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I?m on the way....

Rosie is not at AirVenure 2019 but his airplane is. At 4,500 hours, the airplane knows it?s way with a great Swissair pilot Tobias.

Who I met today and we had great fun over Hudson River. Rosie trusted his airplane with a very capable pilot. Sharp stick Tobi it was my pleasure flying by you. Thanks for referral Gary!
 
I actually left Thursday morning and took off at 7 am. The two Sault Ste Maries were my custom airports and on the Canadian side I picked up my stored emergency equipment. Thanks again Terry. Two student pilots were awaiting me to help with the hangar and upcoming issues. A short talk in the airport coffee and I was on my way again, La Grande Riviere CYGL. Enroute I thought why stay there overnight when Iqualit is reporting fog the next morning. So I just refueled and flew to Iqualit - another 4 hours. Man - this was a long day, three landings with customs, refueling, flightplan filing and long flights of course. Tomorrow I will be at the airport early and as soon as the weather looks good I will head towards Greenland.

Goatflight, sorry to leave early, hope you didn´t waste too much time searching.

I like to see pics from the Hudson river, for a moment I was thinking to go there again with Tobias.


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Two very motivated future pilots
 
Progress

It looks like Hermann has landed in Kanger already (BGSF). Great progress on his journey back home :)

Good luck on the rest of the trip and stay safe!
 
Goatflieg, sorry to leave early, hope you didn´t waste too much time searching.

I couldn't get out there until 8:30, but no worries. It's always worth the effort to patrol the homebuilt area. I'm still catching up from the trip, so I'll get your photos in the mail Monday.
 
Hermann and Miles: the thumb drives with photos and video were mailed to each of you today. Let me know when you get them.
 
Congratulations!!

It was a such pleasure meeting you Hermann! Congratulations on such a Fantastic Trip for us RV builders to be inspired by and live vicariously through. So glad to see you made it back home to Deutschland!
 
Home safe

Maybe this should be in the "Arrived safe from Oshkosh" thread, but I see from the tracking that you are safely back home.
It was great to meet you in California and sorry that I missed you at Oshkosh.
The tracking just shows what you have achieved with your self-built RV-8 in only a short few weeks.
You'll have some great memories.
P0EeL3QtIlCuor3kT1kIelzZVEkvznGcSap9WQbZQdAQT2jd50o1lpccA8dmrJZOUufwjjOTEkKOorG5pZK-J0J6WF2N9X7Z26Ponh6B1D45rBB6m-o6m5t7FmiWo2sR6uDxipwFRrOIhyHpl03ywn0jE_PyJdHQzxQiyydyVQNwrmYFOcxKjh7dmJFgc0y6EnTix0T5MfrNGG6AnytVBcn9XbuC9wWhCHZBtKU-FGUT7Zfq_tNlGgimlf2STv9IrUc3U4IJP5tyChqwBFyKq8ALf2BZdXVpE4SZbwX4fpmSlJDVgUFw-5pQbZrykwXm5mq4N4ASJX_WtKmImlUp4Y04Guphyy0a5eAfBwj_NG8_IHXiyLDGss9n5iELq3GAz5f_WFOYyAaIrxnxEv0wmt15nIIz0w35AvvvDPnKw1HvxSk221DqfzSMHtrIw0VnrHQT7QOUsxZclibZktGvI1khKXCwlPeNE5OtuLzYVaG3elR7W_639LvdgFida8GFOI_T2_nwO0qOli8mjDNvCPMMgdlx6YC0UuzvZ1rIxMX6RUTxRan01fxlvpdWo96B0QQhy6k4HgT8MpjzRcpnB1kvFM6WistocHASX-Bh7PlLjgyMofgabpK4qmyaZDonWlNqU0711Jnd860DbY6g2aB5WGY5y1fl=w1560-h772-no
 
Absolutely incredible!!!

Glad your home safe, and if I?m ever in need of inspiration this will be my go to thread.

Something to aspire too.
 
