What I learned about using GA to go places

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F01LA

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I've been a pilot for 7 years, renting all the time. Recently I had the chance to borrow an airplane for 2 months, and take a few trips. I want to share some things that I learned about trying to travel GA. This was a 172, with 2 of us, and the trips I needed to take were fairly short by most standards, so YMMV.

This is written somewhat as a comparison of flying to driving.

1. The last mile is the biggest problem
OK, so you fly to an airport near a town and get there quickly. Now what? You're probably at least a few miles outside of town (with a few exceptions). There are options, but none of them is particularly convenient. If you're meeting someone, having them pick you up usually works well. But sometimes they're late, or they don't know where the airport is, or their schedule didn't match yours as well as you thought. If it's a 10 minute drive each way for them, they've invested 40 minutes plus pickup/dropoff time just to give you transportation. I can't help but think, "If I were driving I would have just pulled up to your house."

Courtesy cars are nice, if available, but are useless for longer/overnight stays. Rental cars work if it's a larger airport, they just add a little more time, hassle, and money. If none of these options work, lace up your hiking boots and hope you don't have much to carry.

2. Less than 100nm, you better be flying for fun
We had a 65 nm flight for a holiday. In theory, it sounds like a 35 minute flight instead of a 90 minute drive. In reality, it goes like this:

* Load up stuff in the car
* Drive to the airport
* Transfer stuff to the airplane
* Take off, fly, and land at destination
* Transfer stuff to relative's car when they get there (TSA airport, and it's a long walk with several loads)
* Ride to relative's house
* Transfer stuff to relative's house

Did we save any time? Not much. Was it fun? Yep!

3. Bypassing the suckers in the TSA line is great though
On our way back from that trip, one consolation was that we walked right past the security theater to the FBO side and out the door. We were taxiing out while they were still sitting in the lounge.

4. Small airports are where it's at
I didn't realize how great my home airport is. If you're stopping in for fuel, you can make a straight in, taxi 20 seconds to the self serve fuel pump, walk 30 feet to the remodeled pilot's lounge to grab a drink, snack, and use the bathroom, then walk back out, start up, and take off. K82 Smith Center Kansas, if this sounds like your thing. And we do have a courtesy car to drive the 1 mile into town.

Even slightly larger (non-towered) airports have more hassle factor. Longer taxis, more traffic, waiting for the fuel truck. And the Class C I flew into? Loooong ramp walk, long taxi, talking to clearance delivery, ground, and tower before finally taking off. Not to mention that it was a good 20-30 minute drive from my actual destination.

5. Rental car at a large airport can be nice, though
Having the rental car brought right up by the airplane, and being able to pull up to it when leaving, was great.

6. Those used to road tripping may have to adjust
Even with 2 people in a 4 place airplane, packing and loading for an overnight trip took some time. Just a different mindset than the car where you throw it in and go.

7. In Kansas, you can usually fly VFR sometime in a 24 hour period
Sometimes we had poor weather, but with a little flexibility you can usually make the trip. Maybe you'll go the evening before or the morning after, but you'll make it.

8. ..but not always, especially in winter
We were socked in for a good 6 days, and I'm talking not a single minute with ceilings > 800 ft. Good thing I didn't have any place to go. When it changed to OVC018 for one day, it felt like severe clear to me!

9. If you want to make it easy for pilots to visit you, build and/or live on an airstrip
Really. It's the only way.

---

In conclusion, well.. I'm not quite sure what. Flying is fun, I know that. For 150-300 nm trips, if the weather and airplane and transportation cooperate, it can work out pretty well vs. driving timewise.

Due to the speed vs. a car and straight line capability, flying sounds so fast-- especially to non-aviation folks. The reality is a little less rosy than even I thought before. But these are just my experiences. How about yours?
 
I've had a great time traveling in an aircraft. If I'm visiting I make certain the folks don't come get me until after I've called and said I've arrived, takes a bit longer but saves them time. Yeah, crew cars, rental cars, all that jazz. We've gone to and seen tons of places we would have never visited because the drive is too long and the airline doesn't go there. And my door to door time is still faster than an airliner just about anyplace east of the Mississippi. It does take a few minutes to preflight, but no security checks, no airline delays, no missed connections. The one big downside is nearly zero dispatchability. thus the old saying, "if you're really in a hurry, drive."
 
