Leg #1 KIDP-KSTL: Planning

Route

For the first trip from the Independence Cessna factory to Saint Louis, the route is quite obvious. TRAKE8 STAR  to KSTL has a transition beginning at Springfield VORTAC (SGF), so this will be my ending point, preceded by airway V190. As KIDP has no Standard Instrument Departures and my airplane has no RNAV capability (actually, it has a portable GPS receiver, but I won’t use it), I will just fly direct to the closest navaid in the airway: Oswego VORTAC (OSW), just 27 miles east of Independence Municipal.





The transition from the STAR to the approach at Lambert-St. Louis Intl. is not automatic. According to the TRAKE8 plate, usually ATC gives vectors, but in IVAO the are few controllers in the USA, therefore I have to plan something. Checking the ILS RWY 06 chart (the most favorable runway with no wind), the IAF (point where the approach begins) is Foristell VORDME (FTZ), also in the TRAKE8 arrival. Nice, problem solved!





And here is my IVAO flight plan.




Weather

Now, you can’t just get into the aircraft and fly. You should always check the weather forecast for the whole route.

To begin with, the latest surface analysis, next to some satellite images help to see the global picture. To the west of Independence, Kansas (departure point), there is a Low with a little active hot front, followed by a cold one. Let’s not wait for all the weather to arrive here! Flying to the east, towards the High, the pressure will raise and I will have to update the barometric altimeter setting enroute to maintain the filed 7,000 ft and avoid climbing. As the Low turns counterclockwise and the High turns clockwise, it is expected a quite strong wind from the South.







The most important thing that I see in the satellite images are those two well defined storm nuclei Southeast of St. Louis, Missouri (destination). They are moving North, we’ll see the TAF for KSTL later, but now let’s take a closer look at them in IR.




Let's continue with some forecast to see how the picture is moving. According to the SIGWX map, the freezing level is higher than the planned 7,000 ft, and the area of the storms is already signaled for rain showers and storms at 18h UTC.




Finally, the METARs and TAFs:

Close to the departure airport, the wind is South at KCFV.

KCFV 241252Z AUTO 16009KT 10SM CLR 24/21 A2996 RMK AO2 SLP138 T02440206

The destination is OK, with wind calm, higher pressure and some mid clouds expected, nothing important. No thunderstorms or rain.

KSTL 241251Z 00000KT 10SM FEW043 SCT200 26/22 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP166 T02610217

KSTL 241131Z 2412/2518 VRB05KT P6SM SCT050 FM241400 16007KT P6SM SCT050 FM241800

The alternate airport KSPI (Springfield, Illinois) is also fine, with a ceiling of clouds expected at 3,500 ft.

KSPI 241252Z 16003KT 10SM SCT070 24/22 A3007 RMK AO2 SLP177 T02440217

KSPI 241134Z 2412/2512 17005KT P6SM SCT060 FM241500 16011KT P6SM BKN035 FM250100 14005KT P6SM SKC TEMPO 2508/2512 4SM BR

And now we are ready, let’s fly!

Modfying the Carenado Cessna R182 Skylane II RG

As I already wrote, I will be using a retractable gear Cessna 182 Skylane RG by Carenado for this delivery trip. This is a nice aircraft, powered by a Lycoming O-540-J3C5D 540 cubic inches, six cylinder boxer engine with 235 hp, driving a constant speed variable pitch propeller. At its 3,100 lb MTOW, it reaches a maximum cruise speed of 156 knots at 7,500 ft with 75% of power.


Fuel tanks

The Carenado add-on for Flight Simulator is modeled with two 33 gallon fuel tanks for a total usable fuel of 61 gallons, with 5 non usable gallons. On the other hand, the documentation that comes with the plane, extracted from the Pilot’s Operational Handbook (POH), shows performance data for 56 and 75 usable gallon configurations. Still more, I found an Information Manual declaring a fuel capacity of 92 gallons (88 usable).