So here is the story from Iqualit / Baffin Island / Northern Canada:
The next morning there was really bad weather with low stratus, drizzle, looked like fog also. So I delayed my departure for several hours until the sh...t slowly disappeared and was only able to fly one leg that day to Kangerlussuaq in western Greenland. Kangerlussuaq has reliable forcasts and is well equipped. I got the last hotel room at the airport and could see my airplane out of the window across the runway. Only expensive wifi so no posts from there. The next morning I got up very early and went to the met office just 50 meters away from the hotel and got a very thorough weather briefing, it is seldom nowadays to actually be in the office and talk to a briefer. Several times before I was talking to her and she already kind of knew me. There were some clouds forecasted over the Ice Cap, too high to overfly and too low to make a safe emergency landing. Flying in the clouds would mean possible icing with no options. Later in the day the clouds were supposed to disappear but we could see from the satellite images that diverting a little to the north should do it. Kulusuk reported perfect weather. I decided to launch, divert to the north and may be turn back. It was again a perfect flight with no problems at all and when approaching Kulusuk on the east coast I was rewarded with the same breathtaking views like six weeks ago. I talked to Nuuk Information that I will be offline for ten minutes for sightseeing and will report back. I flew down a calving glacier, then over the broken ice which separated over the next few miles and later over the larger pieces - icebergs. It was so calm, beautiful and so pieceful that it was easy to forget about the dangers of cold water.

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On the ramp in Kangerlussuaq/Greenland

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Flying down a calving glacier

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This is the broken ice close to the glacier

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A few miles down from the broken ice
 
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Landing in Kulusuk on the gravel runway was easy and the Tower asked on the radio what my intention was - just need fuel / AVGAS. They are very efficient and turnaround was quick and easy. Then took off again towards Reykjavik/Iceland. Enroute the weather was rainy but Reykjavik was clear and a little windy. After landing severel TBMs approached and parked beside me, also for an overnight stop coming from Oshkosh. The next morning the whole group and me showed up at the airport and I was talking briefly to one French guy who was interested in my flight. Fast forward: Very srtrong headwinds towards Wick in Scotland and it took me over five hours to get there. In Wick the French landed at the same time and we were talking again. I had no real plan but they intended to depart to Le Touquet LFAT just over the Channel in France. He invited me to stay in his home and offered me to pick me up should I fly there. We exchanged numbers on off they went. I made a quick decision, filed a flight plan and was after them. In France you can land at the airports just like in the US after closure unlike in Germany and I arrived there at 9 pm. Olivier was awaiting me and we then went to his home where his wife was waiting for us. Next morning they both accompanied me to the airport and made passage through the airport so much easier. This RV-community is just great - thanks Olivier.

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Faroer island on the flight Reykjavik to Wick

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Olivier, Olivia and me in Le Touquet
 
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Herman,
Congratulations on an AWESOME AND SAFE TRIP. I hope you enjoyed your visit to the USA.
Come back anytime!
 
So Malte already announced my homecoming on Monday evening. I add a few more pictures.
Approaching the field I first flew a victory roll and then landed. An improvised Follow Me guided me into position. My wife and the flying club organized a very warm welcome with coffee and food and drinks. As I am known in this part of Germany of liking strawberries I got a whole strawberry cake. The bad news about this was that others also seemed to enjoy the taste of "my" strawberry cake so I had to eat fast to get my share.

Some of you might be interested in some technical details about my trip like fuel burn, flight time and other things. The next days I will return the Skyrunner to it?s original layout and remove some temporary equipment and will then look into my datas and share some here.

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Welcome Committee

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The Cake
 
Herman,
It was an absolute pleasure to meet you at OSH. You are a humble soul sir.
 
Hello Herman

It was a pleasure meeting you in Oshkosh and I?m glad that your flight home went flawlessly ..

Thank you for sharing with us.

Cheers

Bruno
RV-4 C-GDBH
 
Herman, It was a pleasure meeting you and chatting during OSH. I was the 7 parked to your right just past the orange/white 8.

Glad you got home safely, it was an epic journey for the last several weeks.
 
Summary

Here are some promised details about my journey:

- Flighttime during the trip was 132:39 hours (wheels-up)
-I made 81 landings which includes 6 patterns with T/G, so average leg time was 01:38 h.
-I used 1144 USG of fuel so average fuel flow was 8.62 GPH.
- The most asked question was how long was the longest overwater flight and it was from Wick in Scotland to Reykjavik on Iceland, Foreflight spit it out as 661 NM.
- The longest leg was from Iqualit CYFB to CYZV, 829 NM and it took me 06:04 h of course with head winds. Average GS was 137 kts, flew with 50% Power and average FF was 6.8 GPH. Out of my 52 Gal I still had 10 Gal left.
- My shortest leg was between the two Sault Ste Maries CYAM to KANJ and was 6 NM. Also from KMQI to KFFA (First Flight) it was 6 NM.
- The highest altitude I reached was 15500 ft between Telluride KTEX and Rocky Mountain airport KBJC.

