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Old 02-06-2020, 02:06 PM   #81
Icelander
 
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Default Beriev Be-12 Chayka

Assuming that Kessler obtained a Be-12 amphibious aircraft shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, what is the most reasonable way for him to be able to use it?

I get the feeling that the FAA certification process in the US is absolutely not worth it for just one airframe and registering it as 'Experimental' would make it useless in that it would be confined close to its home field.

Since airplanes registered in a foreign country can fly through and land in territories where they are not registered, what are the practical limits on that?

For example, if an aircraft charter company was established in some Eastern Bloc country (or somewhere else in the world where a Be-12 is legal for commercial purposes), are there any limits on how long-term chartering an aircraft for them for use in another part of the world can be before you need to register a local company that is officially leasing the aircraft?

Say, if Kessler wanted the Be-12 to travel between various Caribbean islands to be available for SAR and medevac for certain 'Night Rider' (Monster Hunter) operations, could it just be registered in Russia or somewhere like Angola, Namibia or somewhere equivalent the entire time?

Also, does anyone have a rough guess about the operating costs for the Be-12?
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Old 02-06-2020, 02:12 PM   #82
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Default Re: Seaplanes or Amphibious Aircraft for Caribbean Adventuring and Logistics

A quick aside that occurred to me is that gun blisters replaced with bubble canopies would be good stations for spotters, particularly spotters with magically enhanced senses.
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Old 02-06-2020, 02:38 PM   #83
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Default PBY Catalina

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kale View Post
A quick aside that occurred to me is that gun blisters replaced with bubble canopies would be good stations for spotters, particularly spotters with magically enhanced senses.
That's right, it could be useful for search & rescue or in some unimaginably horrible situation, when responding to a supernatural event unsubtle enough so that it can be seen from the air.

Aside from the PBY Catalina, what TL6 or TL7 amphibious aircraft that are still flying today have really good visibility?
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Old 02-07-2020, 08:55 AM   #84
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Default Home Bases for Transport Aircraft

--
Houston, TX; William P. Hobby Airport
Cessna 172P Skyhawk
Mooney M20J 201

Galveston, TX; Scholes International Airport at Galveston
Lake LA-4-200-EP 'Buccaneer' Amphibian
Beechcraft Bonanza A36
SOCATA TBM 700A
'Angelique'; Grumman McKinnon G21G 'Turbo Goose'
Ilyushin Il-76TD

Commemorative Air Force (loaned to Lone Star Flight Museum until 2017)
Douglas C-47 Skytrain
Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina

Beaumont, TX; Beaumont Municipal Airport
Cessna 172P Skyhawk

Port Arthur, TX; Jack Brooks Regional Airport
Lake LA-4-200-EP 'Buccaneer' Amphibian

New Orleans, LA; Lakefront Airport
Lake LA-250 Renegade
SOCATA TBM 700B

Mobile, AL; Mobile Downtown Airport
Lake LA-270 Seafury

Mobile Regional Airport
de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter

Gainesville, FL; Gainesville Regional Airport
Lake LA-4-200-EP 'Buccaneer' Amphibian
Beechcraft Bonanza A36
SOCATA TBM 700C2

Key West, FL; Key West International Airport
de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver

Fort Lauderdale, FL; Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport
Piper PA-32R-301 Saratoga
Beechcraft Baron 58
Pilatus PC-12

Nassau, New Providence Island, the Bahamas; Lynden Pindling International Airport
de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter
SOCATA TBM 700B

Cockburn Town, San Salvador Island, the Bahamas; San Salvador Airport
Cessna T207A Stationair 8

Beef Island, British Virgin Islands; Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport
Grumman G21A Goose
Mooney M20J 201

St. Croix, US Virgin Islands; Henry E. Rohlsen Airport
Grumman G21A Goose

St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; Cyril E. King Airport
Grumman JRF-5 Goose

Turks and Caicos Islands; Providenciales International Airport
de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver

Guadeloupe; Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport
Antonov An-2VF
SOCATA TBM 700A

Dominica; Douglas-Charles Airport
'Dominique'; Grumman JRF-5 Goose

Estate by Petite Soufrière Bay
Antonov An-2V

Martinique; Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport
Antonov An-2V
Beechcraft Bonanza A36

St. Lucia; George F. L. Charles Airport
Cessna 172P Skyhawk
Beechcraft E55 Baron
Grumman JRF-5 Goose
SOCATA TBM 700C2
Short S.25 Sandringham 5
---

Comments? Suggestions?

Anything I'm clearly doing wrong or something I'm obviously missing?
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Old 02-07-2020, 11:51 AM   #85
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Default Re: Seaplanes or Amphibious Aircraft for Caribbean Adventuring and Logistics

That's quite a lot of transport assets, though most are small and they're very dispersed. I'm not saying it's too much or anything, and a lot of those if run by charter and freight companies could at least cover their costs, but he's got a decent sized private air fleet there.

One way to curry favour with local authorities would be volunteering the smaller planes for SAR work, and using both the smaller and larger ones for relief work after hurricanes.
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Old 02-07-2020, 12:19 PM   #86
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Default Re: Seaplanes or Amphibious Aircraft for Caribbean Adventuring and Logistics

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That's quite a lot of transport assets, though most are small and they're very dispersed. I'm not saying it's too much or anything, and a lot of those if run by charter and freight companies could at least cover their costs, but he's got a decent sized private air fleet there.
Yeah, it's a lot.

