Weekly Commute: Is It Practical?

BennyE7

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BennyE7
Hi Everyone,

I've read through many different threads that are similar to this topic, but I haven't found one that matches my scenario closely enough. Thanks in advance for the insight!

I currently work from home 1-2 weeks per month and I commute from middle to TN to my office in northern AR 2-3 weeks per month. I fly commercial when I commute, and so far I've racked up a little over 90 flight segments year to date. There isn't a direct flight to my main destination, which means a couple of layovers at ATL most weeks. Total time door to door is approximately 6-7 hours. Driving would be approximately 550 miles, which would be approximately 8 hours without stops or traffic problems.

I expect the scenario above to exist for at least a few more years, so I'm exploring if it would be practical to buy a plane and fly myself.

I live about five minutes from the small airport that I would use and there is a small airport that is about five minutes from the hotel where I normally stay. The distance between these two airports is 360 NM.

Any recommendations on planes for this mission? I like the thought of a Glasair III because of the cruise speed, but definitely want to hear experienced opinions on pros/cons and other options.

How would annual operating costs roll up for something like this? I'm approaching the scenario from perspective of my company reimbursing the fuel expense. Any estimates on operating costs outside of that?

Looking forward to your responses!!
 
Sure. Just keep a car at each end so you can drive if the weather is iffy.

Any instrument equipped plane will do.

And no. This won't be 'practical'. But it's something you could easily do.
 
Do you have a pilot's certificate? Instrument rating? Getting this training needs to be considered in the costs that other will mention.
You will have weather on one or both ends of your commute. You will need to plan for that as well.
 
Middle TN to Northern AR? I'd say most of the common type single-engines would work (C182, PA28 etc.) Be sure to get your Instrument Rating and I'd say this mission would definitely be doable, but have a plan B on standby for the days that it’s not feasible.
 
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Its like asking, "I love to eat swordfish, but I've got no fishing pole, no boat, and I've never fished a day in my life. I'm thinking of getting a boat, downriggers, lures, charts, depth sounders...Is this practical?"


Now, that's not to say you shouldn't do it. But you also should probably also already like airplanes, aviation, etc., just like my above example, you should also probably like the idea of fishing.
 
Your choice of planes is on point, presuming it is a /G with a good AP, you also understand to stay WAAAAY away from ice with that little razor wing right?

Also what are your qualifications?

I’d say 500TT, IFR with 10-20 actual and some higher performance time (as in fast planes not >200hp) would be my mins for starting out on this.
 
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Check with your company to see what their policies are related to flying a plane on something ‘company related’. My previous employer had a policy against any use of a private aircraft including commuting to or from a work area on my own time.

I was very happy when I started with my current employer and they gave me a choice of flying commercial, driving my company truck, or reimbursing fuel if I took my own plane.

My accountant, and an AOPA legal rep, said that since I had a choice in my means of travel it was considered incidental and would be permitted by FAA regs as long as I didn’t transport anyone else or be required to use the plane for anything work related.

I used the plane to fly back and forth to Dallas for seven or eight years and then the Reno Air Race crash happened. We’re owned by a company that’s based out of Europe. Someone from our US management was at a leadership meeting at our global headquarters and somehow my flying came up during a water-cooler discussion about Reno. A corporate attorney overheard the discussion. That was the end of my flying for anything company related.

The companys stance is that, while extremely unlikely, if I were to crash and injure or kill a third party my employer could be held liable for excessive damages. They said that while I am much more likely to have an incident in the pickup, US juries are used to that and the likely maximum damage award is likely to be in the millions.

The attorneys claim is that US Juries have awarded up to $150 million for a similar incident involving a private aircraft and my comfort isn’t worth that much risk to the company. I don’t like the policy but I understand it so I don’t use the plane for anything that could be considered company related.

From a straight flying perspective you’d need to be licensed, current, and competent at IFR to be able to reliably count on the plane for that long of a trip. I don’t deal with it much in southeast Texas but you’d also have to consider icing for several months up there.

Using the plane would certainly save time when you used it but you always need a backup in your pocket for those times when weather prevented you from making the flight to or from your office. Gethomeitis is a real thing and the pressure to be someplace at a certain time can affect judgement if you’re not careful.

My advise is find out how your company feels about reimbursing for fuel, or even allowing you to commute in a plane on your own dime. If they will work with you, and you want and can afford the plane and it’s associated maintence with no funds from the company, get the plane. If any contribution from the company impacts your financial decision it may not be the best choice.