Here are some of my equipment I carried:
- one single man liferaft
- one 4 man life raft
- life vest
- Immersion suit
- helmet
- PLB
- ELT (I assumed it will work in the water tail up)
- Satellite tracker with emergency function
- waterproof packed aviation handheld
- polar and maritime emergency equipment
- temporary installed VOR/ILS receiver connected to Skyview
- Garmin Area 660 connected to Skyview
- 2 iPads with Foreflight
- Stratus 3 ADS-B receiver with AHRS
- 10 Gal extra fuel in the rear baggage compartment
- I put foam into the wings with 1060 lbs buoyancy so the plane would not sink

My RV-8 is also certified in the normal category and has a max T/O mass of 1854 lbs. Loaded with full fuel and equipment the actual T/O mass was 1836 lbs.
 
This trip was just awesome. I can tell you that every day was better than the other. The Atlantic crossing was easy, the weather cooperated mostly and the worst into which almost all my effort and preparation went didn´t happen. Flying in the US is so easy, the airports are well equipped, the ATC is the most efficient and even weather is available in the air with the right equipment.

I flew over the Golden Gate Bridge, the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Hudson River and circled the Statue of Liberty and many many other places in my plane I built myself, I couldn´t believe it but it is true and I still have the smile in my face when I think about it.

The best thing however is the friendly and helpful people and pilots I met everywhere. I was received everywhere like a friend and had the true feeling being welcome. Thanks to all of you talking to me, helping me, commenting my posts and just being with me. I intentionally don´t put names here as I´m afraid I will forget some. There were so many, too many of you!!

I might put some videos at a later time here in the forum to share the good moments I had. This will take some time however.
 
Herman, we're all very glad you came, and speaking for myself, I promise not to shoot at you next time ;)
 
Thanks!

Hermann, Thanks for posting all of the these data points. It was exciting for me to get up each morning and check your progress as I was having my morning coffee. I have bragged about your adventure to many pilot sand non- pilots. It is fun to dream about what it would be like to take on this kind of adventure. These little airplanes do make the world a smaller place. I'd love to see a picture of you RV7. Your 8 was amazing. Hope to run into you someday again... :)
 
Just got home from Oshkosh and a flying trip through the US. First priority after getting back: Go flying with Hermann and our RV-7s:

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I only saw this thread after I got back... So Miles, maybe you remember me? I visited you with Paul in 2013 while you were still building in Tehachapi.

I had a fantastic time in the US and met many incredible people. Thank you again, Gary, Vlad, Mike, Mark, Trish and all the others that I met!

Most of all I'd like to say a special thank you again to Paul and Victoria Rosales who trusted me enough to let me use their plane for a two week flying adventure all the way from California to Oshkosh, to New York and back from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean! There can't ever be enough people like you in the world.

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Vlad selflessly offered to fly the Hudson route with me to take pictures in front of the impressive skyline of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.

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Tobias, I had forgotten your visit to Tehachapi until Paul called a week or so ago and reminded me. You and Hermann are both welcome here in Brighton any time you are back on this side of the Atlantic.
 
Tobi, some great shots here (love that skyrise background), you guys really had a good time :cool:

PS
Best to your F/O :)
 
Liked and subscribed immediately, and looking forward to many more videos. And of course, I left a comment.
 
Watched it; loved it; left a comment. I'm honored that you used a few of my photos of your Brighton visit. Speaking of which, I submitted three photos of your arrival to Van's for their 2020 calendar... hope they use one of them!
 
One of the best motivational RV videos I've seen

Just breathtaking!!!! Outstanding work sir! Watched every second, forwarded to my kids and que'd it up as the top story Monday on VAF.

You're motivating thousands of builders and owners with this. Thank you again so much!!!

v/r,dr
 
What a movie!

Wow - Herman, I agree - that has to be the best flying video I've ever seen! Well done!

Doug, maybe it should be copied in the photos/videos thread as well so nobody misses it?
 
So jealous

Hi Herman- What a trip! You certainly fuel the fire in me to get my -8 finished. Great to meet you in person at OSH. I was the guy that yelled "Wie geht's Deutscher", as I rode past you on the tram pulled by the tractor. Safe travels.
 
love 'em too Hermann :)

Woz nice visiting, your field and hangar sure are cool, not to mention your fleet :cool:
 
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