Most of our flights are > 300nm. We routinely fly from MHK/3JC to Carlsbad, NM. Flying saves us at least six hours of drive time. If we flew commercial from MHK we would end up flying to DFW, have an hour layover then on to either Midland or Roswell. From Midland it is a 3 hour drive, with the drive from Roswell being only an hour. Flying commercial is only about a 2 - 3 hour savings. Cost wise it is a wash to fly commercial vs. flying ourselves.

The most rural airports i fly to regularly are EMP or GBD. Rental cars can be arranged at both fairly easy.
 
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I'm sure the >300 nm trips can work, it's just not something I have experience with yet. Also, going a longer distance begins to involve things like fuel stops, more complex weather, and the possibility of commercial travel being a competitive option. As you note, the commercial option is less viable when going to/from more rural airports.

I fly over 3JC sometimes, and the 172 I referenced is based at MHK.
 
By the way, do you save any door-to-door time flying to Great Bend or Emporia? Those are great flights, but I have to imagine that between getting to the airport, flying, and continuing on with the rental car you're not shaving much off the < 2 hrs it takes to drive all the way.
 
If you haven't ever flown to Minneapolis, you should do it sometime. The runway is 3900X20. It is an interesting little airport. I have flown to K75 but never to K82.
 
F01LA said:
2. Less than 100nm, you better be flying for fun
We had a 65 nm flight for a holiday. In theory, it sounds like a 35 minute flight instead of a 90 minute drive. In reality, it goes like this:

* Load up stuff in the car
* Drive to the airport
* Transfer stuff to the airplane
* Take off, fly, and land at destination
* Transfer stuff to relative's car when they get there (TSA airport, and it's a long walk with several loads)
* Ride to relative's house
* Transfer stuff to relative's house

Did we save any time? Not much. Was it fun? Yep!
Click to expand...

One exception is if you need to traverse holiday rush hour traffic through a major metropolis and a heavily trafficked toll bridge.


6. Those used to road tripping may have to adjust
Even with 2 people in a 4 place airplane, packing and loading for an overnight trip took some time. Just a different mindset than the car where you throw it in and go.
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Even on a road trip you still have to transfer your gear from car to hotel/house. That alone motivates me to pack light whether by car or by plane.


In conclusion, well.. I'm not quite sure what. Flying is fun, I know that. For 150-300 nm trips, if the weather and airplane and transportation cooperate, it can work out pretty well vs. driving timewise.

Due to the speed vs. a car and straight line capability, flying sounds so fast-- especially to non-aviation folks. The reality is a little less rosy than even I thought before. But these are just my experiences. How about yours?
Click to expand...
Depending on what's between you and your destination, that 150nm lower bound can decrease dramatically. I'd also put the upper bound closer to 600nm for a 172 and even higher if you have a faster plane.
 
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F01LA said:
By the way, do you save any door-to-door time flying to Great Bend or Emporia? Those are great flights, but I have to imagine that between getting to the airport, flying, and continuing on with the rental car you're not shaving much off the < 2 hrs it takes to drive all the way.
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Flying to Emporia, it is basically a wash. My wife is getting her Masters from Emporia State and has to go to campus a couple times a semester. It gives me an excuse to fly. If I happen to fly out of 3JC instead of MHK we may save ~15minutes. To Great Bend, I save at least 45 minutes.

Which 172 did you use?

{edit: stupid autocorrect}
 
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100 miles or less we drive. 100 to 600 it's the skywagon. Over 600 we go commercial unless we just want to fly and there are no critical time constraints like a wedding or a funeral etc ....

I feel your pain OP, and know where you're coming from.
 
F01LA said:
I've been a pilot for 7 years, renting all the time. Recently I had the chance to borrow an airplane for 2 months, and take a few trips. I want to share some things that I learned about trying to travel GA. This was a 172, with 2 of us, and the trips I needed to take were fairly short by most standards, so YMMV.