Gary
 
If it's just you and some supplies/luggage, you could get a nice used RV-6 or -8 and get good speed with decent fuel burn and lower maintenance costs (so I hear, I haven't owned one).
Would probably estimate 2.5 hrs at that distance with no head/tail wind.

If you are 100% serious/dedicated, get your medical, buy the plane, train, and then fly your mission.
 
Hi @BennyE7 .. the situation you described to me is the ideal use of an airplane. the 200 to 600 mile trips in my opinion make the most sense for GA. Way too long to drive that distance, and even on a GA plane you are generally going to be about the same time door to door or better than an airline (big difference of course between 150 or Mooney..)

As far as "practical", that to me is a relatively relative term.. flying as inherently extremely expensive and has its own unique challenges, etc, but depending on your own personal opportunity costs etc I I wouldn't necessarily consider this "unpractical"

I agree with James above though, if you're going to be depending on this for actual scheduled travel and work then a decent amount of experience and a capable airplane are a must, and there will still be times when you can't make the trip for one reason or another

Check with your company
I'm assuming he has:
I'm approaching the scenario from perspective of my company reimbursing the fuel expense.

I never understood why companies care to be honest. Driving is remarkably dangerous. And while I know that generally aviation to be on par with having a motorcycle, I think that's a very dubious data point that ignores a ton of variable factors... (it's like equating shark attacks to electric vehicle sales). Short of the wings falling off or some other catastrophic issue, the vast majority of general aviation accidents are pilot dependent.. in other words, it is as safe or dangerous as you make it (in most cases)
 
Thanks for the quick responses!

I've always planned on getting my license at some point and love flying with friends...especially when they let me take the controls. I haven't done it yet because I didn't know when I would actually use it, but my current scenario seems like it would give me an opportunity to use it frequently.

@tawood Oddly enough, I love eating fish, but hate fishing.

The cost of certifications and payments on a plane up to about $150K-ish aren't an issue. I just don't know how to accurately forecast operating expenses.

I would definitely get an instrument rating, and I certainly don't expect to be able to do this tomorrow.
 
The guy across the street flew a Piper PA-12 from KPOU to 4B0 almost every workday for 30 years. The only time he didn't go was in icing conditions.
Fog, rain, whatever. He flew up the Taconic to 90 East and into South Albany.
He was an ex-B-26 Marauder pilot, a tour in the South Pacific, a tour in Europe, and a tour as a flight instructor.
Never bothered to get a civilian PPL.
 
A gross estimate of operating expenses for a simple used single engine aircraft is about 4x fuel, or what is costs to rent a similar aircraft. 360 nm is a good range for GA to compete well with commercial flight, but you will find that there will be weather conditions which will prevent practical chances of travel, and this could be a problem if you absolutely, positively need to travel at a certain time. Factor in that you may be a low-time instrument pilot, and this may additionally limit the utility of your GA travel.

I did two one-year stints in the Washington DC area where I worked at the NIH. I based my plane in the DC area while I was working there. I commuted home to Central New York weekends when weather permitted. It is a 200+ nm tip, and is about 2+15 IFR (and a horrible 6-7 hour drive). I was a reasonably experienced IFR pilot at the time. I would say that weather canceled about 1/4 to 1/3 of my trips, due to icing conditions or other severe weather during the planned departure or return trips. If I had more time flexibility, I could have made more of those trips, but when you are working sometimes you just have to be there on a Monday. So I drove those trips, or booked a cheap commercial flight, both of which were quite a bit longer.

In my area, icing season (November-April) can be a real impediment to reliable travel. Down South (where I used to live) late winter and spring weather can be pretty gnarly with severe thunderstorms.

When GA can fly, it really works wonders for this kind of trip! But you won't have the dispatch reliability of commercial flight flying GA, especially as a low-time pilot. As they say: "Time to spare, go by air."
 
...I've always planned on getting my license at some point and love flying with friends...

...the cost of certifications and payments on a plane up to about $150K-ish aren't an issue. I just don't know how to accurately forecast operating expenses...


Now you’re making me back track


You don’t have your ticket and think it’s a money thing?


Read up on this please

Dude has, or had, more money and experience than you

http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2012/06/pilatus-pc-1247-n960ka-6-killed-in.html?m=1


This
bilde.jpg


Turned into this (basically teeth, hair and goo)
bilde.jpg

In nothing flat.