Mind you, the four Grumman Gooses that used to belong to Antilles Air Boats are actually and legitimately kept as sort of functioning museum pieces, dedicated to the aviation history of the Antilles islands (and kept on islands they used to fly to). They aren't kept at any sort of mission-ready profile and don't have a full-time salaried pilot assigned to them or anything, although all of them have a pilot available that can be warned to prepare them and remain on alert if the Night Riders are carrying out a mission nearby.

The Sandringham is a similar deal. It's function is to provide a way to fly the people of Kessler's network who live on Dominica and St. Lucia somewhere, but as they are mostly retired Night Riders, the Sandringham has been called upon maybe twice in the past decade. Otherwise, it's a museum piece lovingly maintained as the treasured relic of an Antilles Air Boats non-profit.

These five aircraft are included among the logistical fleet as they could be used that way in an emrgency, but they are really kept because Kessler is actually an enthusiast of seaplanes, Caribbean aviation and the Golden Age of Travel. There are tours. Air shows. Annual fancy balls where the guests are flown there in old Antilles Air Boats seaplanes with dressed-up crew emulating an idealized old-school Caribbean travel experience. Maureen O'Hara is always invited and came several times in the 90s. Kessler flirted outrageously with her.

As for the numbers otherwise, I added a bunch of more economical smaller planes anywhere I could see actual savings in total yearly costs by supplementing less efficient types that cost a lot per hour with more mundane planes for more mundane work.

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One way to curry favour with local authorities would be volunteering the smaller planes for SAR work, and using both the smaller and larger ones for relief work after hurricanes.
For any where it makes sense for the model, that's a good idea. Also good cover, because SAR is what they would probably be doing if called upon to respond immediately and go into a dangerous situation.
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Old 04-04-2020, 07:54 AM   #87
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Default Light Aircraft that is Fun to Fly

So, in New Orleans, the team there has the use of a Lake LA-250 Renegade. It occurs to me that the pilot attached to the team, Mike LeBlanc (b. September 16, 1970; Baton Rouge, LA), is paid quite highly and enjoys flying quite a lot. So he might have convinced his bosses to buy a smaller plane than the Renegade (able to take two passengers), which he is allowed to fly for fun and pay for his own fuel.

LeBlanc is a former Marine aviator who flew F/A-18c jets. What sort of light airplane might he enjoy flying?

It doesn't have to be amphibious, but in order for him to be able to justify his bosses acquiring it (without buying it personally), it has to be able to take one or two passengers from New Orleans to the Houston metropolitan area more economically than the Renegade.

Ideally, it should be a plane that is simple to prepare for flight, is responsive in the air and makes a good plane for flight instruction.

Suggestions?
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Old 04-04-2020, 08:48 AM   #88
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Default Re: Light Aircraft that is Fun to Fly

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It doesn't have to be amphibious, but in order for him to be able to justify his bosses acquiring it (without buying it personally), it has to be able to take one or two passengers from New Orleans to the Houston metropolitan area more economically than the Renegade.

Ideally, it should be a plane that is simple to prepare for flight, is responsive in the air and makes a good plane for flight instruction.

Suggestions?
That sounds like a light Cessna. I'd say if someone's a vintage aircraft buff, a Piper Cub or Supercub, but they are probably a bit too slow.
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Old 04-04-2020, 09:29 AM   #89
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Default Re: Light Aircraft that is Fun to Fly

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That sounds like a light Cessna. I'd say if someone's a vintage aircraft buff, a Piper Cub or Supercub, but they are probably a bit too slow.
This is one of the few aircraft where it doesn't really matter when it was built or how technologically complex it is. It's not meant for flying into areas of strong supernatural forces, just as a toy for Mike LeBlanc, justified by the frequent need to shuttle people quickly between airports in Beaumont, Galveston or around Houston, and New Orleans.

LeBlanc likes fast cars, motorcycles and supersonic jets. He buys the cars and motorcycles personally, but as he could probably not justify his bosses acquring a supersonic jet (and even if he's highly paid, can't afford one personally), he'll want whatever modern light aircraft is most fun to fly and requires little hassle to take up for a recreational jaunt with little notice.

There are a few Cessna 172P Skyhawks in use for similar things. Is there anything (can be a touch smaller if required) that is clearly more fun to fly?
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Old 04-04-2020, 09:40 AM   #90
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Default Re: Light Aircraft that is Fun to Fly

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That sounds like a light Cessna. I'd say if someone's a vintage aircraft buff, a Piper Cub or Supercub, but they are probably a bit too slow.
A WW II training aircraft would probably be vintage enough and defintely faster than a Cub. Actual warbirds with multi-seat capacity are rare as hen's teeth. anything but P-51Ds is rare. The Mustangs are just expensive without being quite "rare".

I have no idea if you can still get OV-10 "Broncos" (which are statted up in Gurps Seals in Vietnam).

https://www.aircraftcompare.com/airc...-ov-10-bronco/

Okay, maybe.

The "similar aircraft" links on the page shouldn't encourage you though. No one is going to sell you an XB-70 "Valkyrie". :)
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