Due to the speed vs. a car and straight line capability, flying sounds so fast-- especially to non-aviation folks. The reality is a little less rosy than even I thought before. But these are just my experiences. How about yours?
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Pretty much what I've experienced over the last 38 years of flying too.

With my Cherokee I can often beat airline times on trips up to 5 or 600 miles because of their TSA and hub system and driving to their larger airport.

GA generally takes me much closer to my destination.

And then there is the fun factor. ;)
 
It makes a difference if you are travelling on the bias to the road network. In many parts of the fly-over land, roads run N-S and E-W. If your destination is on an angle it really adds to the time savings. Same can happen in mountains. The shorter distance as the crow flies can make a big difference.

There is a lot of friction in flight when you look at the time from door to door rather block to block. Pre-flights can be done the night before.

An added factor is it's nice to fly 300 miles at 6500 on autopilot, listening to ATC and your music as opposed to fighting interstate drivers, even with cruise control and other modern gadgets.
 
asicer said:
One exception is if you need to traverse holiday rush hour traffic through a major metropolis and a heavily trafficked toll bridge.
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Or over a mountain range you would need to go around in a car (especially in winter).

It's about 60 miles from Mariposa to Mammoth. It's an hour flight, as it involves a climb to 12000 feet. But driving that in the winter is a full day drive. In summer, it's about 3 hours unless you get stuck behind an RV.
 
We've spent 20 years seeing the country with GA, all VFR. It is a wonderful mode of transportation, but flexibility is the key. If you absolutely, positively, 100% have to be somewhere at a specific time, drive, or take the airlines.

If, on the other hand, you've got a soft schedule, there is simply no better way to travel than by personal aircraft.

BTW: The last mile that is occasionally a PIA is also often the most fun and interesting. We have gone that last mile by every mode of transportation imaginable, in those 20 years -- from bicycles, to horseback, to the back of a pick-up truck!

Remember -- it's all about the journey, not so much the destination. :)
 
I'm planning of flying to the Dakotas this summer. It's a 10-hour drive to the Black Hills from Eastern Kansas. Much faster to fly. Same with visiting relatives in Colorado, brutal drive, but a fun little flight.

Maybe even flying to Chicago, Minneapolis or Dallas to catch a Royals' game. All perfect distances from Kansas for a GA flight.
 
jnmeade said:
It makes a difference if you are travelling on the bias to the road network. In many parts of the fly-over land, roads run N-S and E-W. If your destination is on an angle it really adds to the time savings. Same can happen in mountains. The shorter distance as the crow flies can make a big difference.
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I have two examples of this...

1. From St. Louis to Kirksville, MO (120NM direct). By car it's a 3-4 hour drive. Flying in a 172 it's just over an hour. I have family up in Kirksville, and my wife has agreed that it is a good flying destination.

2. From St. Louis to Johnson City, TN (416NM direct) where my wife's pharmacy school is. 10 hours by car and it's brutal, especially the part through southern IL (I've never been so bored). It's a 4 hour flight in a 172.
 
ki4lzk said:
If you haven't ever flown to Minneapolis, you should do it sometime. The runway is 3900X20. It is an interesting little airport. I have flown to K75 but never to K82.
Click to expand...

Now that's what I call a baby runway. And I thought 50 feet was narrow... :eek:
 
labbadabba said:
I'm planning of flying to the Dakotas this summer. It's a 10-hour drive to the Black Hills from Eastern Kansas. Much faster to fly. Same with visiting relatives in Colorado, brutal drive, but a fun little flight.
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Yeah, those sound like decent trips. As long as you don't need much camping equipment for the Black Hills.

When you go on these trips, do you plan to drive if flying doesn't work out due to weather or aircraft issues?
 
Jay Honeck said:
If, on the other hand, you've got a soft schedule, there is simply no better way to travel than by personal aircraft.

