Real Pilot Story: Pressure Over The Atlantic 

I wonder if it would have been possible to stick the tube out the window and try to pressurize it with ram outside air?

“I wasn’t thinking clearly enough to think that if I descended lower I’d think clearer” ... one of the best lines in a great story!

These aren't rough, amateur, iMovie edited video, but high-quality, fully professional documentaries. Great job.

(A few years later, while hanging out with his family) "Hey, Uncle Kerry, we wanna go swimming. Can you blow up our ducky floaties--" "NO."

I had a friend who (after we left the airline) started his own ferry business. He had some hair-raising moments, but always seemed to come through unscathed. Unfortunately his luck ran out in 1999 when he was killed when the single engine plane he was ferrying from the U.S. to Panama crashed in the Guatemalan jungle. RIP Bill

Yep, connect it up with duct tape for the North Atlantic crossing, what could possibly go wrong ??

The actor nailed it at 10:32 with the lip Syncing!

I bet this guy has gotten a hand pump every year for Christmas since then.....

I had a similar thing happen while i was watching this my tablet was down to 1% i was so worried i would not .make it to the end...

That one time I blew my self to safety.

14:36 Maybe the weathers gonna be good in Ireland, bold strategy cotton.

I’m not even a pilot (retired RN), but caught myself almost hyperventilating as you told your interesting experience. Beyond grateful that you made it, though any subsequent failure could have spelled your doom; such as your lack of pre-flight adequate rest. I wish for you safe skies always, and thank you for sharing your experience. Potential pilots/students will especially soak up these accident/potential accidents that AOPA so aptly presents to the aviation community.

Good idea for a future fix for ferry pilots is a small hand pump with an adapter that'll hook up to the tank line. Combined with a check valve, you'd be set for any contingency with that kind of fuel system for not much weight.

10:31 It was very clever how you did this particular lip synched voice over. Glad to see you made it.

Excellent production value! Great story and loved the verisimilitude of the period clothing and AOPA magazines. Nice job AOPA, I love watching these!

Wow! Amazing! I just finished his book "FERRY PILOT" and literally couldn't put it down! It's filled with a ton of stories just as amazing as this one. How anyone could have survived so many close calls is truly a testimony to Kerry's skills as a pilot. I know what everyone's getting for Christmas this year! Thanks for sharing your incredible stories Kerry!

This guy taught me how to skydive! So cool to see him on here. Going to his skydiving place in Minnesota was one the reasons I became a pilot.

"Keep swinging" that can apply to just about every difficult situation and, not always easy to remember when you're in the weeds. Great life lessons. Thanks

He’s talking about the reliability bathtub curve for machines. New machines follow a U shaped reliability curve where all these new components that make up the system have to bed in. Some parts fail early on and are replaced under warranty. After a while the system beds in and is reliable for an extended time. Then components fail by wearing out and the system reverts to being unreliable.

Legend has it, Kerry is still blowing into that tube.

I remember watching a show on the discovery channel a few years ago- This guy was one of the pilots they followed doing his ferry flights -

@2:24 it's a shame the mechanic didn't have the same ability to think outside of the box as you did. Simply replace the inspection cover with a temporary blanking plate and drill through that. And given the lack of redundancy, I would have thought a (manual or electric) transfer pump as a back-up would be mandatory.

Best channel on RU-vid!- Liam Wilkerson, drummer, x plane enthusiast, scared of heights

Congratulations on being here to tell the story. Life must have felt pretty good that day in Paris. I could imagine myself being sucked in by that scenario, of course the duct tape waits until you are out over the ocean before letting go. It will always hang on when you are within gliding distance of an airstrip.

Thanks for the story and thank you AOPA.

What a great story … love the honesty, no BS … so glad that you’re here to tell your story

One of the most fascinating personal stories I can recall. Thank you so much for sharing!

Another great video. THanks Kerry for telling the story and thanks AOPA Air Safety for making it.

Wow what an incredible story. As a student pilot I really appreciate this videos. Glad you made it back safe.

Glad you made it, man. What an intense story.

17:30 "knew I just had to suck it up" ......nooooooo don't do that!

Fantastic video, really well made. And very informative, thank you!

Great production value and a great story. Awesome job 👍🏼

Even for a non-pilot this is great stuff--very interesting and well done!

Nice video! When can we expect more accident case studies? I love watching those.

Great story and lessons learned. Thanks for sharing!

A pilot worthy of respect for the will to live and ingenuity in his conditions! Sincerely from Russia!

As a veteran pilot,I can ascertain that what this man did is completely brilliant,unique.Thank God he made it safely.Everytime I‘m over the Atlantic on an airliner and we relay messages to Atc from these single engine ferry pilots,I take my hat off to their lone courage.Best regards from Spain,and safe flights.

What a great story.

