Mike Laver flew his personal Platinum Series MU-2K-10, N50ET, in a scenic around-the-world trip in 25 days. The highlight of the trip was arriving in Nagoya, Japan on September 14, 2013 for the 50th anniversary of the first flight of the MU-2.  In this page, you can follow his adventure in chronological order from Day 1 to Day 25 with some final thoughts.

PHOTO GALLERY

Sunday, August 25, 2013:  Day 1 - Aiken, SC-Goose Bay, Canada   

 

Wednesday, September 11, 2013: Day 18 - Horn Island-Cebu, Philippines
We awoke to a beautiful morning at the Grand Hotel on Thursday Island. At 0610 we walked over to the dock in order to catch the ferry that would take us back to the Horn Island airport and N50ET. Cynthia from Australian Customs came to the dock and gave us our clearance paperwork to depart Australia. The 20-minute ferry ride to Horn Island was fantastic as we watched the sunrise along the way. After a short bus ride to the airport and a daily inspection on N50ET (photo left: sunrise inspection) we were ready to go. Michael from Horn Island Airport Authority (who had very kindly run us to the ferry yesterday) came bounding across the Tarmac to wish us well. I am sad to be leaving Australia because we have received such wonderful hospitality everywhere, but I will not miss the user fees.

After we were airborne from Horn Island, it was just 30 minutes and we were crossing the FIR boundary (Flight Information Region--specific region of airspace where flight information and alerting services are provided) and back into Indonesian air space heading for Biak for a quick fuel stop. We are at 24,000 feet and the temp is ISA +20; our fuel burn is 66 gallons per hour, the true air speed is 283 knots, and the winds are light and variable. As we passed over the rugged terrain of Papua New Guinea at 25,000 feet, it was scary to see that the mountain peaks were only a few thousand feet below us (photo right). As we approach Biak, the weather is marginal with isolated thunderstorms, which we find ourselves in for a few minutes. We flew the full ILS approach into Biak and broke out at around 1,500 feet to a clear runway.

Mike once again organized the fueling while I dealt with customs and immigration through the handler. The handler came back and said that we did not clear customs when we departed Indonesia last week, but no problem--with $130.00 we would be cleared. I thought that was a bargain. A few minutes later the handler came back with my $130.00 and explained that it was not a problem, and all was okay. We were now clear to go, and we were in and out of Biak in just 45 minutes.

Now we are on our way to Cebu; we climbed on top of the weather, and it was not very long before we were in clear skies again, with the ICTZ (Intertropical Convergence Zone--area encircling the earth near the equator where the northeast and southeast tradewinds meet) is now behind us. We crossed the equator at 0111 Zulu time or 9:11 PM eastern US time (photo left), and now that we are back in the northern hemisphere home seems closer. The flight is smooth, and the weather is reasonably kind to us, but unfortunately we are now back on HF radio for the long overwater stretch. I am very pleased that I installed a good HF radio, because it makes all the difference. Manila Center and Mactan Approach were so easy to work with--I asked for track shortening, and that was no problem. We were radar vectored on to the VOR/DME Runway 22 approach which was all visual.

Cebu is a very large international airport. Customs came out to meet us on the ramp and stamped our passports while Mike did the fueling. Once everything was completed at the airport, we just drove out the side gate without even entering the terminal building. Our driver took us straight to the hotel for our evening's rest by the ocean. Back to Top


Thursday, September 12, 2013:  Day 19 - Cebu-Taipai, Taiwan
Today our departure was scheduled for 10:00 AM, though we were at the airport and ready to go at 0830--I am not sure how that happened. Again the handlers were so polite and friendly; they arrived with customs and immigration, and we were stamped out right at the aircraft. (Photo left: Mike completing depature paperwork in the Philippines.) We requested an early departure from Mactan Clearance. Fortunately they accommodated us, so we were on our way to Taipei.