What finally solved the mystery was the 3A13 Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS) for the Cessna Model R182. It states the following tank fuel capacities:

Therefore the performance documentation data from Carenado is in agreement with S/N group a, but the actual modeled fuel is in error, incorrectly taking the total capacity of the Standard Range tanks as the usable fuel.

Indeed, my first modification of this aircraft has been fixing the fuel capacity to 75 usable gallon Long Range tanks, which gives the following performance figures, with a 45 min reserve at 45% power:

Colored plexiglas

Cessna has historically used colored plexiglas in several of their planes. I have suffered blue windows in a few Cessna 152 from my Aeroclub, and they reduce the visibility, specially in backlight conditions. Fortunately, all of them have a neutral windshield, but this is not the case in Carenado’s R182. There are blue and brown window versions, including the windshield and killing the colorful scenarios in Flight Simulator. Here are two examples:





And here are my modifications with a “neutral”, a “lighter neutral” and a “clear glass” plexiglas versions:







I will use one of the two last mods. The clear is nice, but it eliminates the cool (although static) internal reflections in the windows. The decision is not yet taken.

Trip route planning

Due to their limited range, the Atlantic Ocean crossing in these little single engine planes goes North, to Greenland and Iceland. They use to be modified with extra fuel tanks for very long range and flights of more that six hours, but as I am not in a hurry and this project is just for fun, I will do shorter legs. Based upon Bob Webster’s site and other articles from magazines, I have planned a feasible route with flights of less than 300 NM when possible. Furthermore, there will be some derouting to visit nearby iconic fields, like KSTL Lambert - St. Louis (McDonnell Douglas factory home airport), KOSH Oshkosh - Wittman Regl. (home of the Experimental Aircraft Association and Air Venture airshow), EGLF Farnborough (with its famous international aviation fair) and LFPB Paris - Le Bourget (destination of Lindbergh's flight and place of the Paris Air Show fair).



All the selected airports have AvGas fuel, except for Le Bourget. In case that the airplane will not have enough range for the two legs without refueling, I will add a new intermediate stop. The great circle distance of 4,285.5 NM between Independence and Sabadell is increased to 5,138.7 NM in my planned route.



Of course, only international airports with customs have been selected to cross country borders between non-Schengen nations. Besides, all airports are IFR capable but the final destination. Finally, thorough planning of the route, fuel, diversion airports and weather observations and forecasts will be done prior to each flight. Note that the routing could be modified due to weather or other real-life reasons.

Motivation

Being an aviation enthusiast from long time ago, I finally got my private pilot license PPL(A) in March 2003. After several years flying single engine Cessna regularly, you can't help but wonder how a ferry delivery flight from the Cessna factory in the USA to Europe would be, with the whole Atlantic Ocean awaiting in the route.

In 2006, six brand new Cessna (two 172S Skyhawk SP and four 172R Skyhawk) arrived to my local Aeroclub at Sabadell. In 2008 another two Cessna 182T Skylane joined their cousins. All of them equipped with state-of-the-art Garmin G1000 “glass cockpit”.



Therefore my curiosity increased and eventually I wanted to try and do the trip myself from the safety of home, avoiding its risks, high costs and extreme temperatures.

The Cessna company traditionally built piston aircraft at its Wichita factory (KCEA - Cessna Aircraft-Wichita Airport, Kansas) until 1986, when the production ceased. Ten years after that, the manufacturing of the 172, 182 and 206 models was restarted in a new factory at Independence.



My goal here is to perform the voyage from the new Independence factory at KIDP - Independence Mun. Airport, Kansas, to my local Aeroclub airport at LELL - Sabadell Airport, Spain with a single engine Cessna in Flight Simulator 2004.



The flights will be mainly IFR, in real time and with realistic weather from ActiveSky, but as I want an old style gauges cockpit for more fun, the used aircraft will be the no longer manufactured Cessna R182 Skylane II RG by Carenado.