You got a few years and a lot of learning to do before you’re ready for your mission, invest the time in building experience right

Or don’t, and I’d wager 20% chance you lawn dart
 
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I suspect the OP needs to check company policy first. Very few companies will allow private aircraft to be used in any capacity on company business. First things first. Most corporate lawyers will break out in hives at the thought of a new private pilots in a small plane on company business.
 
I suspect the OP needs to check company policy first. Very few companies will allow private aircraft to be used in any capacity on company business. First things first. Most corporate lawyers will break out in hives at the thought of a new private pilots in a small plane on company business.

Who cares?

He can break company rules and probably get away with it

Laws of nature & physics not so much.

He’s got AT LEAST 2 years of flying before he’s ready to fly that in a glasair
 
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Maybe so but, my experience has been break company rules wind up unemployed. Will be hard to hide that much flying. Yes, he is a few years away from being able to commute by private aircraft. I just think it makes more sense if his learning to fly depends on him being able to commute that he find out if he will even be allowed per company policy. IMO, very unlikely.
 
Why am I getting flashbacks of all the times I had to go to the principal's off?

Thanks for all of the input! You never know if you don't ask, right? I push myself hard and have high expectations, but I'm also reasonable. Reason says this isn't a practical option for me. I'll save my flying days for another time.
 
Why am I getting flashbacks of all the times I had to go to the principal's off?

Thanks for all of the input! You never know if you don't ask, right? I push myself hard and have high expectations, but I'm also reasonable. Reason says this isn't a practical option for me. I'll save my flying days for another time.

I don’t mean to dissuade you from aviation, if you have the passion get into it!!

Just don’t rush things, it’s happens as it happens, understand that and you’ll be fine :)

Also if you want to start off gliders will build a awesome foundation

http://www.ssa.org/WhereToFlyMap.asp
 
We did that for about eight years. We maintained the house at NC26 and spent every other weekend there, flying (or driving if we just) up home. It was about 6 hours drive or an hour and a half in the plane.
 
I currently work from home 1-2 weeks per month and I commute from middle to TN to my office in northern AR 2-3 weeks per month. I fly commercial when I commute, and so far I've racked up a little over 90 flight segments year to date. There isn't a direct flight to my main destination, which means a couple of layovers at ATL most weeks. Total time door to door is approximately 6-7 hours. Driving would be approximately 550 miles, which would be approximately 8 hours without stops or traffic problems.

I expect the scenario above to exist for at least a few more years, so I'm exploring if it would be practical to buy a plane and fly myself.

I live about five minutes from the small airport that I would use and there is a small airport that is about five minutes from the hotel where I normally stay. The distance between these two airports is 360 NM.

This sounds like an excellent mission for a GA aircraft, and pilot, provided you're instrument rated. I see you're not even rated at all yet, so best to get cracking on that training! And be aware that when you get your Private, you'll still have to cancel maybe 25-50% of the time on a trip like that, so plan to jump right in to the instrument training after you get your Private Pilot certificate.

The key is, you need to have backup plans - I like the "car on both ends" recommendation. Be sure that you leave early enough (flying) that if anything goes wrong (weather, maintenance, etc), you still have enough time to drive and still get to where you need to be on time. That should help a lot to alleviate get-there-itis, and that practice has served me very well over the years. There WILL be times you can't make it - You'll probably have days that you'll run into icing if you fly, and there'll be days with thunderstorms. Plan the plan Bs, and the plan A will be great when it works.

Any recommendations on planes for this mission? I like the thought of a Glasair III because of the cruise speed, but definitely want to hear experienced opinions on pros/cons and other options.

Since you are new to aviation - The plane you want is a Cessna 182. You could complete your mission with more of a trainer aircraft like a Cessna 172 or Piper Archer, but the 182 will be possible for you to train in if you so choose, or you could have a fairly easy transition from the popular 172 if you start your training as a renter.

What's nice about the 182 is it will go fast enough to complete your mission in a reasonable amount of time, but not so fast that you'll get behind it. It's relatively easy to fly and is a GREAT way to experience a lot of what aviation has to offer. It's not the best airplane at anything, but it is pretty darn good at everything. I've flown a 182 to the highest and lowest fields in the US, landed it in 30+ states from the Midwest to the East, West, and Gulf coasts, gone to big paved runways and short grass runways and everything in between.

After getting your Private and Instrument and getting the 182, fly the heck out of it for a good 2-3 years. By then you'll have some experience under your belt and you'll have a fairly easy time transitioning to your next airplane, not to mention you'll have a much better idea of what you want your next airplane to be.