We started at 24,000 feet then later climbed to 25,000 feet for our 1028 nautical mile leg to Taipai. Today was VHF all the way--so that made communication easy--Manila Centre and Taiwan Centre were very easy to understand as well as polite and helpful. Today we had to do quite a bit of diverting for weather, but overall it was a nice flight. As we approached Taipei, we were radar vectored for the runway 23L ILS; that approach was visual all the way except for around one mile visibility because of the haze. Taipei is a huge international airport, and there is no doubt that we were the smallest aircraft there by far. (Photo right: N50ET on the business aviation ramp at the Taiwan Taoyuan International airport.) After about 15 minutes, however, we lucked out and were joined by a single engine Piper Meridian.

After Mike handled the fueling, we were on our way through the terminal building for Customs and Immigration. That process was as easy as every other place we have been to thanks to Baseops having everything organized so well. Except for the instrument approach, my flight plan time was within 2 minutes of my actual time. I landed with 110 gallons still remaining--what a great flight! Tomorrow is the big day with our flight to Nagoya, Japan, the home of Mitsubishi and of course the original home of the MU-2. 

(Photo left: Mike has an unexpected room guest this evening.) Back to Top




Friday, September 13, 2013: Day 20 - Taipei-Nagoya, Japan
This morning we were up at 0500 for an 0600 pick up at the hotel. The driver was there, ready to pick us up, and we were on our 10-minute ride to the airport. The handlers were at the departure area of the airport waiting, and once again we were through immigration and security within minutes. Then it was a long walk past all the great duty free shops of Hermes, Burberry, Louis Vuitton and many more. We could have bought anything we wanted but my focus was on our flight to Nagoya--the whole purpose of this trip. Just think, tomorrow it will be 50 years since the first flight of the MU-2! (Photo left:  prototype of MU-2A in test flight in 1963 in Nagoya, Japan.)  This year also marks the 40 year anniversary of N50ET (S/N 260), which is now a modern aircraft with updated engines, avionics, and propellers that will outperform anything in its category--what an amazing aircraft! 

When we arrived alongside N50ET, we bid our fantastic handlers farewell; they did a great job and again were very polite and respectful. Today we were to depart off runway 05 left, which was probably only 1000 feet from we're we were parked. Once airborne our standard instrument departure was a straight ahead climb up to 25,000 feet in clear weather. Our leg today is 1059 nautical miles and the winds are light and variable. All communications are on VHF, and they all speak Australian very well. After just 50 minutes we are crossing the FIR boundary into Japan's air space and talking to Fukuoka Control while under complete radar control. Today Baseops filed us at 296 knots, though I opted to cruise at 290 knots which brought my fuel burn down and put us just 4 minutes behind the flight planned time in Nagoya. Fukuoka Control just cleared us direct to Kushimoto--though I don't believe they understood my response--so we tracked to KEC (Kushimoto) and advised. The descent and approach into Nagoya was very easy, with radar vectors for the runway 16 VOR/DME approach in clear skies, but with reduced visibility because of the haze.

When we taxied to the ramp in Nagoya, I was so surprised and delighted to see a crowd of well wishers (photo left). Mike and I were so kindly given gifts of flowers, and of course there were many photos taken. It was very obvious that Mitsubishi had plans for us. After fueling and clearing customs and immigration, we were taken to the Mitsubishi factory on the airport where lunch was organized. Later we were given a fascinating tour of the Mitsubishi Factory museum, which included the history and an airframe of the Mitsubishi Zero, and we saw the first long (G) model MU-2 that has apparently not long been taken out of service in Japan. Next we were taken to see the MU-2A, the start of the aircraft that we all love and respect. Yoshiaki Asako from MHIA who most of us know was here to greet us and see that we are well taken care of (photo right: group photo with Mike and N50ET). I am so grateful to Mitsubishi for the respect, honor, and hospitality they showed us on arrival.
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Saturday, September 14, 2013: Day 21 - Nagoya, Japan
Today is the 50th anniversary of the first flight of the MU-2. Mike Collins and I are here in Nagoya with N50ET as guests of Mitsubishi. Tod, Mason, and Yoshi from Mitsubishi have treated us with so much respect and have been so generous and hospitable; they have thought of everything to make our time in Japan as enjoyable as they can. I am so grateful for their hospitality, and I will never forget this historic day.

