Comparing driving and flying to the beach

N747JB

N747JB

Final Approach
Joined
Jul 10, 2011
Messages
6,334
Location
Atlanta
Display Name
John
Home Airfield
CTJ Carrollton GA
I fly to Destin almost every time I go, I might drive once every couple years. Well, yesterday was the day.:rolleyes: I drove down yesterday and back today, 5:45 minutes each way burned about 15 gallons of gas each way, averaging around 19 MPG. The 182 takes 1:45-2:00 hours and burns 22-25 gallons each way. I had to swap a truck, so flying wasn't an option, but driving reminded me why I fly!!:D
 
Hmm, for me the beach is 20 minutes away, and the airport is 45, in the opposite direction.

Definitely worth it to drive….
 
The bright side is that today was not a flyable day for me anyway, ceilings ranged from low to very dang low, all across the area from the panhandle to Atlanta. I could barely see the water from the mid-bay bridge! :yikes:
 
I drove home from San Jose on Wednesday. Flying is wonderful.
 
Z06_Mir said:
I drove home from San Jose on Wednesday. Flying is wonderful.
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Having done almost that trip last month (Central Coast to Flagstaff), yeah, that's a long drive.

Too expensive to rent a retract or 182 for 5 hours each way. I tried…
 
MAKG1 said:
Having done almost that trip last month (Central Coast to Flagstaff), yeah, that's a long drive.

Too expensive to rent a retract or 182 for 5 hours each way. I tried…
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Normally I'd take my airplane. But we went out there to buy my new car. So usairways took us at 830 Phoenix time, landed 2 hours later (after a delay of course), bought my car and drove home. We were home around 1230-1. 750 miles on my new to me car was fun though.
 
Z06_Mir said:
Normally I'd take my airplane. But we went out there to buy my new car. So usairways took us at 830 Phoenix time, landed 2 hours later (after a delay of course), bought my car and drove home. We were home around 1230-1. 750 miles on my new to me car was fun though.
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Just think…if you had your multiengine rating, you could take a C-130.

Why would you go all the way to California to buy a new car? Lots of good stuff is in Arizona.
 
We make the weekend flights to our Motor home in Ocean City, MD. 2.5 by car with no traffic (early am or late night departures), seasonal traffic you're looking at 3 hours on a good day. Race weekend forget about it, drive to the mountains or stay home.

Flight time @ 50 minutes start up to shut down with a 25 minute drive to the plane. Once at the beach we have an airport car, the drive to the motor home is 13 miles and has us 4.5 miles from the beach. Where is my orange crush?

I really don't like to drive!
 
Have to get the toys to fla every winter. Flying the liberty down sure beats driving the convertible.
 
MAKG1 said:
Hmm, for me the beach is 20 minutes away, and the airport is 45, in the opposite direction.

Definitely worth it to drive….
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For me, beach is 10 minutes, airport is 20, and if I flew I'd have to land at the same airport.
 
MAKG1 said:
Just think…if you had your multiengine rating, you could take a C-130.

Why would you go all the way to California to buy a new car? Lots of good stuff is in Arizona.
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I'll post its own thread :)
 
I love driving. Before I started flying, I was a road warrior and miss the road trips that I used to do.

That said, I love flying even more and I especially love getting places faster.

I also love motorcycles. And trucks.

I guess I just love burning fuel and being in control of a moving vehicle? :dunno:
 
MAKG1 said:
Hmm, for me the beach is 20 minutes away, and the airport is 45, in the opposite direction.

Definitely worth it to drive….
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Yeah, I'm 5 minutes from the beach, and the water is still warm this year.
 
Ken Ibold said:
For me, beach is 10 minutes, airport is 20, and if I flew I'd have to land at the same airport.
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Pretty much the same thing for me. I usually take the boat when I want to go to the beach, though.
 
I've been told that Great Lakes beaches don't count as "real" beaches, so a drive to the beach is at least 12-18 hours, or a 4ish hour flight.
 
I live near the beach but there are so many freeways and bridges and crap it's still easier and arguably cheaper for me to fly to my own chosen beach destination.
 
My favorite beach is 30 seconds out my back door, but the water is quite hard right now. Still lots of places I like to fly!
 
EdFred said:
I've been told that Great Lakes beaches don't count as "real" beaches, so a drive to the beach is at least 12-18 hours, or a 4ish hour flight.
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Right. You need sharks and jellyfish. And angry seabass
 
N747JB said:
I fly to Destin almost every time I go, I might drive once every couple years. Well, yesterday was the day.:rolleyes: I drove down yesterday and back today, 5:45 minutes each way burned about 15 gallons of gas each way, averaging around 19 MPG. The 182 takes 1:45-2:00 hours and burns 22-25 gallons each way. I had to swap a truck, so flying wasn't an option, but driving reminded me why I fly!!:D
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Love Destin, for me it is 2:00 block to block Chattanooga to Destin in the Mooney, at 20 gallons or so. Driving the truck takes 7 hours and uses 28 gallons.

Best part? Flying in on a holiday weekend and seeing all the suckers down there backed up on the Mid-Bay bridge!
 
The beach is only about 20 mins or less for me to drive from my house, so if I want to actually put my feet in the sand I drive. That said, driving to the airport and going for a flight over the coastline is pretty amazing as well.
 
Farmingdale LI (FRG) to Katama on Martha's Vineyard (1B2) is about 90 minutes by Archer. Probably 5-6 hours by car.


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Bill Jennings said:
Love Destin, for me it is 2:00 block to block Chattanooga to Destin in the Mooney, at 20 gallons or so. Driving the truck takes 7 hours and uses 28 gallons.

Best part? Flying in on a holiday weekend and seeing all the suckers down there backed up on the Mid-Bay bridge!
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We had to drive for Spring Break 2007, horrible traffic in Eufaula!! They have a "festival" the first weekend in April and it blocks the streets for hours! Never again!:mad2:
 
gaius46 said:
Farmingdale LI (FRG) to Katama on Martha's Vineyard (1B2) is about 90 minutes by Archer. Probably 5-6 hours by car.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
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First post.......

Welcome to POA.......:cheers:
 
N747JB said:
I fly to Destin almost every time I go, I might drive once every couple years. Well, yesterday was the day.:rolleyes: I drove down yesterday and back today, 5:45 minutes each way burned about 15 gallons of gas each way, averaging around 19 MPG. The 182 takes 1:45-2:00 hours and burns 22-25 gallons each way. I had to swap a truck, so flying wasn't an option, but driving reminded me why I fly!!:D
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I don't have to be at work until 1:30 tomorrow. I plan to fly down to Gulf Shores in the morning and pick up a cooler of fresh seafood. 1:20 in the Mooney. 5h by car.
 
teethdoc said:
I don't have to be at work until 1:30 tomorrow. I plan to fly down to Gulf Shores in the morning and pick up a cooler of fresh seafood. 1:20 in the Mooney. 5h by car.
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And a great excuse to fly! :yes:
 
As a 17 year local you couldn't pay me to go to Destin. Over rated over priced tourist trap. Navarre Beach much nicer IMHO.
 
jaybee said:
As a 17 year local you couldn't pay me to go to Destin. Over rated over priced tourist trap. Navarre Beach much nicer IMHO.
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I can see a local saying that, but for a family Destin offers enough things to do to satisfy everyone for a week. What I do like better is renting a sailboat out of Pensaola and sailing into Big Lagoon. Then, we can have the beach to ourself. But, I haven't had the opportunity to do that in a number of years.
 
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