How would annual operating costs roll up for something like this? I'm approaching the scenario from perspective of my company reimbursing the fuel expense. Any estimates on operating costs outside of that?

The major expenses in flying fall into the fixed (hangar, insurance, inspections) and variable (fuel, maintenance, engine reserves) categories.

Fuel is pretty easy to predict. In the 182, you'll burn around 13 gallons per hour, and the fuel is running maybe $5 a gallon right now. You can find it in some places for under $4/gal, while there are other places that will charge double that, but most of the places you go will be in the $4-$6/gal range.

Maintenance is always unpredictable. Usually the first year is the worst, but things will crop up over time as well. Luckily, 182s are plentiful and it's hard to find a mechanic that *hasn't* worked on one. Plan on $50/hr over time, most of the time it'll be less but there may be an occasional $15,000 surprise, or $30,000+ if your engine decides to need overhauling, so be prepared for that. Home equity lines are a popular method for dealing with that if you don't have that sort of cash on hand.

Engine reserves on a 182 should be about $22/hr ($27K overhaul, $6K removal/reinstallation/accessories, 1500hr TBO). Even if you never need an engine, the time you fly off the airplane will depreciate it by roughly this amount, so plan on it being a difference in what you paid for it vs. what you'll sell it for, all else being equal.

Hangar cost: Hangar rental tends to be roughly in the $200-$500 range per month, depending what airport you're at and how nice the hangar is. You may want to get a hangar on both ends, since you'll be in both locations for a lot of time and there can be some nasty storms in that zone.

Insurance: The cost of this depends mostly on hull value and your experience level. Plan on $2000 the first year, maybe down to $1000 in the third year with the same plane.

You'll be flying about 3 hours each way on average, so about 15 hours/month or 180 hours/year. Flying this much and this frequently is actually very good both for you as a pilot and for your airplane. Fixed costs should be about $8,000 (one expensive hangar or two cheap hangars), and variable costs about $137/hr. So, you'll be spending a little over $180/hr all in, or $32,660 per year. Pulling fuel out of the equation would put you at $115/hr or $21,000 for the year.

You may be able to get your company to contribute more, depending on what your current costs are. 550 miles each way at the IRS standard rate is $299.75 one way or $599.50/trip. See how your average airline ticket costs compared to that too. Your fuel-only cost for flying yourself is about $390/trip. If you're doing 30 round trips per year, the company would save over $6,000 by having you fly yourself. See if you can negotiate some of that back!
 
I’d go glider, AA1 or AA5, glasair
 
Certainly, having a commuting opportunity was a great excuse to fly for me, and gosh is it nice to cut the drive time by 2/3 even in a slow plane. It almost rationalizes the ownership of an airplane. And it's fun and a challenge to fly IFR for a purpose other than training. I did enough of that in my time!

So don't be dissuaded from the dream of using GA for a purpose. But be aware that to be safe and competent requires training, and...you can't shortcut this... some experience. Stats show that less than 500 hours TT and less than 25 in type is a relative danger zone. Using a plane for commuting, with some implied time pressures, can be high risk activity for a low time pilot. I think I am being realistic. Perhaps others are bolder than me.
 
Assuming your company will allow it, your proposed mission is entirely doable. Is it practical? Depends on your definition of practical I guess. I abhor traveling by airline and I don't enjoy driving all that much so flying myself will always be my first choice for any trip longer than 150 miles. That being said, as a low time private pilot, which is what you'd be if you went through with this, I'd stay far away from the Glassairs and anything else that slippery fast.

I'm a fan of experimental because of their performance and ownership costs. But doing monthly real life cross countries in a 200kt speedster is not the best idea for a sub 500 or 1000 hour pilot. Something like an RV9 might be better or a Glassair sportsman. But even something like a 172 or Warrior or Tiger would be just fine for that mission. An older Mooney would also work great.


I push myself hard and have high expectations, but I'm also reasonable. Reason says this isn't a practical option for me. I'll save my flying days for another time.
I get where you're coming from so fair enough. But as someone who learned to fly almost 20 years ago and originally didn't plan on learning to fly until about 5 or 10 years from now, I will ask you the question that changed my own mind all those years ago. Why wait?

I had always wanted to learn to fly but I deemed it an extravagance that out of my league and figured I'd wait until I was much closer to retirement and do it then. Then I had that moment of realization that most of have at some point where we notice that people younger than us sometimes end up dead through no fault of their own. That made me realize that despite my best efforts, I might never ever live to see 50 or 60. Life is short, better do the good stuff now.