As our wonderful day was winding down we bid Tod and Mason a fond farewell for the evening; we will see them again in the morning for our departure. As we walked into the Marriott lobby heading for the elevator, I caught a glimpse out the corner of my eye of a person that looked very similar to Ross Russo, my dear friend and owner of MU-2 Solitaire, N62CN. As I took a closer look--I realized it was Ross--and that once again, I have been surprised by my friends (photo right: Ross Russo surprises Mike in Nagoya). I played cool at first though and gave Ross a casual wave and kept on walking; Ross waved back and looked at the floor. What a pleasant surprise that Ross, after climbing Mt. Fuji yesterday, jumped on the Bullet Train from Tokyo with his cousin and climbing partner, Vaughn Girol, and came to visit for a few hours to wish Mike and I well on our trip. What an incredible time we have had in Nagoya--thanks to all our of friends.

On another note I need to update everyone from yesterday. As promised I carried the framed and signed print of the MU-2 fleet from the 2013 MU-2 Fly-In. I presented the print to Mr.Tod Takasu from MHI on behalf of all the MU-2 owners in America (photo above left). In presenting the print I explained how we have such a loyal group of owners who appreciate the integrity of the Mitsubishi MU-2 and the outstanding support that Mitsubishi provides us.


Sunday, September 15, 2013: Day 22 - Nagoya-Petropavlosk, Russia
It was a sad day for me leaving Nagoya after all of the excitement over the past couple days (photo left: N50ET's arrival makes front-page news.) Our friends from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) have been so hospitable and gracious during our stay. I cannot thank them enough for their kindness, and I now have a much clearer understanding of how our MU-2's were created and the integrity behind their support. My friend Zipper has told me over the years about his trips to Nagoya when he was a demo pilot for MHI and what a great group of people they are. This morning, once again Yoshi was right there to help us, and the three of us rode by taxi to the airport. Once we arrived, there was Tod and Masan to see us off. We had to delay our departure to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk for approximately 45 minutes because of the strong tailwind--yes, we finally got tailwinds--and the Yuzhno airport was closed up until 0400Z. (Photo right: Waiting to leave Nagoya.) When it was finally time to leave, we made our final farewells, and we were on our way. With the fast-approaching Tropical Storm, Man-Yi, I was anxious to get airborne, and though we already had some rain, it fortunately was clear for our departure. 

At 25,000 feet we were in cloud and icing conditions for most of our flight to Yuzhno. It is very easy flying in Japan; like in the US, you are in radar control and VHF all the way. The Japanese Contollers in most cases are very easy to understand. As we enter into Russia Khabarovsk Control, the controller was again easy to understand. He gave us a STAR into Yuzhno and descent to 1600 meters--yes, meters. But I was ready and fully prepared because Ross Russo told me last night at dinner that this could be an option. We flew a full procedure ILS approach to runway 19 using the meter conversion chart on the approach plate and broke visual at about 500 feet, or perhaps I should say 152m. After landing we taxied to the terminal building and parked in Bay 4. We were met by our handler, customs, and I presume immigration. We were given the option of going to the terminal and clearing customs or staying at the aircraft and going on to Petropavlovsk to clear customs. Because we were staying the night in Petropavlovsk, I thought clearing at Petro made the most sense. Mike--speaking fluent Russian through many hand signals-- seemed to get N50ET fueled as needed.

I cannot believe that we are actually in Russia--but we are because the Garmin says so. We wished everyone well and again we are ready for departure. It has been easy so far in Russia, and the Controllers are good to work with. At 25,000 feet we are in cloud the entire way to Petropavlovsk, though we did not see the Sea of Okhotsk; that was such a shame, because I have always wanted to see the Sea of Okhotsk. Today we are blessed with a 65 knot tailwind--I could really get used to this kind of speed--and believe now I will get tailwinds all the way to Aiken, which is only 5136 miles away and 15 hours and 15 minutes at this speed. Looking at the Petropavlovsk approach chart, we have a 9035 ft. mountain on one side and a 4056 ft. mountain on the other side of the airport. Petropavlovsk just advised us that the weather is clear and 17 degrees centigrade. As we approached Petro it was another STAR and another ILS approach.  We broke out at 11,000 feet and landed at Petropavlovsk safe and sound to beautiful scenery (photo above left: arriving in Petropavlosk). We were met by our handler, customs, and immigration. Everyone was very helpful, and it has been yet another great stop. Today, something happened to 3 hours of our day, so it was a late night when we arrived at the hotel and checked into our rooms. Although the restaurant was closing in 15 minutes, they prepared a meal and brought it to our rooms along with a Russian beer. Back to Top


