Plane gets parked for vacation :(

[Let'sgoflying!]

Delta promises to get us to Maine in half the time (1 day) and less than half the cost, so I just couldn't justify it. That's OK, it will remind me how much I miss GA when I get back. Dep Mon am, return in 2 weeks.

 

[HPNFlyGirl]

Dave are you going through Atlanta? I love flying Delta. They have been nothing but good to me. Hope you have a great trip.

 

[SCCutler]

Dave, fly Woody to Dallas, I'll keep her (him?) while you're gone... honest! I'll even take you to and from DFW.

Who could resist that offer?

 

[Dave Siciliano]

Dave, fly Woody to Dallas, I'll keep her (him?) while you're gone... honest! I'll even take you to and from DFW.

Who could resist that offer?

I may have an empty hanger here during that period. Let me know if you need it.

Dave

 

[ScottM]

Delta promises to get us to Maine in half the time (1 day) and less than half the cost, so I just couldn't justify it. That's OK, it will remind me how much I miss GA when I get back. Dep Mon am, return in 2 weeks.

Big airlines will always be cheaper and faster than our small GA planes. I do not see why that is guiding you decision. There are other factors such as the adventure.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Thanks for the offers (and the 'offers', Spike!) we are dep via El Paso. (elp was cheaper than dfw)
With only x days available we chose to spend them traipsing around Maine rather than pushing for a destination for those extra 2 days.

 

[wsuffa]

Delta has been a mixed bag for me. I got so torqued with them that they sent me a couple of $200 travel vouchers - but you have to spend an additional $15 apiece to use them because you have to ticket at their offices, in person.

And, if you use their website to try and research and book tickets, it will show you a screen with various prices, you select the one you want, and 50% of the time it comes up with a screen "that fare just sold out". Change days, same thing. Go back and try again, same thing. Were it a storefront the law would call it "bait and switch".

Feh.

I have a trip to the DC area to do some job-search-networking in the next month or so. I priced all the airlines - Delta was pricing the cheapest from San Antonio to Baltimore, with seats on a NWA codeshare that gets into BWI at midnight.... go up through Detroit (NWA flight, Delta flight number), then return on a 7-something AM commuter plane through Memphis. No chance of upgrades.

For $30 more (total) I can go to DCA on Midwest Airlines, sit in 2-across seating, and have more legroom. It's worth the extra money to take Midwest, I get to leave and get in at a rational hour, and it saves me an hour+ drive from BWI. Why would I (or anyone else) bother flying Cattle-class on Delta when this is available?

I had almost forgotten that Midwest had routes out of SAT. Really nice little airline. Doesn't go everywhere, but is well worth it if you can score a deal.

 

[SkyHog]

Big airlines will always be cheaper and faster than our small GA planes. I do not see why that is guiding you decision. There are other factors such as the adventure.

I disagree. Completely. I haven't run the numbers in almost a year, but last time I looked, I could get across half the country in my Cherokee before it started getting cheaper to fly airlines.

Either way, that shouldn't be a factor. It is much more important to have fun on vacation

 

[ScottM]

Thanks for the offers (and the 'offers', Spike!) we are dep via El Paso. (elp was cheaper than dfw)
With only x days available we chose to spend them traipsing around Maine rather than pushing for a destination for those extra 2 days.

Just in jest....


I question your dedication to general aviation

What could be more fun that flying to your destination? Surely that should be your desitination. When you arrive you should think of nothing else but the journey back.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

generally I am like that. She wants to go to Ireland and the first thought I had was, Blue Spruce Route and ferry tanks?!

 

[flyingcheesehead]

For $30 more (total) I can go to DCA on Midwest Airlines, sit in 2-across seating, and have more legroom. It's worth the extra money to take Midwest,

Amen! It really beats the heck out of wedging all 6'4" of me into a normal airline seat. They're the only airline I've ever been able to actually sleep on in flight.

Oh, and don't forget the fresh-baked cookies and wine.

 

[JRitt]

Big airlines will always be cheaper and faster than our small GA planes. I do not see why that is guiding you decision. There are other factors such as the adventure.

I flew to Tampa round trip for $770 (true cost) for 3 people and arrived 6.5 hrs after I left (1 hr stop for fuel break) door to door
airlines would have flown us for $915 with 5hrs of flight and a 2hr 15min layover included, a 1 hr drive to the airport and arriving there 90 prior to the flight for a 7.5 hr total. My 172 is cheaper and faster for any Family flight less than 800nm and much more fun (the important part)

 

[Lawreston]

Thanks for the offers (and the 'offers', Spike!) we are dep via El Paso. (elp was cheaper than dfw)
With only x days available we chose to spend them traipsing around Maine rather than pushing for a destination for those extra 2 days.

