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I'm interested in this plane, but the aircraft's advertised range is 1,800nm with 6 passengers onboard.

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So a direct flight is not possible.

How do you fly from e.g. Paris to New York? What are the possible routes for shortest time, or maximum safety margin.

What stops do other aircraft of similar category make?

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  • $\begingroup$ Welcome to aviation.SE! This question or this one might be helpful if your question is about range. If it is, you might also ask yourself "how can I drive further than my car can go on a single tank of gas?". Or maybe you're asking "where can aircraft refuel when crossing the Atlantic?"; if so, feel free to clarify that. $\endgroup$
    – Pondlife
    Commented Feb 14, 2022 at 16:16
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    $\begingroup$ wow I'm surprised by the downvotes guys! this doesn't seem a super welcoming community $\endgroup$
    – julien_c
    Commented Feb 14, 2022 at 21:13
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    $\begingroup$ @julien_c I suggest to edit your question to ask for specific suggestions such as routing, pilot experience, expected weather conditions and other route specific information. If you agree, I can edit it into your question. $\endgroup$
    – Raffles
    Commented Feb 14, 2022 at 21:52
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    $\begingroup$ Why do you think the answer would be different from the general case of flying any plane to any destination beyond its fuel range? $\endgroup$
    – StephenS
    Commented Feb 17, 2022 at 13:28

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There is a lot of different possible choices, all depending on how fast you want to get there, how much you are willing to spend, how much fun you wanna have along the way, how safe you want to be and who your friends are.

Taking it to the extreme, strictly speaking, some extra fuel would get you there in one go. The airplane may not have the tanks for it, but if those were to be installed and the airplane stripped for every non-essential item except for you in your underwear, it would be able to take off with the necessary fuel in extra weight. They don't call it super versatile for no good reason. But okay, so much for the nonsense.

The most common route is over the north Atlantic, which for the PC 24 basically pivots around Reykjavik. The PC 24 is a certified aircraft and therefore by no means less safe than any airliner. It's being flown along that route fairly often, primarily for ferry flights. Having a PIC who's done it before is highly recommendable. Many pilots get nervous flying over large bodies of water for good reason and the extra catch to this route is the extreme cold. Rescue gear back and forth, to survive ditching in a PC 24 in the north Atlantic requires having some serious guardian angels.

If you want to get an impression of what flying that route is like, there is a documentary of an actual ferry flight available on YouTube, plus various videos of the same trip in other aircraft, including a single engine Cessna and a good old Dakota. It gives you a fair idea of what to expect along the way in the sense of accommodations and services.

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  • $\begingroup$ Even if you try to avoid the extreme cold of the arctic by flying via the Azores, the water can still be cold enough to cause serious problems in a ditching situation. When the Titanic sank, well south of Newfoundland, the water temperature was -2°C (28°F), and most people who went into the water died from the cold within 30 minutes. $\endgroup$
    – Michael Seifert
    Commented Feb 16, 2022 at 16:04
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    $\begingroup$ @MichaelSeifert Oh, well within 30 minutes. There's no deader than dead you know. It's not where it ends, but how it ends and how close by that you fly. You're either perfectly safe,... or not at all. It's the black & whiteness about flying over water that tickles the nerves. But we're still talking about aviation, right? $\endgroup$
    – user55607
    Commented Feb 16, 2022 at 18:50
  • $\begingroup$ Experienced ferry pilots always wear suitable clothes. A decent flying outfit can give buoyancy and act as a wet suit in the case of a ditching. It is even good advice for airline pax, you never know what might happen. Flying over the arctic in flip flops, baggies and T shirt could be a handicap if the plane has to make a forced landing. $\endgroup$
    – Raffles
    Commented Feb 16, 2022 at 19:05
  • $\begingroup$ @Raffles I can just imagine bobbling around in the north Atlantic in my super duper safety suit, waiting to get rescued, thinking: "How could I be so stupid as to believe this thing could save me? Now I'll starve to death before anyone finds me, Great!" Sometimes it's better to just accept life as it is and wear comfortable shoes. And if you really do have a chance to survive the freezing water, like with United 1549, there's always something to wear. $\endgroup$
    – user55607
    Commented Feb 16, 2022 at 19:20
  • $\begingroup$ Here is something to read aerossurance.com/emergency-response/… $\endgroup$
    – Raffles
    Commented Mar 18, 2022 at 11:56
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If your question is about routing, you would have to fly something like LFPB - LPAZ - CYYT - KTEB for instance, or substitute BIRK for LPAZ. Choose the best routing according to fuel cost, ease of obtaining overflight clearances and visas* if you are going to stop over, and handling costs. Weather will also be a consideration. I've done this plenty, get yourself a good handling company.

Make sure you are familiar with the radio reporting procedure, there is a very specific format and is found on the Jeppesen North Atlantic charts. If you have CPDLC all the better. There is also a very specific radio procedure for receiving oceanic clearance and readback.

Note: A route like this is not for a novice! You need to be familiar with Atlantic crossing procedures.

*That will be a very long flight, you might have to stop over at one of the intermediate stops. Santa Maria is very nice and if I am not mistaken, the Schengen visa covers it.

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    $\begingroup$ LFPB - LPAZ - CYYT - KTEB sounds good and shouldn't be very complicated visa-wise. A friend of mine would be the pilot though he would still need to get his jet certification. Thanks for your reply! I think we should be able to make it in ~24 hours one way including the stops, no? $\endgroup$
    – julien_c
    Commented Feb 14, 2022 at 21:15
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    $\begingroup$ As I said I would recommend that an experienced pilot be on board, one who knows the Atlantic crossing protocols and who has done this before. And make sure the weather forecast is good, $\endgroup$
    – Raffles
    Commented Feb 14, 2022 at 21:26

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