Monday, September 16, 2013: Day 23 - Petropavlovsk-Fairbanks, Alaska
This morning we awoke to a dreary day; rain and low clouds obscured the mountains that I had hoped to see better today after last night's late arrival. Today is a short day because of the time zone change; we lose 4 hours, which means that we arrive late again into Fairbanks. When we arrived at the airport, it was just a few minutes through security and then onto the aircraft for a daily inspection in the light rain. After start up we had a "follow me" truck (photo left) lead us in the rain to the long 11,158 ft runway for a back taxi to the end for takeoff. We climbed up to 25,000 feet into beautiful clear skies that lay just above the overcast. The further north we travelled the skies became clearer, with the Pacific Ocean on our right and the coast of Russia on the left.  The scenery is amazing! It's like flying over Arizona with a coastline. So far we have been talking with Petropavlovsk Control on VHF, which is clear and very understandable.

With now just over an hour to Anadyr, I feel like the trip is coming to an end. There have been so many wonderful times and adventures behind us. Mike Collins has been a great traveling companion and great friend, plus our trip will be professionally documented with wonderful photos. We are now 30 minutes from Anadyr; ATIS says we have 10 miles visability and base is 490. I am not sure whether that is meters or feet but either way it will be fine and better than the forecasted TEMP of 300 feet overcast. As we joined the localiser we could see the runway at 27,000 so it was an easy approach. (Photo right: Wicked wind shear on arrival to Anadyr.) Within about 10 minutes we were greeted by customs and a great many others--I'm not sure who they all were--I felt more than a little intimidated by all of the officials present. There was a lot of paper work and questions, but all was okay. We were now allowed to take on fuel while our passports were being stamped and our release paperwork was in process. By the time we were fueled, customs was back with our passports and we were good to go.

After startup, Anadyr Tower cleared us for taxi and take off, and we were on our way--next stop USA. I wonder what sort of reception will we get there from our authorities. Cruising at 25,000 feet we're now heading across the Bering Sea towards Alaska. The OAT says -40 degrees C; it's time to see how N50ET and the MT-props like these temps, because I have just such a reading with the Hartzells that I used to have on N50ET. I had to increase the power setting to take this reading, so I matched the fuel flows from my previous reading that was 40 gallons a side, temp, altitude and fuel on board was the same. My Hartzell reading was 318 knots TAS and my MT-Prop reading is 316 knots TAS.

We have just now crossed the FIR boundary into US airspace and the International Date Line (photo left), so instead of it being Monday it is now Sunday again. Talking with Anchorage Control makes you appreciate what we have in the US with respect to aviation services. However, I must admit this trip has not been too hard, but it is all about the planning and preparation!

Our approach into Fairbanks was visual--it was beautiful evening--and we landed just before 10:00 PM. Our customs man was waiting for us, and he was the nicest one that I have ever met. We fueled and went to hotel for a good night's rest. It's great to be back in the US! Back to Top




Monday, September 16, 2013 (Again!): Day 24 - Fairbanks-Minot, North Dakota
This morning when I got out of bed, I opened the curtains in the hotel room to see a frost over the cars in the car park; this was not a good sign. When we arrived at the airport, it was obviously a few degrees warmer because the aircraft was clear. Departing Fairbanks, it was a magnificent morning, and we witnessed a beautiful sunrise from the east, it's reflection spanning the horizon over to the west were the snow-capped mountains appeared crystal clear. (Photo left: Mike contemplating sunrise.) After flying around the world it is hard to believe that some of the most beautiful scenery we saw is here in America ready for us to all experience. (Photo right: arrival into Ketchican)

As we move our way southeast to Ketchikan, we have been blessed with yet another headwind component of around 30 knots (photo left: Garmin display shows N50ET crabbing into the strong headwind); this is actually good because I am trying to build flight time. We are now over Canada's Yukon Territory for about 300 miles then back into Alaska airspace for our arrival into Ketchikan. I have flown into Ketchikan before--the scenery is stunning--and today was no different. We broke out of clouds at around 1,500 feet, and it was like there was a parade in front of us--welcoming us back to our home continent. Several float planes were in the circuit to land on the water; they come straight at you over the field then make a sharp right turn to touch down on the water next to the field. It's so exciting watching them maneuver around us.