So far, since May 22 I've met(and hosted) Ed Frederick; and on June 07-08, One-Short. There must be something magic about Michigan.

Where will you be traveling in Maine? Perhaps we can meet , somewhere. I'm in Brunswick/Topsham; car or Harley-Davidson can go in any direction. And I'm yet to be bored since becoming unemployed -- intentional -- on Mother's Day.

HR

 

[Anthony]

Its the journey, not the destination. The only times I use the airlines for pleasure trips is if we leave the continental U.S. or its REALLY far and I need to be there on a certain date, wedding, etc.

 

[mikea]

Big airlines will always be cheaper and faster than our small GA planes. I do not see why that is guiding you decision. There are other factors such as the adventure.

Yeahbut, compare the door to door time, not the airspeed. Airlines start with a 3-4 hour penalty due to the travel and rigamarole time at each end and the fine, fine, policies of TSA and the airlines.

The NASA team figured that the break even point was around 1000 miles and I think after 9/11 it's a bit farther.

In my case I have the same tiem penalty when I fly myself but that's mainly because my mayor don't want my kind nearby.

 

[wsuffa]

Yeahbut, compare the door to door time, not the airspeed. Airlines start with a 3-4 hour penalty due to the travel and rigamarole time at each end and the fine, fine, policies of TSA and the airlines.

The NASA team figured that the break even point was around 1000 miles and I think after 9/11 it's a bit farther.

In my case I have the same tiem penalty when I fly myself but that's mainly because my mayor don't want my kind nearby.

It really depends.

On a door-door basis, time-wise, it is almost a wash between San Antonio and Winchester, VA (which is 1.5 hours by car from Dulles and almost 3 hours from BWI) if you take an airline with a connection. That's 1250 NM. Cost wise, if you can buy the ticket well in advance, with no changes or a big penalty, you're ahead on the airline. If you buy a last minute ticket at close to $800, it's about a wash. Direct flights are much more expensive, even purchaed in advance.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Big airlines will always be cheaper and faster than our small GA planes.

Uh uh, no way.

I actually had a flight from MSP to ABQ on Northworst a couple of years ago that I could have done just as fast in a freakin' ARCHER. And no layover either! Not only the mess with security, check-in, etc. like you'd expect, but also the 45-minute wait for bags at the other end followed by another 45 minutes in line for a rental car and an hour and fifteen driving to Socorro, which just happens to have... Guess what... A GA airport! Time: Roughly equal. Money: Yeah, OK, airline wins.

However, one of my favorite flights that I have taken was MSN to LEX for a banquet. I had two pax (one pilot, one non-pilot) in a club plane. The non-pilot pax had to be in LEX at 2 PM on Saturday for a meeting, then attend the banquet (which I also attended), and wanted to be back at MSN by 12:30 PM on Sunday so he could get to his son's hockey game.

On the airlines, he would have had to leave home at 3:30 AM to be able to get to LEX before the meeting, and there was NO airline flight that would get him home for his son's hockey game - Either after the banquet or the next morning. As it was, we left MSN at 8:30 AM on Saturday and left LEX at 7:30 AM Sunday. Meeting, banquet, AND hockey game made, and we each paid a whopping $169, which was $110 cheaper than the cheapest airline ticket that wouldn't have accomplished the mission anyway.

I still haven't decided if the best part was completing my first long cross country in the most beautiful November weather I've ever seen (CAVU, 75+ miles visibility, altimeter settings ranged from 30.69 up to 30.84!), or hearing the non-pilot pax sitting one table over at the banquet rave about how awesome the flight was for nearly the entire duration of the dinner.

 

[astanley]

Dave, where are you staying?

Cheers,

-Andrew

 

[PoAdeleted5]

deleted.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

I am in Freeport, Maine just returned from a lovely beer with fishnchips. Hope to see Acadia NP tomorrow.

The airline system got us here quickly and efficiently although I could have done without the dozens of screaming children. An airline flight is not the time to discover you have not been a parent for 4 years. Not to mention the diaper bombs! Why would someone travel alone with FIVE children ages <1 to 9yrs old??

Airline travel checklist
Earplugs...check.
Noseplugs....check

 

[Lawreston]

I am in Freeport, Maine just returned from a lovely beer with fishnchips. Hope to see Acadia NP tomorrow.

The airline system got us here quickly and efficiently although I could have done without the dozens of screaming children. An airline flight is not the time to discover you have not been a parent for 4 years. Not to mention the diaper bombs! Why would someone travel alone with FIVE children ages <1 to 9yrs old??

Airline travel checklist
Earplugs...check.
Noseplugs....check

You posted at 9:34. It's now 10:04 and I'm ten minutes from Freeport if you're reading this at anywhere near that time. My telephone is
207-725-2182. Call me, at any hour. Perhaps we could meet on your way out of Freeport. I'm in Brunswick/Topsham.

