The spark of adventure ignites when I share my plan to fly a small airplane from California to Argentina and back. Eyes widen, and questions pour in: “How long will it take?” “How many stops?” “Can you fly that far non-stop?” “Are you going solo?” “How long have you been flying?” “Do you own your own plane?”.
The connection between people when passion is present is incredible and this project has generated immense interest. Thanks to Illya‘s suggestion, I’ll be documenting my adventure here.
The Pilot
Born and raised in Argentina, I never imagined flying myself across the Americas. Twenty years ago, the idea of becoming a Software Engineer in California and flying small airplanes as a hobby would have been laughable. With no aviation connections, I got deeply curious when I discovered flying lessons in Sept 2016 and became instantly hooked. I earned my private, commercial and instrument rating in a rapid succession, accumulating about 700 hours of flight time in the last 8 years. Most flights were $100 hamburgers near my home airport, sharing Bay Tours with friends, and getting reminded of flying’s thrill and my fortunate circumstances.
The Plane
In August 2021 I joined my friend Federico in San Antonio, Texas for transition training on the Mooney Ovation that he just bought. After that he ferry it all the way to Argentina to his home airport in Buenos Aires (SADJ). I fell in love with Mooneys – streamlined, fuel-efficient, and perfect for long trips. After Federico’s encouragement, I searched for a M20J and found N1162G, a 1982 model, which I named Diana. With advanced avionics, autopilot, and sleek paint, Diana was perfect. Easily developing 155 knots with 10 gallons/hour we’ve explored the West Coast, from Seattle to San Diego for the last 3 years. And after the autopilot broke beyond repair, I upgraded to a full Garmin panel (G500 TXi, Gi275, GFC500, GTN750 TXi, and GNC355) this year. I’m now ready for a transcontinental adventure!
The Plan
As a Software Engineer with a flexible schedule, I’ve planned a mix of sabbatical, paid time off and remote work for 2.5 months to make the trip possible, starting in January ’25. Planning 15,000 miles is overwhelming, so I’m focusing on principles and alternatives in case of unforeseen circumstances. I’ve chosen the Caribbean route over going through Central America due to its scenic views, easier insurance, and the ability to draw from Federico’s expertise. Of course this doesn’t come for free since it will take longer and I’ll be flying over large bodies of water, which demands some extra preparation. In total, this route is 7500 miles or about 45h of flight time to get from California (KHWD) to San Fernando, Argentina (SADF)
Minimizing Stops
To maximize my South American flying experience, I aim to make the least amount of stops reasonable. Two key reasons drive this approach:
- Prioritizing South America: As the furthest point from my home airport, I want to spend more time exploring this region. The Caribbean can be revisited, but accessing Brazil and beyond may be more challenging in the future.
- Efficient border crossings: Each international landing requires navigating immigration and customs, taking around two hours. With Diana’s 64-gallon tank and 8-10 gallons per hour consumption, I’ll plan 5-7 hour daily legs. This allows for approximately 10 days to reach Argentina, weather and mechanical issues permitting.
Route Breakdown
So, with that in mind I break the trip in three big sections: USA, Caribbean and South America:
- USA [KHWD, California – KFXE, Florida, ~2600 miles, ~15h flight time]: This seems the easiest section, all my hours of flight time have been in the States and I’m very familiar with the operations. The challenge here will be crossing the Sierra Nevada and the Rockies and navigating afternoon thunderstorms in the South East. It will also give me a good amount of time to fine tune my numbers to ensure I understand how the plane behaves in long flights, which will be essential when flying across open water in the Caribbean. I’m planning to make 1 or 2 stops, depending on how lean I can run the engine to conserve fuel. I want to see if I can fly above 900 nautical miles in one go, since that’s the distance between Florida and Puerto Rico
- Caribbean [KFXE, Florida – TGPY, Grenada, ~1700 miles, ~10h flight time]: This is probably the most challenging section, since it will be the first time I cross the international border and I’ll be flying over water for the majority of the time. As part of the preparation I purchased life vests, a life raft, food and water rations, a waterproof floating backpack, a waterproof fanny pack and a Personal Location Beacon. I hope to avoid immigration and customs by flying non-stop from Florida to Puerto Rico, but that’s 920nm and I’m not sure I can make the trip with sufficient fuel reserves in one go. Based on what I learn from the long legs in the USA I’ll decide to either stop there or in Dominican Republic instead.
- South America [TGPY, Grenada – SADF, Argentina, ~3200 miles, ~19h flight time]: This will be the most interesting section. I can go straight down over the Brazilian jungle for fast arrival or follow the Atlantic coast for amore scenic view, I’ll decide once I get there. This part of the trip prompted me to get glow sticks, a tent, a survival and a first aid kit, in case I have to land off-airport in a non-populated areas.
But this is just half the battle; I’ll also have to navigate the return journey, potentially through Central America. Stay tuned for more updates, and join me on this incredible adventure!
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