Our turnaround in Ketchikan was just 25 minutes, and we were on our way again to Minot, ND. This is a long 1228 mile leg with headwinds on the first half and light tailwinds on the remainder. This is definitely a long-range cruise leg. I burnt 34 gallons from startup to 25,000 feet and then set up 58 gallons per hour and 260 knots TAS. I am calculating that I will land with 70 gallons remaining. We crossed Canada in an uneventful flight; the weather was good all the way. A visual approach into Minot on runway 13, and then we were at Minot Aero Services. Mike and I were ready for a good night's rest. Back to Top


Tuesday, September 17, 2013: Day 25 - Minot-Aiken, South Carolina
Today is the last day of our great Around-the-World-by-MU-2 adventure. My email from Baseops had me filed at 27,000 feet at long range cruise with a tailwind; we don't have a tailwind so it must be wrong. When we arrived at the airport we were informed that there had been a towing error, and a bolt on N50ET had been sheered. An A&P had come out and replaced the bolt and had made an appropriate log entry for me. This is the very reason I do not have an aircraft towed when overseas. This has been the first problem since I departed Aiken 25 days ago. I thoroughly inspected the nose gear area four times (photo right) and everything was normal as the log entry stated.

We were airborne out of Minot at 0600 with clearance to 27,000 feet, but of course I asked for 25,000 feet as my final altitude. It was a crystal clear morning as we waited for the sunrise--it looks like it will rise out of the east this morning--just the same as yesterday. Mike has his camera poised and waiting, and at 0648 we had a beautiful red sunrise. We are heading for Frederick, MD, with the wind behind us as forecasted on this 1188 nautical mile and second-to-last leg. We really do have a tailwind--30 knots and all! As we fly just south of Green Bay, WI on this clear day I see Joe Megna at Jet Air hard at work. With just 1.6 hours to Frederick it looks like we will land with 90 gallons remaining, so I will not have to use the outers. I have only used the outer tanks on 3 legs for this entire trip around the world, and there have been a lot of long legs. With all the tests done over the last year at different altitudes, fuel flows, and true airspeeds--I believe I have learned how to get the maximum range out of N50ET, which has really helped a lot on this trip.

Frederick was in the clear so we were able to make a visual approach on runway 05. As we taxied in to the ramp it was obvious that some of the AOPA folks have missed Mike Collins. (Be sure to check out Mike's AOPA Pilot blog--MU-2 Around the World if you haven't already done so!) We taxied over to the AOPA ramp where we both received a very warm welcome (photo left: welcoming committee at AOPA).  As I stepped from the aircraft, I had another surprise. Astrid Naparstek from World Fuel Services and Baseops had driven to Frederick to welcome us back. Also Astrid brought a plaque (photo right) on behalf of BaseOps in recognition of our around the world flight for the 50th anniversary of the MU-2, the fight that they so professionally handled for us. And that's not all--Astrid had lunch as well. That was especially appreciated since it was 1100 and I wouldn't be arriving in Aiken until 1500.

After lunch and fuel I was on my way to Aiken for the final leg of this amazing journey. It is hard to believe that I am just 1 hour away from Aiken-N50ET has carried us around the world--how cool is that! This incredible MU-2 has operated without a fault or squawk for the entire trip, I have just turned over 100 hours with .8 to go.





Friday, September 20, 2013:  Final Thoughts
It’s been three days since my arrival back to Aiken, South Carolina after flying N50ET around the world. The support and encouragement I received from the MU-2 community along the way was overwhelming and very much appreciated. While we all know that we have such an incredible aircraft with the MU-2, many have been struck by how seamless the whole trip appeared and the fact that despite political sensitivities in the middle east, varying weather conditions, airport operational issues, and just plain old Murphy’s Law, we were still able to keep to our planned itinerary each day and arrive back in Aiken on Day 25.

