Ferry flying

Ferry flying refers to the act of delivering an aircraft from one continent to another by flying it to the destination (as opposed to, for example, shipping it in a cargo container). Ferry flying smaller aircraft, in particular, is a specialised task. The risks associated with flying long distances over near-freezing oceans in small single-engine aircraft at the very limit of their range attract a particular type of pilot.

When ferrying smaller aircraft, long range fuel tanks, also known as ferry tanks, are often fitted to increase the aircraft's range. Single engine aircraft fitted with ferry tanks are capable of flying for up to 17 hours on Pacific legs, and non-stop across the Atlantic (depending, of course on the aircraft itself and the ferry tank capacity). Transport category aircraft and business jets are somewhat easier to ferry than smaller aircraft. Amongst the factors contributing to this are higher range, better cockpit conditions and higher cruise speed when maximising distance covered with respect to fuel consumed.

The United States Federal Aviation Administration has recently made it difficult, and in some regions impossible, to get permits to fly planes fitted with long range tanks. This could be expected to affect the economics of ferry flying, as shorter ranges constrain the routes that pilots may fly in ferrying a plane.