HR (I drove One Short through Freeport last Friday night.)

 

[Everskyward]

I disagree. Completely. I haven't run the numbers in almost a year, but last time I looked, I could get across half the country in my Cherokee before it started getting cheaper to fly airlines.

It depends on the city pairs. I just looked up DEN-SFO which is a trip I take frequently and also a very competitive route. The price is $309 round trip which is the most expensive I've seen it for an advance purchace ticket in years, if ever. You couldn't touch that in a small plane, not to mention you would have to have one that would reliably get up and over the Rockies or be potentially waiting for days.

I dislike airline travel as much as anyone, but sometimes I have to admit it makes the most sense.

 

[gprellwitz]

Unfortunately, there are some places that are a little too difficult for me to get to reliably, either because of lack of an instrument ticket, intervening mountains, or FRZ. Last week I was in Washington, DC. Not a bad flight from Chicago, but a) thunderstorms on July 4th and b) the FRZ, which forces us to land a ways from downtown DC make it difficult. (No, not impossible, but more than I felt comfortable dealing with.) Wednesday we're off to San Francisco. It's a) very far and b) separated from Chicago by a few mountains that I don't feel like traversing in a 182, much less a 172. Again, it's certainly doable, but I didn't even bother doing any calculations; just went with a "gut instinct" thing.

To top it off, Leslie isn't allowed to fly herself on work trips like the San Francisco flight. Well, I don't know that they can legally prohibit it, but they won't reimburse her any of the cost. This is despite the fact that her current president has his PPL. My understanding is that the board decided the "liability" wasn't worth it.

 

[Ghery]

To top it off, Leslie isn't allowed to fly herself on work trips like the San Francisco flight. Well, I don't know that they can legally prohibit it, but they won't reimburse her any of the cost. This is despite the fact that her current president has his PPL. My understanding is that the board decided the "liability" wasn't worth it.

I work for a large ($30+ Billion/year) company that has a similar Neanderthal attitude towards GA. No, nyet, nada. Company paid life insurance is no good while piloting an airplane, even if not on company business. The only GA planes allowed are listed on the policy, and they all happen to be our corporate shuttle fleet (1 Beech 1900, several Embrear ERJ-135s) and are listed by tail number on the policy. I contacted our risk management people about this policy and got nowhere. Too much risk. Doesn't matter than they'll let me drive my Jeep (which weighs more than a fully loaded 182) at 70 mph (faster than the landing speed of said 182) down the freeway in close formation with other vehicles without batting an eyelash. Go figure.

 

[astanley]

I am in Freeport, Maine just returned from a lovely beer with fishnchips. Hope to see Acadia NP tomorrow.

The airline system got us here quickly and efficiently although I could have done without the dozens of screaming children. An airline flight is not the time to discover you have not been a parent for 4 years. Not to mention the diaper bombs! Why would someone travel alone with FIVE children ages <1 to 9yrs old??

Airline travel checklist
Earplugs...check.
Noseplugs....check

Dave,

If you are hitting up Acadia, drop me a PM. My family is from there (we were some of the first settlers in the 17th century), and I have lots of family, friends, and others still around up there... I can give you a lot of pointers!

Cheers,

-Andrew

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Just got internet again for a day but now Im in Saint John NB.
HR pm me a ph #, I will try to ctc you about a possible meet-up next Thursday as we head back.
AS sorry to miss your offer, it was a pretty neat stay but we could have used your pointers.
Anyone have any tips on PEI?

 

[bbchien]

Just got internet again for a day but now Im in Saint John NB.
HR pm me a ph #, I will try to ctc you about a possible meet-up next Thursday as we head back.
AS sorry to miss your offer, it was a pretty neat stay but we could have used your pointers.
Anyone have any tips on PEI?

Be SURE to go see the French side (west end, south) where the French settlement is recreated. The seven families were burned out by Colonel Lodge in the winter of 1762, on his way to the colonies, and it took them six winters to earn enough to buy an iron stove again. Je me Souvien, no wonder the French are so mad at the Brits.

See the Bottle House.
Also see the Senator Donald Montgomery House (Anne of Green Gables's childhood home, it's a Barony).

 

[Lawreston]

Phone # has been Private Messaged.

HR

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Thanks BC
Thanks HR; maybe I can be of help repos'g your airplane if its not taken care of when I get there (if my wife doesn't object!)
PEI: cool, low clouds, light rain. Time for a long nap.

 

[astanley]

Just got internet again for a day but now Im in Saint John NB.
HR pm me a ph #, I will try to ctc you about a possible meet-up next Thursday as we head back.
AS sorry to miss your offer, it was a pretty neat stay but we could have used your pointers.
Anyone have any tips on PEI?

