Ferry Flying: Moving Aircraft Around the Globe

In today’s click and deliver society, the intricacies of logistical accomplishments often go unnoticed. When you can order something one day and it appears on your doorstep the next morning, delivering anything around the world these days seems to be an easy process. 

Well, what about when it comes to delivering private aircraft?

As ferry pilots will tell you, the aircraft delivery process is rarely as simple as flying from Point A to Point B. Each delivery is a unique event that requires special attention to ensure a timely and safe transport that meets all identified expectations. As each flight mission varies, there is no standard guide for ferry flights. But, you can find common patterns across the detailed planning for weather, airspace limitations, aircraft endurance, aircraft equipment, crew duty days, geopolitical dangers and country restrictions.

Behind the Scenes

To better understand all of the moving parts, we turned to Shepherd Aero based at Bellingham International Airport (KBLI) in Washington. Shepherd Aero specializes in moving aircraft around the globe by way of ferry services and international trip support. The company accomplishes more than 100 international deliveries each year. 

“North America and Europe see the highest number of city pairs, but our ‘hot spots’ evolve with geopolitical conditions,” said Andrew Gallagher, director of marketing and business development at Shepherd Aero (and pilot). “For example, the strength of the U.S. dollar can sway which direction the flow of transactions is occurring as most aircraft transactions are conducted in USD. 

“Or, if political conditions in a certain region are deteriorating, we may see more aircraft coming from that region outbound to other locations around the world as buyers take advantage of depressed demand and pricing caused by the politics. We also handle seasonal ferry missions. Some international companies lease aircraft for certain months of the year then use our company to move aircraft from one operating location to another.”

For ferry missions occurring in the westward direction, aircraft without ocean-crossing endurance typically follow a path up through Alaska from the western United States or Canada into Russia, then south toward the Pacific Rim countries. Some notable destinations include China, Japan and Australia. The remainder of the company’s flight activity occurs eastward in the form of North Atlantic crossings. This route has operators flying from the northeastern United States through Canada on to Greenland or Iceland, then further across the pond into the United Kingdom and on to Europe, the Middle East or Africa. 

Follow a Ferry

Recently, the company conducted a North Atlantic delivery of a Phenom 100 from the United States to the Czech Republic. The three-day journey (a standard trip length) originated in Hartford, Connecticut bound for a private individual/buyer in Prague. 

The physical aircraft journey began in the middle of the night with a red-eye departure. The delivery and arrival times were strategically based on trip length and weather and prevented the team from running into much traffic. In the cockpit was Shepherd Aero President Travis Holland accompanied by Andrew Gallagher. The Phenom 100 fits the company’s standard mission profile as the majority of their business involves moving light to midsize turbine aircraft, often under single-pilot operations. Though some clients’ insurance or operational practices will require a second pilot to be present. 

Arriving in Goose Bay after a two-and-a-half-hour flight from across the border, the local time was about 5:00 am. The flight was mostly uneventful other than facing night and IFR conditions at the arrival airport. The Phenom did not stay in Canada for long, only a quick technical stop for fuel and customs work. Soon, the two departed towards the next destination –
Greenland. As Holland and Gallagher flew the aircraft towards Kangerlussuaq Sondrestrom General Airport (BGSF), the sun rose over Northeastern Canada. 

When overflying oceans, there are unique planning considerations. For instance, life rafts are carried during all oceanic operations regardless of the number of engines on the aircraft. And if it is a single-engine aircraft operation, the crew must also wear immersion suits during the flight. 

During the leg to Greenland, the airplane went outside of radar contact, so Travis and Andrew were restricted below RVSM airspace due to aircraft limitations. As such, fuel management was especially critical. And while the flight from Goose Bay to Sondrestrom took longer than planned, the Phenom still landed with more than enough safe fuel. The Shepherd team always aims to have greater than IFR fuel reserves when landing at an international destination. 

After refueling, the day’s final leg was a two-and-a-half-hour flight to Keflavik International Airport (BIKF). After a nice cold evening spent in Iceland (punctuated by earthquake tremors from the nearby volcano), Travis and Andrew embarked for Belfast, Northern Ireland. The flight to EGAA took approximately two hours with en route views of bright sunny skies over the North Atlantic. 

The pair proceeded to have one of the fastest ground turns in company history of just 15 minutes before continuing to the Czech Republic – a straightforward two-hour flight where the new owner eagerly awaited their aircraft’s arrival. Wherever the destination, the satisfaction and excitement of a successful delivery is felt by both sides of the transaction.

International Obstacles

When it pertains to international flying, not all aspects of trip planning are equal across each country. 

“The ICAO does a good job setting global standards and guidelines for aviation,” said Gallagher. “But as an example, there are far fewer routes and airports accessible to civilian aircraft in Russia than there are in Western Europe. So, the planning required is highly variable depending largely on the countries we fly in. 

“And, smaller aircraft with limited endurance requires a lot more planning than large, intercontinental-range aircraft, as the smaller aircraft have to stop more. Furthermore, sometimes smaller aircraft cannot make certain legs of the mission without auxiliary fuel tanks. In that case, we have to plan for the design and installation of these tanks prior to mission start as well as tank removal at the conclusion.”

Unsurprisingly, adaptation and flexibility are fundamental traits in the aircraft ferrying business. Especially in the past year, COVID-19 had a sizable impact on business aviation and tested the flexibility of the company and its pilots. The number of Shepherd Aero’s aircraft movements in 2020 was about half of what it would have been during a “normal” year. Plus, each trip was about twice as much work as before due to the intense restrictions and border closures in place. The Shepherd Aero team is continually adapting to the ever-evolving patchwork of regulations that vary from country to country. 

Typically, Shepherd Aero requests clients submit their ferry request at least 10 days prior to aircraft departure – the company’s time preference for trip planning. Occasionally, however, movement plans come to fruition with less advance notice. 

“We also love the challenge when clients call us needing an airplane moved ASAP. We’ve been able to plan and dispatch flights within a 24-hour notice,” said Gallagher. “That said, we take the safety of our crew very seriously, and we will not jeopardize that at any price. We will delay missions to whatever extent necessary, even at the disappointment of our clients, to ensure the safety of crew
and airplane.”

Ferry Piloting

Crew selection is an integral part of trip preparation. Shepherd Aero begins their pilot determination by analyzing the pilots’ experience in the operated region. Pilots are either company employees or chosen from an extensive database of contract personnel. From there, they select each crew based upon license level, flight hours and overall professionalism.  Regardless of who is chosen, they must follow all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). 

There are no specific legal requirements to be a ferry pilot outside the standard pilot qualifications of type and class ratings. However, to be legally compensated for serving as a ferry pilot, one must hold at least an FAA or equivalent commercial pilot license. 

One positive about the constantly changing COVID-19 regulations has been the continued adaptation of technical stops versus full stops with deboarding. The latter counts as an entry into a country, which constitutes a multitude of related guidelines to follow, especially pertaining to COVID testing and restrictions between various countries. These inter-country movements of pilots could result in travel issues and delays if not all rules are followed or documented correctly.

To keep track of all of the considerations, the Shepherd
Aero team utilizes a litany of documents, software and communication practices. Most notable is their proprietary flight planning and filing software, “eurofpl.eu”, which manages all of their international flights. The operations team has members in North America, South Africa and China, so they are able to cover all time zones, offering true 24/7 flight coverage. Even with the intense amount of preplanning, every ferry flight presents obstacles, so the team constantly communicates with contingency plans always at the ready.