In reflecting back on the entire experience, I realize that while an around-the-world flight is a huge undertaking, it is no different than any other good, safe flight—most of the work is in the preparation and pre-planning. To be sure, with the magnitude of this flight, there was a lot of pre-planning—in fact, at least 12 months went into the planning for this adventure of a lifetime. (photo right: N50ET outside the MT-Propeller factory in Straubing, Germany)

Early on much time was devoted to selecting the route; taking into consideration diplomat/political issues, the range of the aircraft, clearance, visa, and health requirements, associated airport fees, airport operating parameters, security risks, and finally personal preferences.

Since I knew I would be flying in varying extreme weather conditions and over long distances, I spent the past 12 months building flight profiles specifically for N50ET for normal and long range cruise in hotter and cooler temps. I tested and documented different times to climb, fuel to climb, power settings, and cruise speeds at different ambient temperatures in order to build accurate profiles. (photo left: The Hohensalzburg Fortress provides an impressive backdrop to the Salzburg Cathedral)

These profiles were extremely useful in the flight planning process and during the actual flight, and after selecting BaseOps to help with the flight planning and weather briefing as well as the international handling and clearances, they took time to meet with me at their Houston office to review each and every leg of the trip. Prior to departure and on the trip, not only did all of the trip handlers pay close attention to detail, they were very good at communicating important trip information and their international handlers were professional and competent—customs and immigration was a breeze.

Countless hours were spent compiling and filing paperwork for clearances, general declarations, and visas; contacting airports for handling and customs requirements (for the countries where we took care of handling); researching and booking most of the hotel rooms on the trip as well as continually monitoring and comparing fuel quotes from a variety of vendors. Finally time was devoted to cockpit information management—from the order of flight package contents to organizing the paper backup charts to compiling daily checklists of critical airport, customs, handler, fuel, hotel and transportation information for each leg. (photo right: view outside of Red Bull)

In preparation for the international flying, I had a High-Frequency (HF) radio installed, which from reading my blog, you will recall was a necessity after leaving Oman and through much of Indonesia. I also had a third 16-watt Com installed, hot wired for start-up clearances, which was required in most countries. CTS installed the new MT-propellers on N50ET and made sure the aircraft was up-to-date on all inspections and ready to go.

Considerable time and effort was devoted to evaluating and building a stock of spare parts, including jack pads and tow bar with multiple spares. Bryan Capps of Air 1st put together the spares package, tool kit, airframe and window cleaning supplies, and loaded the Mitsubishi and Garrett service manuals onto thumb drives. An appropriate laptop was carefully chosen, and electronic chart subscription services were selected and loaded onto my iPad and mini iPad for the Atlantic, Europe, Middle East, Pacific Basin and Australia in addition to my previously installed North American Foreflight subscription. In support of the trip, Garmin very kindly donated a worldwide database for the G-600, GTN-750, and GTN-650 installed in N50ET as well as for the AERA-796 handheld GPS.

Though we continually monitored competitor fuel prices, we established a relationship with World Fuel Services, BaseOps’ parent company, for our fuel credit line and actual fueling for the majority of the trip. Astrid Naparstek of World Fuel took a personal interest in my trip and met with us in the early planning. She was instrumental in orchestrating the meeting with BaseOps in Houston, and of course their interest and enthusiasm about the trip sealed the deal.

It was certainly a pleasure to have along Mike Collins from the AOPA to document the trip with his excellent photography and writing abilities. Mike cheerfully took on the responsibility of supervising the fueling of N50ET which enabled me to concentrate on the aircraft itself and the paperwork at each of our stops.

While it will take some time for the invoices—with all of the associated fees—to trickle in, it will be interesting to compare just how costly it is to fly in other countries compared to the United States.

So in the end, yes the trip does appear relatively seamless when you consider that I flew N50ET 27,475 nautical miles in 101.5 hours on schedule in 25 days—all squawk free, but know that it was part of a grand team effort and countless hours in planning and behind the scenes effort among the Air 1^st, CTS, Baseops and World Fuel Services employees! 

Now that I am back from the trip, I will sort through the photos I took along the way. Please be sure to check the RTW Photo Gallery for a gallery of my personal photos as I will be adding them over the next several days. Back to Top