"GENESEO COUPLE PILOTS THEIR OWN PLANE IN TRIP AROUND THE WORLD" - CLAUDIA LOUCKS
Geneseo couple pilots their own plane in trip around the world
Article written by Claudia Loucks (claudialoucks@gmail.com) for QCOnline.com
Original post date: November 6, 2017
original article: click here
Original post date: November 6, 2017
Claudia Loucks
GENESEO – John and Carla Edwards are
adventurers, recently completing an around-the-world trip in their
six-place single-engine turboprop.
Mr. Edwards piloted the plane with his wife in the “right seat,” on the trip, which began Aug. 22 when they left from Anchorage, Alaska, and ended Oct. 18, when they landed in Moline.
Mr. Edwards calculated the trip was “62 days, 27,000 nautical miles and 115 flight hours.”
The Geneseo couple will give a power point presentation on the trip at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13, at Lionstone Brewery and Gastropub, 1225 South Oakwood Ave., Geneseo.
Mr. Edwards said the plane is a 2014 TBM 900 made in Tarbes, France, by Daher/Socata. "We fly at 30 to 31,000 with a 315 nautical miles per hour true air speed…This gives us 360 mph across the ground, in a no-wind setting.”
He said the most frightening part of the trip was being detained by Russian security for six hours over an alleged Russian air space violation.
“It was actually a communication breakdown in their system, but the Russians did not want to admit error,” he said. “After six hours of negotiations, I signed a statement saying that I unknowingly violated their airspace and that I now understood their requirements.
"Their air traffic control gave me my departure clearance and we took off only to be told to immediately return to the aerodome. Their customs and border patrol had not processed our departure documents – bureaucratic mess. We were really glad to have Russia behind us.”
“We saw many exciting and beautiful places, from Japan, Taipei, the Great Barrier Reef, the Sidney Opera House, the wildlife of Kangaroo Island, the beauty of Uluru, the camel ride at Broome Australia, Singapore, Bali, Langkawi, the Sri Lanka elephants, the stunning beauty of the Maldives, the opulence of Dubai, the 5,000-year-old history of Luxor, the French Pyrenees mountain range, London and our North Atlantic crossing," Mrs. Edwards said.
There were six airplanes on the trip, coordinated by Air Journey, which Mrs. Edwards said is “a company located in Florida that specializes in exotic trips for general aviation pilot owners.”
Last year, the couple traveled with Air Journey on a 35-day, 15,000-mile trip to South America.
“Prior to that trip, we had traveled with Air Journey on five different trips to Caribbean islands,” Mrs. Edwards said.
In March, “we were one of the few who were able to fly their plane into Cuba,” Mrs. Edwards said.
It was more than a year ago when the couple began talking about the trip around the world.
This was the first year Air Journey offered Australia as a highlight, spending 18 days exploring Australia, Mr. Edwards said.
In previous years, “Air Journey put together seven around the world adventures, always departing from Quebec, flying easterly," he said. "This was their first trip departing from Anchorage, flying westerly.
“Flying internationally is a challenge, with air space permitting, landing permitting, over-flight permitting, hiring ground handlers at each airport to coordinate fueling, customs, flight planning and ground transportation,” all of which are Air Journey’s forte, Mr. Edwards said.
“The entire journey is detailed in an itinerary format with departure, destination, leg distance, ground transportation, hotel information, days at each location, location touring, dining arrangements and more,” he said.
Typical flight legs on the journey were in the 1,000 to 1,300 nautical mileage ranges, which amounted to three to four hours flying time, Mr. Edwards said.
In addition to the Edwards’ turboprop, the other five planes on the trip were a CJ3 from Seattle, Wash.; a Cessna Mustang from Calgary; a TBM 910 from Toronto; a Pilatus PC-12 from Albany, N.Y.; and a CJ3+ from Mountain Air, N.C.
It was a great group to travel with and they had known only a couple from North Carolina before the trip, “but made lasting friends with the entire group,” Mrs. Edwards said.