So my advice is if you want to learn then go learn and don't place any goal on it beyond that. Just go do the lessons and get the private ticket and enjoy the snot out of the process because it really is 100x more fun than you expect it to be. At least it was for me. Once you get the private, then you can think about whether flying for work is something you still want to do. Maybe it will be, maybe it won't. But if you enjoy taking the controls when flying with friends now, I guarantee you will not regret doing lessons and you'll remember the process fondly for the rest of your days.
 
Go halves on a plane with an instructor. Take lessons on trips to AR and have him/her fly it back then come back and pick you up for lessons on the return flight. The instructor can use the plane the rest of the time you are not transiting. Each commute would take a long time as you practice landings at airports along the way. Keep this up until you get your license and IR then buy out the instructor.
 
I wouldn’t worry about your company, they won’t care unless you die, in which case you won’t be around to care.

The company may not allow it for continued employment. In any case, his family would care after the lawyers are finished with his estate.

I agree with others here, I would check with your employer. Another issue that came up with my company is that the group life insurance, nor accidental death is coverd by personal plane. You have to be on a commerical flight on te company dime. This may not be the case for you, but until I started looking into it I had not realized this.
 
Another issue that came up with my company is that the group life insurance, nor accidental death is coverd by personal plane. You have to be on a commerical flight on te company dime. This may not be the case for you, but until I started looking into it I had not realized this.

Point well taken. I frequently flew for reasons relating to my employment as well as personally. When I inquired about the status of my employer-provided life insurance (which was quite good) no one had a ready answer, and HR had to do some digging. Turns out our carrier didn't really care, and I was not excluded for either personal flight or GA flight for the purpose of travel related to my employment duties. Definitely something you should know if you are a pilot. This may not be the case for every employer-provided life insurance policy.
 
I commute weekly from east Tennessee in a lancair. I started doing this over a decade ago with just 100 hours or so. It is possible to do but as others say there will be many trips you are unable to complete due to icing even after you have plenty of experience.
A trip of that distance may cost around $100 or less each way in fuel with a 4 cylinder lancair or glasair. other expenses may run 4000-12000 per year typically for me. you will need cars at both ends. you will need backup plans.
 
The company may not allow it for continued employment. In any case, his family would care after the lawyers are finished with his estate.

I agree with others here, I would check with your employer. Another issue that came up with my company is that the group life insurance, nor accidental death is coverd by personal plane. You have to be on a commerical flight on te company dime. This may not be the case for you, but until I started looking into it I had not realized this.

Doesn’t really matter since he’s 2 years away anywho.
 
Well we have managed to dash the aspirations of another potential pilot. To the OP if you are interested in flying then for goodness sakes try it. Schedule a couple lessons and see what you think. If you like and can afford it get your medical and get your private.
Just forget the commuting thing for now. Once you get your private then at the appropriate time broach the subject with your company. If you don't get the "no way in #$$%, no way no how never ask again" then look at buying a plane and get your instrument.
I just didn't want you to spend $30K and then get shot down by your company. Keep in mind small planes flown by private pilots have severe limitations when trying to fly scheduled trips.
 
Benny, I think it's a great thing to consider, and you can probably do that trip pretty reliably 6-8 months of the year. In the summer months you'll find there are a lot of days with too much in the way of convective build up to make a long trip feasible, and in the winter there will be a lot of days with too much chance of ice. Air cools roughly 7 deg. every 2000', and any clouds or precipitation in freezing air will lead to ice on the wings. That's bad. Like really bad. It is possible to get a plane equipped to handle ice, but in your price range that will be tough.

To go from 0 to instrument rating, I'd budget $15-20k, leaving you $130k ish for a plane. There are lots of good options for planes in that price range. If you can stretch the budget, you'll find there are more light twin engine planes with icing equipment available than singles. I think you'll be looking at closer to $200k, though, and operating expenses will be quite a bit higher.

The limiting factor for you is going to be how strict your travel schedule has to be. The old adage for pilots is "Time to spare, go by air." If you can choose to travel a day or two early or late, or can afford to leave your plane on the ground by work and buy a last minute ticket to get home, then commuting by air can be a great choice.
 
Practicality point...I fly 250nm missions on average several times a month for both work and play. Even with IFR rating I can fly my 182 probably 60% of the time and have to take commercial about 40% for one reason or another...and that is in nice predictable California weather.

If I HAVE to be there and am flying GA, I almost always still book a refundable commercial ticket and do not cancel till I am certain I am wheels up in my 182.
 