Sure do! Jessie and I went there a few years ago.

Charlottetown is nice. The Gahan House Brewpub brews terrible beer. Go across the street to the Claddaugh Room, order a proper pint and a dozen Malpeque Bay oysters. I would do it again in a heart beat.

I have a bunch of others, but have to run to a meeting. I'll post some more ideas!

Cheers,

-Andrew

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Almost our last day and it was the best...
see pics
Drove since 6am around Cape Breton Highlands through Nova Scotia, through New Brunswick to Bangor Maine - a maniacal amount, but we wanted to make the day before our flight an easy one.

 

[Lawreston]

At this moment Let'sgoflying! is motoring somewhere between Bangor, Maine; and following U.S. Route #1 to Camden, Rockland, Thomaston(my home areas). Said coastal route will have them at Wiscasset Airport at an appointed round from which I get to meet/greet another PoA.

RightsaidFred, One Short, Let'sgoflying!; who, amongst you, shall be next?

HR

 

[SCCutler]

RightsaidFred, One Short, Let'sgoflying!; who, amongst you, shall be next?

HR

...don't know if I'll be next, but as much as my geographically-facsinated son Tommy wants to see Maine, you can bet we'll be there one-a-these-days.

Treat Dave and Dr. J right!

 

[Lawreston]

...don't know if I'll be next, but as much as my geographically-facsinated son Tommy wants to see Maine, you can bet we'll be there one-a-these-days.

Treat Dave and Dr. J right!

Well, at this hour Dave and Janet have been commercially airborne out of Portland for a couple hours. What a great flying couple!! We met at Wiscasset, they took the tour(didn't take long); then we drove to little Bowdoinham Airport for another tour(took less time); then, to eat in downtown Brunswick(Thanks, Drs. D & J). I'm suspecting this won't have been their last visit to Maine.

Oh, a funny(to me, anyway): Dave commented, "You have trees around your airports."

Y'all come back, y'heah?

HR

 

[SCCutler]

Oh, a funny(to me, anyway): Dave commented, "You have trees around your airports."
HR

Well, HR, here's a picture of Dave's home 'drome, for perspective.

http://www.flygliders.com/marfamuni2.jpg

Only issue: wind. And lots of it. Nearly all the time.

Nice place (and no, I am not kidding). And a dog named "Vandal."

 

[Lawreston]

Hey, thanks for the photo. Ya s'ppose they could use a couple of Maine Pines down there to give a little treeline perspective?

HR

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

As much as I love my place, I could easily move to Maine and live by the sea, mmmmmm the water, the breeze, the sky and marine life.
Thanks HR for the tours and taking the time to share your local knowledge of a fine, fine area of this country. Yes the trees take some time to get used to when you live where I do - "tree tunnels" is what we named them whilst driving through the NE for 2 weeks (we did 2800sm in 10 days btw). Usually I don't get to turn that steering wheel so much in our flatlands...left, up, down, up, right, left - beautiful hills you have there.

Here are a few pics
1-3. we stopped at Castine for a few hrs and got a tour of a merchant marine training ship, crawled all over the thing; thats me at the helm.
4. in Bangor next to Paul Bunyan (the person giving directions described the statue as being "Life-Sized"; I didn't know whether to chuckle or not!)
5. Harley's row of hangars, very neat and tidy - waiting eagerly for the return of its occupant - a C172.
6. Me on the left, HR on the right - the famous "Hangar Couch" which has a history of its own.

Thanks to the internet and to POA for allowing us to meet another fine fellow aviator - HR, hope you can get to visit down here some day.


The trip home was skilfully done I thought - Delta - no issues, except I felt like I was going to get a DVT sitting confined for so long. I notice some of these airports have wireless available but you have to subscribe to it, 10-15$ not worth it for most people on a 2hr stop.
I noted to myself that for someone who likes airplanes, I am not a very good traveller....we couldn't wait to get home to our home with all its familiarity, the friendly whiskers in the face and all that.

 

[Lawreston]

Thanks for the photos, D & J.

Clarification for others:
a. Castine is a little coastal town with a big business. The majority of its population is either faculty, support staff, or students at Maine Maritime Academy. Hence, the Merchant Marine training ship.

b. In back of Paul Bunyan is Bangor Auditorium. Gymnasium, auditorium, whatever; it's the largest civic center type facility in that part of the state. Anywhere further Nort' just gets deeper into the potato country or the woods.

c.The Hangar Couch tradition needs more guests. All I need is a day or two prior notice. And in view of a spate of recent happenings I'm no longer the only citizen not carrying a cellular phone.

HR