She and her husband have talked of going with Air Journey on an African adventure and their Discover Europe trip.
Mr. Edwards may have help piloting the plane on the couple’s next extended trek, as Mrs. Edwards plans to begin private pilot training this winter in Arizona.
Mr. Edwards piloted the plane with his wife in the “right seat,” on the trip, which began Aug. 22 when they left from Anchorage, Alaska, and ended Oct. 18, when they landed in Moline.
Mr. Edwards calculated the trip was “62 days, 27,000 nautical miles and 115 flight hours.”
The Geneseo couple will give a power point presentation on the trip at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13, at Lionstone Brewery and Gastropub, 1225 South Oakwood Ave., Geneseo.
Mr. Edwards said the plane is a 2014 TBM 900 made in Tarbes, France, by Daher/Socata. "We fly at 30 to 31,000 with a 315 nautical miles per hour true air speed…This gives us 360 mph across the ground, in a no-wind setting.”
He said the most frightening part of the trip was being detained by Russian security for six hours over an alleged Russian air space violation.
“It was actually a communication breakdown in their system, but the Russians did not want to admit error,” he said. “After six hours of negotiations, I signed a statement saying that I unknowingly violated their airspace and that I now understood their requirements.
"Their air traffic control gave me my departure clearance and we took off only to be told to immediately return to the aerodome. Their customs and border patrol had not processed our departure documents – bureaucratic mess. We were really glad to have Russia behind us.”
“We saw many exciting and beautiful places, from Japan, Taipei, the Great Barrier Reef, the Sidney Opera House, the wildlife of Kangaroo Island, the beauty of Uluru, the camel ride at Broome Australia, Singapore, Bali, Langkawi, the Sri Lanka elephants, the stunning beauty of the Maldives, the opulence of Dubai, the 5,000-year-old history of Luxor, the French Pyrenees mountain range, London and our North Atlantic crossing," Mrs. Edwards said.
There were six airplanes on the trip, coordinated by Air Journey, which Mrs. Edwards said is “a company located in Florida that specializes in exotic trips for general aviation pilot owners.”
Last year, the couple traveled with Air Journey on a 35-day, 15,000-mile trip to South America.
“Prior to that trip, we had traveled with Air Journey on five different trips to Caribbean islands,” Mrs. Edwards said.
In March, “we were one of the few who were able to fly their plane into Cuba,” Mrs. Edwards said.
It was more than a year ago when the couple began talking about the trip around the world.
This was the first year Air Journey offered Australia as a highlight, spending 18 days exploring Australia, Mr. Edwards said.
In previous years, “Air Journey put together seven around the world adventures, always departing from Quebec, flying easterly," he said. "This was their first trip departing from Anchorage, flying westerly.
“Flying internationally is a challenge, with air space permitting, landing permitting, over-flight permitting, hiring ground handlers at each airport to coordinate fueling, customs, flight planning and ground transportation,” all of which are Air Journey’s forte, Mr. Edwards said.
“The entire journey is detailed in an itinerary format with departure, destination, leg distance, ground transportation, hotel information, days at each location, location touring, dining arrangements and more,” he said.
Typical flight legs on the journey were in the 1,000 to 1,300 nautical mileage ranges, which amounted to three to four hours flying time, Mr. Edwards said.
In addition to the Edwards’ turboprop, the other five planes on the trip were a CJ3 from Seattle, Wash.; a Cessna Mustang from Calgary; a TBM 910 from Toronto; a Pilatus PC-12 from Albany, N.Y.; and a CJ3+ from Mountain Air, N.C.
It was a great group to travel with and they had known only a couple from North Carolina before the trip, “but made lasting friends with the entire group,” Mrs. Edwards said.
She and her husband have talked of going with Air Journey on an African adventure and their Discover Europe trip.
Mr. Edwards may have help piloting the plane on the couple’s next extended trek, as Mrs. Edwards plans to begin private pilot training this winter in Arizona.
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