Even if the J-tube was secure I'd still want a backup system. A small pressure tank that can be filled by a manual bicycle or 12V air pump is not much to carry along, I'd think.

This was awesome, job well done!

Hell of a story, pleased you are able to make it

Great story , i am glad you made it through !!

Awesome story! Glad he made it!

Great job, as always!

Wow! Appreciate this upload. Learned a lot.

I just love this channel.

Good story, glad you made it.

The conclusion made me think of a Skipper friend of mine who ferries new sailing boats from the factory to the clients. New does not mean without nasty surprises, especially when you hit a storm in the bay of Biscay.

What a great story, well told.

That was AWESOME! Thank you!!!

inspirational as hell. and a great cautionary tale.

Awesome story! Hats off to you sir.

awesome story, i could never do that job..

Brilliant story!

Love it, absolutely impressive shooting and light, this is nutz and story is amazing. Guess, thanks @Kerry McCauley for making it to Paris and telling us the story!

I don’t know how you do it. Single engine operations over oceans takes a special kind of bravery and mindset. As a retired B737/767/747 captain I know I don’t have what it takes, hell I get a little edgy at the limits of a 3 hour ETOPS sector over water in a twin engine jet. Glad you survived and all the best.

I like the work put into this episode.

Great video and learning

Awesome story. Great job!

Great story!!

Stay calm and work it out. Well done Sir.

absolutely fantastic story

Great video and great advice!

Awesome story!

3:41 Nice. :) Also very 90s music and jacket. Well done on the production.

Excellent interview & video👊🙏

Hearing you tell the story is even better than reading it in your book. Although reading your book I could hear your voice in my head! Great video Kerry!

Great story, what a strong personality this guy has!

Great story. Thanks.

Thanks for the video, you are a wonderful person, glad everything went ok. You are honest man. 👍✈️

Kerry McCauley’s on his ferry flights are great reading!

Hello: thanks for sharing your story

I nominate this man for the guiness book of world record holder for longest time as a human fuel pump.

That was a good casting job. Especially with the low lighting, Taylor is a pretty convincing younger Kerry.

Flying over the Atlantic wishing for a DC powered tire pump from Santa...man, that was some lung power. Being asthmatic, I'd have been in the drink.

Great story! Not a pilot, but I love aviation! I'm definitely subscribing to this channel!

Great video. I’m surprised that a movie wasn’t made from this. Thank you very much!

Great Story! Kerry is hardcore!

Great story

Amazing story, I need the book now.

Instead of using a makeshift tube duct taped to the bottom of the aircraft I would have used a $20 tire inflator. They are so lightweight I would have at least a couple of spares onboard. Because a tire inflator could ‘pressurize’ the ferry tank at a much higher pressurization than blowing in a tube the tire inflator would only require occasional use. You’d think this would be SOP for long flights using ferry tanks. I love duct tape as much as other guys but I wouldn’t trust my life to it. Kerry McCauley is super pilot and great storyteller! Well done Kerry!

Thank you I enjoyed that

As a longtime pilot who’s heard everything. I must say this story was absolutely riveting! I could listen to this guy’s stories all night 👍

Good job

great history!

wow, what a story!

I love this guy!

This may be the best safety video yet.

Great story. Some things that popped in to my head listening to this. J tube could get clogged by inadvertent icing or debris and the need for a backup electric pump powered by 12V/USB outlet or battery powered. Also, if they were able to connect the tube to an overhead vent if it would create enough pressure…

Great video.

Thank You for your testimony; a lot of guys would go to their grave having never told another sole.

This was riveting.

Man that was one if not the best aviation story i have ever read. Kudos to you !!

This is why I long to be a ferry pilot - and this is what makes true aviators, stick and rudder problem solving, not just A to B systems operators. Reminds me of that cartoon where Tom cat blows frantically into his holee parachute to keep ‘flying’

Wow I thought that scene from “Airplane!” was just a gag!

You are incredible!! I haven't finished with the video.. your not going to land in irland had to write this..on edge of my seat..so back to video

I had just been hired by a major airline and one of my instructors ran a ferry business. When he found out I was from a civil aviation background he asked if I was interested in doing some ferry work for him. I politely declined. The ocean is too big to drink and I don't swim that well. Many years later I was flying to Europe and relaying radio calls from a Cessna 172 to Moncton Center (eastern Canada). He was getting into ice and was trying to find an airport to land at. After about 30 minutes we ran out of radio range and another airliner was relaying for the Cessna. A week later on my way back to Europe I asked Moncton what happened to the Cessna. Center told me he managed to get to a grass strip used by companies that fly in fisherman. He spent a week there. On another trip we heard a single engine Cessna over the Altlantic that was picking up ice and he was trying to descend to get out of the ice. Glad I skipped the ferry business.

Most humble pilot I ever seen..

Now that crazy story Blows...🤯🤯🤯