How a Cape Air prop made the 'water jump' from Europe to the U.S.
Cape Air and Tecnam Aircraft are understandably proud of the Tecnam P2012 Traveller, the regional airline's first-ever new aircraft and the airframer's first joint effort with an operator on a new model.
The twin-engine prop, the result of a decade of collaboration between the companies, is due to take to the skies of New England between Boston Logan (BOS) base and Rutland (RUT) in Vermont in early December. The Traveller seats nine passengers plus two crew and is due to replace the carrier's fleet of 84 Cessna 402s in five years or less.
Related: Cape Air marks 30th anniversary with brand-new Tecnam aircraft
The first two Travellers are now on property at Cape Air's base at Barnstable Municipal Airport (HYA) in Hyannis, Massachusetts, a third aircraft is en route. Ten more are due by year-end. But how does a plane designed for hops of less than hour make the journey of more than 4,000 miles to get from Italy to Cape Cod?
Slowly but determinedly -- with multiple stops, safety precautions and grit.
“It was an exciting experience. I could never find the right words to [fully] express it," Tecnam managing director Giovanni Pascale, the pilot-in-command of one of the first two aircraft on the trip to Hyannis from Capua in Italy, said of the journey at an event showing off the aircraft on Wednesday.
Pascale, along with three other seasoned crew members, made the trip with five stops in three days. Their routing traversed 4,621 miles from Capua to Groningen (GRQ) in the Netherlands, on to Inverness (INV) in Scotland, then Reykjavik (KEF) in Iceland, Narsarsuaq (UAK) in Greenland, Goose Bay (YYR) in Canada, and finally down to Hyannis, where they landed on Sept. 25.
The longest leg was about five hours from Goose Bay to Hyannis -- a distance of 926 miles -- said Pascale.
To make the trek, the Travellers were outfitted with 119 gallon (450 liter) collapsable fuel tanks in the rear of the passenger cabin to complement the aircraft's nearly 200-gallon wing-tank capacity.
The journey was not necessarily comfortable. The crews flew the Travellers at an altitude of up to 13,000 feet on each leg, putting them more at the mercy of the weather than the standard commercial jet flight that can fly at calmer, higher altitudes. In addition, each crew member wore a safety suit and had oxygen tanks on hand in the case of an emergency. The pilots were essentially "locked in" to their seats when onboard, said Pascale.
Despite any potential discomfort, Pascale still described the trip as exciting and highlighted the legs into and out of Narsarsuaq as among his favorite.
“It was gorgeous," he said. "Flying over the fjords -- taking off from Greenland where there was just nothing, then flying over the Labrador Sea and approaching Goose Bay."
With Cape Air holding firm orders for 20 aircraft and options for 90 more, a lot more Travellers will soon be making the "water jump," as David Beaty described the transatlantic trek in his seminal 1977 book of the same name.
Dan Wolf, founder and CEO and Cape Air, said Wednesday that he wished he could have piloted one of the first Traveller flights to Hyannis. He was the pilot-in-command of the airline's first flight from Provincetown (PVC) to Boston on Oct. 16, 1989 -- 30 years to the day from the Traveller unveil.
"In modern history, 100 billion human beings have lived and [only] seven billion live today," he said. "If you think about the number of that 100 billion that have been privileged to get into an airplane and actually have the experience to fly over this beautiful planet, it is a very small number. It is a privilege and a blessing to be a pilot."
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.