Crossed the Mediterranean sea on a c152
Posted by Eloi18rh@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 60 comments
So as the title says today I flew from Sabadell airport LELL/QYS to Son Bonet LESB/QRS most of which I did over the sea (100NM aprox). I've been trying to do this flight since the 4th of March and had to cancel 4 times due to weather and 4 times due to maintenance, but finally I've made it, I had to celebrate it by buying some ensaimadas.
Tbh I thought it was going to be slightly more challenging due to the recent changes around Mallorca TMA, but it was still a little bit scary to fly so many miles above water without any land in the vicinity.
Pretty crazy to think that u can get to mallorca in 1:29h of airtime on a c152
PlanesAreSailboats@reddit
New concept: the (several) hundred dollar ensaïmada
Eloi18rh@reddit (OP)
Yeah.. I mean it's part of the time building and it got deducted from a pack of 12h I paid a few months ago but holy moly, without landing fees this flight has been definitely on the expensive side, 625,68€ +landing fees+39€ for the ensïamadas. Next time I'm taking a Vueling for sure
rtd131@reddit
That's absolutely nuts, in the US you can do this kind of stuff with no landing or handling fees.
Was thinking of moving back to Europe to do ATPL but GA is so much more complicated in EU than US.
CertainPotato343@reddit
Did you have a raft on board or some floating suite?
Eloi18rh@reddit (OP)
Yes an inflatable life raft and lifejackets gotta be prepared far anything and of course follow the law
jtyson1991@reddit
Does EASA have a reg comparable to our 91.509?
Mundane-Reality-7770@reddit
I've been curious about the 50 mile provision in 91.509. What defines a shore.
For instance, say you want to fly to KMTH from APF. Are the everglades a shore? I've heard of guys getting ramp checked even though it's only 25 miles from Everglades to Marathon.
NYPuppers@reddit
as they should be. it's just mangroves growing out of the water broken up by lots of water and gators - what is your plan in a ditching? swim 500+ feet with a broken arm/leg, maybe bleeding, and cling to a mangrove and hope you get spotted through the brush before a gator finds you. aint happening.
jtyson1991@reddit
Are you implying the Everglades wouldn't be a shore because they're marshy, and you'd maybe still be wet if you landed in them?
Mundane-Reality-7770@reddit
Is a marsh a shore? I've just heard stories of guys doing a commercial xc to MTH then getting ramp checked under 91.509 and I don't think it should apply
Imaginary_Amoeba3461@reddit
91.509 is under subpart F. It shouldn’t apply regardless.
InPlainSightSC2@reddit
Who’s doing a commercial XC in a turbojet? Love to meet that guys parents.
Mundane-Reality-7770@reddit
Why would this be a jet??
InPlainSightSC2@reddit
91.501
Mundane-Reality-7770@reddit
Great. We're talking about 91.509
InPlainSightSC2@reddit
Amazing. Which falls under Subpart F, which 61.501 defines the applicability.
jtyson1991@reddit
I mean, there's a road that goes along there. If you can land on the road, it's definitely a shore. If you ask me.
Mundane-Reality-7770@reddit
Not from the gulf side. I did the Naples to Marathon route this winter for Christmas. While I had life vests, I was not keen on the "what if" and ditching in the everglades. Would almost rather open ocean.
jtyson1991@reddit
Sharks vs. gators?
Mundane-Reality-7770@reddit
Pretty much.
InPlainSightSC2@reddit
91.509 only applies to large/turbojets/fractional ownerships that don’t operate under 121/135
Frankenplane@reddit
Yes, in Part-NCO
okletsgooonow@reddit
Very nice. Looking at your flight on FR24, it looks like you stayed pretty low, was this required due to airspace requirements? I would have expected more altitude to maximise glide range.
Eloi18rh@reddit (OP)
It's actually a mix of both. My original plan was to stay outside of Barcelona's ctr and request to leave G airspace and enter D at at least 6.000ft, but some weather made me change plans and had to fly inside Barcelona's ctr with a max altitude of 1500ft over the sea and being A airspace above so no chance of going higher, and then inside the Palma TMA we had to stay at max of 3500 with a class A above us. On the way back we tried to do the same staying at 3500 and then 1500 but we had 20kt of hw at 3500 and we decided to go lower to decrease our overall time above the water.
Dwight_scoot@reddit
Welcome to Mallorca. My mate flys choppers out of son Bonet and takes me up every now and then.
superdookietoiletexp@reddit
I’m curious about flying across about what would be involved in flying across the Straits of Gibraltar. Would that be do-able or is Moroccan customs too much of a pain in the ass?
Deepredskies@reddit
General aviation is welcomed in Morocco. Customs checks are no worse than on the Spanish side. ATC works well, except at low level in the mountains.
Cyranoreddit@reddit
I flew to Tanger and Errachidia in an Aztec and it was quite straightforward. Just do the common due dilligence with the handling operator at destination and you'll be fine.
Eloi18rh@reddit (OP)
I actually do not know, it's probably very similar to this but with customs involved, but it's probably not that complicated
yawatt@reddit
Beautiful views!
