PP Event: Ferry Challenge

[EHM-2387 Eric-Jan]

As EHM management, we decided to create something new and challenging for our nxt ProPilot event: A ferry flight across the Atlantic Ocean with a General Aviation plane!

As it differs from all previous PP events in a number of aspects, read the following carefully:

• It will be a one-leg ProPilot event
• Flight Logger is capable of logging across subsequent landings, effectively turning a multi-leg plan into a one-leg flight
• A Cessna 172 must be flown from Lelystad Airport in The Netherlands (EHLE) to Dunn Airport in Florida, USA (X21), near Cape Canaveral
• It is possible to save the Flight Logger file, and the Flight Simulator Situation, to create an overnight stop, continuing on by opening both the Flight Logger file, and the Flight Simulator situation again
• There will be an award for making it accross the pond from the departure airport to the  destination airport
• There will be a separate award for the one pilot completing the leg with the least amount of fuel burnt underway
• It is allowed to fly with a different type of Single Engine Propeller airplane than a C172, but you will not be eligible for the fuel award

The challenge here will be to carefully plan a route, of which the airplane is capable (range-wise, especially), and study the weather forecasts, to pick a suitable moment, and altitude, to continue your journey (headwinds over the ocean: not pleasant...) for each sub-leg of your flight.
And the best part: you will only know if you have succeeded after landing at the destination. If Flight Logger allows you to file your PIREP, only then will you know that you have succeeded 

I will open up the leg per April first (no joke!), and have it close at June 1st. That will give you three weeks to come up with a route, then two months to complete the crossing, and see if you may file your PIREP (if not, for some reason, you can always start over, but you'll have to start a new flight at EHLE again)



Remember to save your Flight Logger recording after each sub-leg, and open that file again before continuing!



I have opened up a thread in the community discussion area to discuss anything you like about this challenge:
http://www.fly-euroharmony.com/forum/index.php/topic,7730.0.html

To sign up for the challenge, click on the banner of the event on the website's homepage

[EHM-2387 Eric-Jan]

As the Ferry Challenge Event is now officially closed, the time has come to collect all the flight data, and see who got where, and how much fuel was used... [drum roll] ...

The following pilots not only made it to Dunn, but also managed to convince FlightLogger of that fact:

(In order of fuel consumption:)

Pilot                                  lbs of fuel used
EHM-1152 Thomas Gilpin   1398
EHM-1829 Trevor Bolton   1765
EHM-2131 Bruce Thomas   1814
EHM-1328 Willem De Graaf   2057
EHM-2387 Eric-jan Oud           2078
EHM-0250 Magnus Schmitz   2115
EHM-2097 Andrei Vatasescu   2651
EHM-2589 David Sifuentes   3092

Now, a quick over-the-thumb calculation says that the expected fuel consumption should lie in the order of magnitude of ...
400nm (Direct to)
700nm / 320 lbs (fuel burn acc. fleet page for max range, min load - no pax no payload)
4000/(700/320) = some 1900 lbs.

For the 5000 nm I actually flew, that would be some 2300 lbs.

It is imposible to check what route was flown ("direct to" does not sound realistic), or what weather was used (user defined tailwind will of course help a lot).
So I decided to award the entire podium with the fuel economy award. Congratulations to you, Thomas, Trevor, and Bruce! 
I am impressed with the fuel economy you guys displayed!


Now, this was an entirely different Event than usual. We would like to hear from you how you experienced the event, so I've opened up a feedback thread in the discussions section of the forum:
http://www.fly-euroharmony.com/forum/index.php/topic,7755.0.html
We would like to hear what you liked about this Event, and also what you did not like about it. Just so we can learn and come up with even better stuff in the future