A Flight by the Numbers

During a ferry flight across the Atlantic, a pilot needs to optimize aircraft performance to make each leg as efficient—and safe—as it can be.

Julie Boatman

Friday, December 10, 2021 at 12:18 PM ET

Verified

Preflight as the sun rises and the frost melts at Keflavik, Iceland. Credit: Julie Boatman

Key Takeaways:

The article chronicles a successful five-leg ferry flight of a TBM 940 aircraft from Tarbes, France, to Groton, Connecticut, covering a total of 15.4 flight hours.
The professional pilot employed strategic planning, including consistently flying at optimal high altitudes (FL280) for efficiency and adjusting routes to mitigate strong headwinds and ensure fuel reserves on long overwater segments.
The TBM 940 demonstrated reliable performance throughout the transatlantic journey, handling diverse conditions and even executing a maximum performance descent with only minor squawks reported.

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We talked a bit about the longest leg of the trip during our first call.

It was important, because in order to optimize the efficiency of a ferry flight, a professional pilot must take a number of things into consideration, including the stamina of those on board.