ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Ferry flying

Alright kiddo, so have you ever been on a boat ride before? You know how the boat takes you from one place to another across the water? Well, ferry flying is kind of like that, but with airplanes instead of boats.

Sometimes, an airplane needs to be flown from one place to another but the regular pilot can't do it for some reason. Maybe they're taking a break, or the airplane needs to be delivered to a new owner, or it needs to go for maintenance somewhere far away. When that happens, a special pilot called a ferry pilot is called in to do the job.

The ferry pilot gets into the airplane and flies it to its destination. They might have to fly over mountains or across oceans to get there – just like your boat ride might have gone across a big lake or a wide river. The pilot has to be really careful the whole time and make sure everything goes smoothly so that the airplane gets to its destination safely.

Sometimes the airplane isn't in perfect working order, like if it needs a new engine or some repairs. The ferry pilot has to know how to fix basic problems, like changing a tire or fixing a broken radio so they can communicate with other pilots. It's kind of like if you were going on a long car ride and you packed some tools in case you needed to fix something on the way.

Overall, ferry flying is a special kind of airplane ride where the pilot takes the plane from one place to another. It's like a big adventure, and the pilot needs to be really good at flying and fixing things to make sure the journey is safe and successful.