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I suppose I could/should have explained my interest in a bladder tank so Larry wouldn't be so worried about me. (he already thinks I'm crazy enough as it is because I enjoy flying across the Gulf of Mexico all the time)
The bladder tank wasn't for me. I can make it from New Orleans to Cancun with 2 hours of gas to spare. The problem there is usually my bladder.
But I have a friend in Playa del Carmen who is an A&P and works on my plane if I need something fixed while I'm down here. And he rebuilt a Cessna 172 from the ground up and wants to fly it to his brother's place near Orlando. However, he's concerned about the range. The best no-wind calculations show him making it to Key West from Cancun with 35 minutes of fuel left. And if there's a bit of headwind . . . . ?
So, he asked me if I could find a collapsible bladder tank that he could install. And, if I could, would I bring it down here in my plane and then accompany him for the flight to Florida since he isn't instrument rated?
Of course, we could just land in Cuba to buy more fuel, but with me on board, I think that's a problem.
So, with no collapsible tanks available, looks like we'll switch to Plan B, which is to fly all around the Gulf to Texas and then across Louisiana over to Florida.
The cost comes out about the same as buying the metal tank listed above on this thread but without the hassle of installing the thing and then taking it out.
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