BTW: The last mile that is occasionally a PIA is also often the most fun and interesting. We have gone that last mile by every mode of transportation imaginable, in those 20 years -- from bicycles, to horseback, to the back of a pick-up truck!
Click to expand...

You know, you're right.

When I think about it, this may be more of a passenger issue. When taking non-pilot passengers, I think they have the expectation that "We're flying, and it's going to be a lot faster!" So when you end up with a little adventure in the back of a pickup truck, they may be less than thrilled. When they look at their watch and realize they'd almost be there by now if they'd driven, flying may not seem that great to them.

Which all comes back to: We fly mostly because it's fun and leads to great adventures, and not necessarily because it saves us a ton of time. Maybe our passengers or family should hear that more often. "This airplane may get us there faster, or it may not, but we're going to have fun getting there."

Of course, that right there may lead some non-pilots to say "We might not save time? Why even have an airplane, then?" :rolleyes:
 
When you go on these trips, do you plan to drive if flying doesn't work out due to weather or aircraft issues?
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Yeah, usually these are big family reunions so usually someone is driving regardless. The trips will be in the Summer so I don't anticipate serious weather issues we make early morning trips.
 
Forgot to mention, throwing in multi-hop trips can also tilt the equation more favorably towards GA.
 
Out to 50 miles it's about a wash, from there out to 100 I figure flying pays in time saved if I've got reliable transportation at the destination (I've got three cars parked at three different airports that I frequent). Past about 150 miles? -> that's too far to drive :nonod:
A couple of things I should point out;
#1, I live out at the end of at least 25 miles of rough gravel road.
#2, My airplane is hangared less that 100 yards from my house :)
 
We generally (last few years) do a big trip in our Cardinal in the summer.

This last year we took two weeks and flew from Austin (KGTU) to Mt. Rushmore, Glacier National Park. Pittsburgh PA, Knoxville, TN and then back home.

I don't know any other way you could do a trip like that in the time we had. It was just an incredible trip. We met some really, really nice folks and had a great time.

I'm constantly amazed at how great the folks at some of the smaller FBO's are.

-Dan
 
Great post. It mirrors many of my thoughts, and experiences.
 
Anything up to about 1000nm I beat the airlines in time. After that, they win. In price - they win every time…:D

Case in point: LA to Las Vegas. In my plane that's about 55 minutes flying time. It takes me 45 mins to get to airport, it takes 15 minutes to pre-flight and it takes 30 mins at the other end (Henderson). That's about 2hrs 30 mins until you're on the strip ordering your first Margherita. Driving to LAX, parking, checking in and having to be there 1hr before, security, TSA etc is easily a door to door 4hrs in total.

Even better - if you only count the fuel and ignore everything else, it's basically on par financially with an airline ticket and parking on that route. AT least that's how a rationalise it. And if you load plane up, it's cheaper.:yes:
 
Did we save any time? Not much. Was it fun? Yep!
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that's my sentiment. I'm in a much better mood and less stressed when I fly. I don't have to worry about heavy traffic when seeing my daughter at college north of Atlanta. Getting ready and pushed around Bravo airspace, I save maybe 30-60 minutes on the round trip, but man, it's so much more enjoyable to me.

overall, your sentiments reflect my experience. Flying is not a money saver, and it's time saving qualities are questionable for shorter trips, but I don't regret owning my plane for a minute.
 
Having flown long trips with my family for a few years now, I don't think that flying is fun for anyone but the pilot. Everyone else pretty much just wants to get there. They don't hate it but to them it is transportation, not "flying" per se.

But you do get there a lot faster by airplane vs driving so my pax appreciate that a lot. We get to visit our extended family FAR more frequently. That family is 470, 550, and 740 NM direct distance away from Denver (Tulsa, Dallas, Houston, respectively) and in that order of trip frequency as well.

I picked our aircraft to suit our mission and it has worked out very well. It is fast enough to make the longest of these trips bearable.

The thing I love about flying my own is that I have WAY more landing options than does any airliner that would fly direct. I land within a couple miles of my actual destination address at each city mentioned. I may be able to pull up to their house when driving, but landing within a few miles of their homes beats any trip to KTUL, KDFW, or KIAH!

