Around the World in a Waco YMF-5D?

By Carl Dye
Chief Pilot and General Manager
Photos Courtesy of
Waco Classic Aircraft Company

Every now and then we get an inquiry from an intrepid aviator contemplating what is possibly the ultimate adventure in an airplane, a flight around the world.

Could it be done in a WACO Classic YMF? Yes, it is possible.

In fact it was half done in the early 1990s by the original owner of Classic WACO serial number F5C040, the first YMF-5C. He got as far as India where he contracted a life-threatening illness while being delayed. He was unable to continue the flight and the airplane was dissembled and shipped back to his home base in Canada.

The most important element in any successful flight, to the next town for a burger or to the next continent for a great adventure, is fuel. Gotta have enough to get to the next runway. Almost isn’t good enough. Crossing the North Atlantic involves 600 to 800 nautical miles legs. So, for a WACO with a normal range of about 400 nautical miles, additional fuel would have to be carried. For an 800 NM leg it would be wise to have enough for 10 hours endurance, which is 150 gallons.

A 75-gallon tank in the front cockpit would do the trick. An external belly tank is an option but don’t forget the added drag would most likely reduce airspeed and add to fuel consumption. Probably best to put it inside.
Obtaining avgas on the trip could also be a challenge depending on the route chosen. Although Jet A is available almost anywhere on the globe, avgas is not. Auto gas is an option but might be risky. The quality could vary greatly and even be downright dangerous. Careful planning is needed here.

Other than providing for additional fuel capacity, the WACO wouldn’t need any other modification with the exception of perhaps additional oil capacity to match the added endurance. A second oil tank would suffice.
A well run in Jacobs will average a pint of oil consumption per hour. At this rate, the standard five-gallon oil tank would, in theory, be adequate even for a 10 hour flight but you might not want to rely on theory over the Atlantic.

I have known flights behind these engines where oil consumption on one leg was one pint or so and on the next leg twice that amount. When it comes to getting to that next runway, oil is just as important as gas.
A flight around the world in a plane such as the WACO can probably be done only from west to east and when considering the Atlantic part of the flight, summer months would likely provide the best weather. Survival gear is a must, although a raft might not be possible unless it could be incorporated in the front cockpit along with the added fuel tank. We have been told (by those who know from experience) that a WACO floats for less than 20 minutes so you need a really good exit plan. Even with a raft, you will need to wear an emersion suit, otherwise known as a Gumby. The water is cold. Always.

Once across the big pond, flying throughout Europe is relatively easy but expensive. Flying throughout the EU countries is fairly seamless. France is especially enjoyable in a WACO with many beautiful grass flying fields.
Your adventure would continue eastward beyond this writer’s experience but would have to ultimately take you to extreme Eastern Russia and the Bering Sea where you could cross into Alaska. Once again, finding avgas might be a challenge in this part of the world.

Would I do it you ask? Not today but 20 years ago I had my bag packed and ready to go.