particularly Id like to kn
ow
> of friendly airports and contacts in case we have further technical issue
s.
>
> Yours
>
> Will
>
>
> William Daniell
> LONGPORT
> +57 310 295 0744
>
>


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