In Houston, especially, that saves the ****ty two-hour round trip drive to/from KIAH. That is a huge benefit to them and to me.

Flight Aware makes it easy for them to know when I have arrived (I fly IFR). My wife also texts them as we descend. When we're VFR we use a SPOT messenger with a pre-programmed "We've Arrived" message that we can send while on approach.

Most tourist destinations have rental cars available or hotel shuttles that go to the airport. Even the flagship Cabela's store in Sidney, NE will pick you up from the Sidney airport. :D

I've learned that one can text from small aircraft in a surprisingly large number of places and at a variety of altitudes as well if one is willing to wait for signal. I've texted in places where there is barely any civilization visible. - but there's apparently a cell tower. I imagine this will only get better with time.

I have learned that if I absolutely have to be someplace, I drive or go airline.

Also I've learned that I better be willing to send my family (if not me too) back via airline if I have a mechanical problem and have to be back at work on Monday. That stings. And then they/we must get home via taxi - more stinging.

I've learned that Amazon sells a cheap, light weight, fold-flat luggage dolly that allows me to get our crap to the FBO and out of the airport in one haul.

I've learned that children's booster seats work fine in the back seat or front seat of a 182.
 
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All true. I don't think it is much less time, door to door, when we go to Chicago from our home in Indy. But when I drive round trip in one day, I am exhausted when I get home. But flying up for the day and returning is nothing.

I think as Uber becomes more available in cities, that will make that last mile much easier/cheaper, at least in the mid to larger cities.
 
asicer said:
One exception is if you need to traverse holiday rush hour traffic through a major metropolis and a heavily trafficked toll bridge.
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Doesn't need to be a holiday if you are flying to avoid the 405. That freeway is hosed 24/7.
 
Sheesh...many lessons.

If you have to be there, have the IFR in yer back pocket and be current

If you have to be there, keep in mind that GA may not be able to get you there.

Maintenance isn't just a good idea.

Don't fly under black clouds. Don't fly into black clouds.

Flying lower than a duck may be acceptable.

When it is windy in the mountains, climb. quickly

When it is really windy in the mountains, stay home.

When the president is in town....park it. When the president is close to town you can fly but ATC is nervous as hell.

When comms are suddenly staticy, expect a lightning bolt nearby very soon.

If you have to alight somewhere unexpected, go to the big airport. Unless you can't make it to the big airport then land where ever you need to.

Most folks at small airport FBOs are incredibly helpful. I'll return the favor whenever I run across a stranded pilot.

Fuel is good. Always keep plenty in the tanks.

ATC is generally very helpful. Don't hesitate to ask.

Weather info and data is good. Eyes on clouds is more better.
 
Pretty good summary, there are some inconveniences but I just try to plan them as part of the fun. Besides the people you will meet traveling in GA are very entertaining and helpful. You get a whole different perspective on most communities this way.
 
100 miles is too short. But I can beat the airlines on a 400 mile trip.

It's not all that hard getting a car or transportation for the last mile. Enterprise is pretty ubiquitous and sometimes they're not even the only option. Call up the FBO in advance and ask what is available. I've found that sometimes they have a deal with a local car dealership. Sometimes, they have a courtesy car that you CAN take for more than few hours.

Out in the central parts, sometimes the cops will give you a ride (that cracked me up when we were in Iowa).
 
PPC1052 said:
All true. I don't think it is much less time, door to door, when we go to Chicago from our home in Indy. But when I drive round trip in one day, I am exhausted when I get home. But flying up for the day and returning is nothing.

I think as Uber becomes more available in cities, that will make that last mile much easier/cheaper, at least in the mid to larger cities.
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I agree. I think Uber will make the last mile much easier as they grow more in smaller cities.
I had a great experience yesterday at KLBT. Called Unicom about 10 miles out and asked about a taxi or crew car. they offered up the crew car with no questions and I was on my way 5 minutes after arrival. Made my meeting, had lunch, threw $20 worth of gas in the car and was off again. Great trip all around and turned a 4 hour drive each way into 1:30 there and 2:30 back. Stupid headwinds :mad:
 
If the airport is big enough to have someone who actually answers the phone, chances are that person will be able to connect you with some form of transportation. When in doubt, call.