Practicality point...I fly 250nm missions on average several times a month for both work and play. Even with IFR rating I can fly my 182 probably 60% of the time and have to take commercial about 40% for one reason or another...and that is in nice predictable California weather.

If I HAVE to be there and am flying GA, I almost always still book a refundable commercial ticket and do not cancel till I am certain I am wheels up in my 182.


Good point. Such a mission would be much more practical in CA or the desert Southwest. He proposes to fly across the Mississippi River - which tends to make its own weather.
I personally would not attempt it (and have been a pilot 50 years).

That said there was a time when I made good use of my plane to travel between Northern and Southern CA (working in the former and family in the latter). IIRC I only had
to divert once, and do not recall cancelling. It was about a three hour flight, vs a good 12 driving (right through San Francisco). Fly commercial? You could - but the cost was
outtasight. You could also take the "Train" - which was mostly busses, and took about 16 hours.

Dave
 
The short answer for this is no, absolutely not. When the OP learns to fly he will understand just why his mission is a really and truly bad idea.

The easiest is cost. The most inexpensive airplane for the mission will cost far more than the swankiest luxury car. Between fixed recurrent expenses (hangar, insurance, maintenance) and the costs of operating the thing the car winds up being so much cheaper that it truly isn’t even funny. No one but no one flies themselves because it’s so much cheaper.

The second is dispatchability, which in a GA aircraft sucks. Having to get there in a GA aircraft is one of the best ways I know to get dead quick.

Now, after the OP is a licensed pilot, he might decide that once in awhile he can fly the route rather than drive it. It’ll probably work out, since he’ll be able to pick his day. But as likely as not on at least one of those trips he’ll wind up driving at least part way.
 
If he wants best dispatch a FIKI 210 is the choice, but he’s like 2-3 years from PICing that properly
 
The short answer for this is no, absolutely not. When the OP learns to fly he will understand just why his mission is a really and truly bad idea.

While the OP will learn the practicality and limitations of what he is proposing...the notion that GA can ONLY be used for recreational flights on clear VFR days when you have days on end to spare is laughable. Many of us can and do use our plane for practical transportation as well as recreation. There are additional factors to consider, but those are learned for ANY pilot that want to do long XC trips.

While the mission adds a layer of risk over a $100 hamburger run, "Absolutely not" should be amended to "not for me"...cuz it is for others.
 
We had a pilot at our airport in WV who flew his Glasair II along the Ohio River to Cincinnati a couple of times a month for work, two or three day trips each time. There are many flyable days even in winter (I started flight lessons in October and finished in May). It takes an Instrument Rating, experience and good judgement, but it's never possible to fly every time you want to (Mother Nature wins every fight).

So if you want to fly, go start lessons. You will learn a lot, see a lot and develop great family memories whether you ever fly for work or not.
 
Practicality point...I fly 250nm missions on average several times a month for both work and play. Even with IFR rating I can fly my 182 probably 60% of the time and have to take commercial about 40% for one reason or another...and that is in nice predictable California weather.

What on earth do you cancel for 40% of the time in "predictable California weather?" I have a better dispatch rate than that in Wisconsin! :eek:

If I HAVE to be there and am flying GA, I almost always still book a refundable commercial ticket and do not cancel till I am certain I am wheels up in my 182.

Another good option. I despise the airlines, so if I HAVE to be somewhere, I leave early enough that I could drive if necessary. I haven't had to exercise that option yet, so what ends up happening is that I get someplace early and can chill out for a while, and I get home earlier than I would otherwise.

Good point. Such a mission would be much more practical in CA or the desert Southwest. He proposes to fly across the Mississippi River - which tends to make its own weather.
I personally would not attempt it (and have been a pilot 50 years).

The short answer for this is no, absolutely not. When the OP learns to fly he will understand just why his mission is a really and truly bad idea.

The second is dispatchability, which in a GA aircraft sucks. Having to get there in a GA aircraft is one of the best ways I know to get dead quick.

@cessna182b are you instrument rated and proficient? I know @steingar is not instrument rated. That is THE biggest enabler for doing trips like this, and provided you have backup plans (like you should anyway) and make smart decisions, there's absolutely no reason not to commute by aircraft.

This is also the first I've heard of the Mississippi River "making its own weather." I've flown around the Mississippi for my entire flying career (~15 years/2000+ hours) and haven't noticed any weather being caused by the river. Maybe that's because I'm also subject to the Great Lakes weather machine.
 
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