TheCultofLoss@reddit
LOL a plane that made you cancel 4 times for mx and you still crossed 100 in a piston single. Bold
Eloi18rh@reddit (OP)
As someone on the comments said this aircraft is part of one of the biggest aeroclubs in the world with 20.000h of flight time per year, and the guy in charge of programming flights... Let's just say is not the best one at his job, so yeah I had to cancel due to maintenance but not because there was anything wrong with the aircraft but rather because the aircraft had to pass it's 50h/ 200h checks making the aircraft unavailable for 1 to 4 days and I had the bad luck of that happening to me, it is what it is
LikenSlayer@reddit
What an awesome experiencein! You'll probably enjoy it a little more going back. Less stressful I'm sure. So you'll be able to enjoy the view at ease.
Eloi18rh@reddit (OP)
Indeed I will tobt is set for 16:00LT 14:00z, plus I fly with a buddy who's also a PPL so I'll probably give him the controls for a little bit to take pictures
idkausernamerntbh@reddit
If I was the buddy I would be so sad if I didn’t get controls please make his year !
PropOnTop@reddit
Were you alone? What are the legal requirements in Spain?
Eloi18rh@reddit (OP)
I was not, I had my best friend with me who is also a PPL, legal requirements to fly in Spain is to hold at least class medical and having a PPL license with a SEP habilitation, to cross more than 30min or 50nmof water you need life raft and lifejackets
PropOnTop@reddit
Where in the world did you have a raft in a C152 with two people?
I'm thinking of a similar mission in a WT9 Dynamic so I'm grateful for any info regarding fligths over water.
Eloi18rh@reddit (OP)
Behind the seats, in between the fire extinguisher and the seats, it was pretty compact even tho it's supposed to fit 4 people when inflated, my aeroclub only has 4 ppl rafts so that's why we carried that one. If you are planning on traveling a good distance over the water, I would recommend in case of having a 6pack to carry an iPad or something like that with a satélite Antena like the Garmin GLO since I found it was pretty easy to lose your heading since when you look outside it's all the same blue without any references
PropOnTop@reddit
Well, that sounds scary and interesting at the same time!
Cyranoreddit@reddit
ECEXL from Aeroclub Barcelona-Sabadell, largest flying club in Europe (53 aircraft, 1200 members, and 20000 flight hours per year) and second to PlusOne in San Diego if I'm not mistaken.
Eloi18rh@reddit (OP)
Yes !
tarismu@reddit
I am from Germany and I'd love to make a trip to Palma one day with one of our PA28s! What has been the most stress for you during the planning of the trip? How did you prepare in regards of weather? Have you had any com issues over the sea?
Eloi18rh@reddit (OP)
So the most stress for me was the weather on a single engine having to fly so many miles above the water was risky enough, so wheater had to be almost perfect, I had to cancel a couple of times due to weather, also below class A airspace in the palma TMA a couple of weeks ago was class G, but now is class D, therefore you need an authorisation to enter, authorisation which is hard to get since at 3000ft you can't reach palma app on 119.155, so we talked to palma app on 121.300 who told us to contact another freq and we didn't have any more problems regarding comms, but yes it's kinda hard to get in touch due to the mountains on the north port of the island. Once you see land and locate N point it's it's pretty easy and the published charts explain it quite well, have in mind LESB is an uncontrolled airport
Electrical_Yak_2662@reddit
Great, but shouldn't those three golden stripes on your jacket be around the cuffs?
Eloi18rh@reddit (OP)
Adidas+FO colab I can see your vision
Alternative-Luck1070@reddit
Very nice my friend, but you havent cross the medirerranean haha
Eloi18rh@reddit (OP)
I mean I crossed the Mediterranean from the Iberian peninsula to mallorca... Slight click air
CommanderSpleen@reddit
Very cool, looks like a nice flight. Next step is to take her across the Atlantic.
Eloi18rh@reddit (OP)
Yes at mach 3 and 60.000ft
cbow1992@reddit
I also flew into Son Bonnet on Tuesday in a PA32 from Carcassonne, its still parked there! Seems like you had the better weather for sure, enjoy the trip back.
Eloi18rh@reddit (OP)
Yes definitely had good weather even tho the 06:00z sigmet said there where turbulence it was a pretty smooth ride, I'm looking forward to do it again and maybe this time with a 172 to take some friends with me
Hangarnut@reddit
My old instructor would always say "Sometimes you just gotta trust your equipment and enjoy the ride." Awesome Awesome. Thanks for sharing this with us.
htnut-pk@reddit
https://youtube.com/shorts/lrfsZRJQ9lw?si=4ZPssnBiglVDrMJM
😉 😂
Denocudoso@reddit
On the second picture I thought it was under water.
Foxbat100@reddit
Very cool!! The mountains and horizon make this so surreal!
MaterialDull9480@reddit
Hell yeah!!! Nice flight
LiveFreeFinn@reddit
Very cool!
Dogfish666@reddit
Nice!
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
So as the title says today I flew from Sabadell airport LELL/QYS to Son Bonet LESB/QRS most of which I did over the sea (100NM aprox). I've been trying to do this flight since the 4th of March and had to cancel 4 times due to weather and 4 times due to maintenance, but finally I've made it, I had to celebrate it by buying some ensaimadas.
Tbh I thought it was going to be slightly more challenging due to the recent changes around Mallorca TMA, but it was still a little bit scary to fly so many miles above water without any land in the vicinity.
Pretty crazy to think that u can get to mallorca in 1:29h of airtime on a c152
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