Uber is becoming more and more useful for catching rides. I've even booked a ride approaching the FAF (well pax did anyway) and our ride pulled up just as we shut down.

Even the smallest towns have a taxi service (for the elderly, dialysis patients, etc.) you may want to call ahead but had good success with it.

If we're visiting folks, I'll often book a ride on uber or a taxi on arrival, and catch a ride on the way back. That keeps me from keeping people waiting.
 
One other trick is, if the FBO has no rental cars (or there is no FBO), call the local auto dealer (new or used), who will almost always rent a car.
 
OP: Excellent list! :)

I also fly a Skyhawk. I've had it for going on six years and generally fly around NY and New England but I try to make at least one > 1000 NM XC each year. I've taken it from NY to Missouri and Kansas, down to NC, and even as far south as Florida. All fun trips and all involved new lessons learned.

My most common trip is GFL (Glens Falls, NY)-OWD (Norwood, MA, 12 NM SE of Boston). It's about a 3:45 drive or about a 1:15 flight to OWD. However, no matter how you slice it, it takes 30 minutes (by pricey cab) to 60 minutes (by commuter rail) to get from OWD to downtown Boston. Add in time for preflight, fueling, etc. and the total door-to-door time to fly starts approximating the time to drive the 210 miles needed to get there on the highways. Flying is much more fun but I drive if don't like the looks of the weather or if I will need a car in town.

My second most common trip is out to Cape Cod. My family has gone there frequently since before I was born (which is getting to be a long time ago). I fly GFL-PVC (the only airport on the tip of the Cape) at least two or three times a year. With no winds, it's about a 1:45 flight. Driving, it's six hours because of traffic and the need to drive all around the Cape. So on that trip, flying wins hands-down and I've flown at times when I simply wouldn't have gone if I couldn't have flown. It's too far to drive for a fun weekend but flying brings it really into range.

On longer trips, I've found that weather is key. When I was learning to fly, I was sort of exasperated by all the weather crap that I had to learn. These days, I'm grateful for having been forced to do that. When on a longer trip, my main thing is maintaining flexibility. I tell people that I'm not sure when I'm leaving or when I'll get there. I build flexibility into the schedule on both ends and leave time for sightseeing. I plan frequent fuel stops (on average, every two hours) because I like landing at cool airports, want to get out and stretch my legs and hit the men's room and usually want to refresh my coffee. I do not at all mind the time it takes to add in a fuel stop because it makes my trip more pleasant and more fun and I like knowing that I've always got at least a couple of hours of fuel on board. There have been a couple of occasions where that turned out to be key.

One simple thing that has made my long XCs more comfortable is a center console. I bought it right after I bought the plane. It wasn't pricey and it doesn't weigh much. It sits between the front seats and is easily removable if need be. It holds plane documents, my fire extinguisher, pens and all sorts of little things, the plane log, a couple of sectionals (yeah, I still keep a couple on board) and various things like that. More important, the cushion on top provides an arm rest. After a day that might involve six hours or more of flying, that arm rest makes a difference. The console also provides two cup holders on the front. When flying XCs, I've always got an insulated cup of coffee with a locking, unspillable top. The arm rest, coffee and fairly frequent stops go a long way toward making long XCs comfortable.

Finally, when making XCs of any length, I'm always on flight following. I can't remember the last time it was refused anywhere I've flown. It doesn't mean that I don't try to be vigilant but I think it's a critical resource and am grateful that it's there for us to use.
 
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I also got my PP in 2008. We have not driven a trip since 2008 that was over a 3 hr drive. We'd rather fly. Our airport is a 1 hr drive too!
 
I hate driving period! Just figure this: flying is double the cost and over three times as fast without the stress of traffic jams, dangerous drivers, public stops, etc. Big plus is you get a smokin view enroute. Just rent a car at the end. It's a quality of life thing. Be happy!
 
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