Commuting in a plane...

On Wed, 02 Nov 2005 14:13:18 -0800, wrote:

Has anyone here done a daily commute in a plane?

Hi Paul,

My job requires significant travel in "spurts".

For offices near by or less then 100 STATUTE miles, it does not pay for me
to fly. The time it takes to get to the airport, preflight, land, get a
car at the destination airport and drive to the office, it would be more
efficient for me to drive.

Offices over 100 STATUTE miles, then it pays for me to fly as these offices
would require an overnight and more then a 3 hours drive time round trip.
My furthest office is 540 statute miles round trip, and 260 NM round trip.
Kinda no brainer straight lines are more efficient and I get there in about
an hour's flight time. I get to sleep in my own bed that night too!

What aircraft would be best for this kind of cummute?

I own a Sundowner which trues out at 110 knots.

Trying to maximize speed and minimize costs...

Hmmm, aviation and minimizing costs. Don't think that computes too well.
I do get re-imbursed $1.07 per nautical mile from my employer, which
definately covers my fuel and car rental expenses.

Hope this helps.

Allen

There are three people I know of in the Washington, DC area. One of the
is me. One uses a Cessna 150 and comes in from Hagerstown, MD to
College Park. Another Comes in from Orange, VA to Potomac Airfield
(temporarily closed by TSA). The last from Culpeper, VA to Hyde Field.

My drive would be 2:10 door to door, my flight 1:10 door to door each
way. Total gallons of fuel used is about the same weather I fly or
drive. However I get two hours a day back.
Michelle


wrote:

Has anyone here done a daily commute in a plane?

This would be a commute of about 70 miles and it would be in Southern California so the weather is less of an issue.

What aircraft would be best for this kind of cummute?

Trying to maximize speed and minimize costs...

Paul

Ok so it is getting late.
One commutes in a Cessna 150, One in a Cessna 182 and the last in a
Maule M-7.
Michelle

Michelle P wrote:

There are three people I know of in the Washington, DC area. One of
the is me. One uses a Cessna 150 and comes in from Hagerstown, MD to
College Park. Another Comes in from Orange, VA to Potomac Airfield
(temporarily closed by TSA). The last from Culpeper, VA to Hyde Field.

My drive would be 2:10 door to door, my flight 1:10 door to door each
way. Total gallons of fuel used is about the same weather I fly or
drive. However I get two hours a day back.
Michelle


wrote:

Has anyone here done a daily commute in a plane?

This would be a commute of about 70 miles and it would be in Southern
California so the weather is less of an issue.

What aircraft would be best for this kind of cummute?
Trying to maximize speed and minimize costs...

Paul

Michelle P wrote:
Ok so it is getting late.
One commutes in a Cessna 150, One in a Cessna 182 and the last in a

but you do fly for a living, don't you? i.e., the door to door
scenario in your case involves an airport at one end, right? so
in that case I can see how it can definitely be advantageous; not
sure it works as well for someone who somehow has still to commute
to the airport at one end (unless you live in an airport community...),
and find a way from the airport to work at the other end...

--Sylvain

Yes I do fly "for a Living" So one door is an airport.
One of the people come into College park which has a Metro stop right
off the end of the runway.
The other keep an airport car at one end.
Michelle

Sylvain wrote:

Michelle P wrote:

Ok so it is getting late.
One commutes in a Cessna 150, One in a Cessna 182 and the last in a


but you do fly for a living, don't you? i.e., the door to door
scenario in your case involves an airport at one end, right? so
in that case I can see how it can definitely be advantageous; not
sure it works as well for someone who somehow has still to commute
to the airport at one end (unless you live in an airport community...),
and find a way from the airport to work at the other end...

--Sylvain

Michelle,

airport car at one end

You just reminded me that a friend of mine spent a few years during the
'90s commuting from Chino to Burbank in his Cessna 195. At Burbank he
had a Hudson Hornet as his airport car, for the short drive to his
business. About as classic commute as one could ask, other than the
vehicle at the Chino end was a relatively current pickup truck.

He didn't have an instrument rating, so there were days he was very
late getting into work or couldn't go at all, or was forced into a 2.5
hour drive one way.

All the best,
Rick

Michelle P wrote:
Ok so it is getting late.
One commutes in a Cessna 150, One in a Cessna 182 and the last in a
Maule M-7.
Michelle


Well, don't forget to wave to all us frustrated commuters down below
you wondering who's flying on a nice work morning. grin (Or perhaps
there's people who LIKE commuting, but I've never met one.) At least
I've got a Prius now!

-Malcolm

Listen to WTOP between 8-10 in the morning and your will hear me fly
the airplane. I try to be quiet when the observer is broadcasting but
sometime ATC calls and it can't wait.
Michelle

Malcolm wrote:

Michelle P wrote:


Ok so it is getting late.
One commutes in a Cessna 150, One in a Cessna 182 and the last in a
Maule M-7.
Michelle




Well, don't forget to wave to all us frustrated commuters down below
you wondering who's flying on a nice work morning. grin (Or perhaps
there's people who LIKE commuting, but I've never met one.) At least
I've got a Prius now!

-Malcolm

My drive would be 2:10 door to door, my flight 1:10 door to door each way.
Michelle

Well, don't you commute =to= an airport? That certainly helps.

Joes
--
Money: what you need when you run out of brains.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

I think a big part of the equation is you have to "want" to do it.

Many of the planes we fly today were designed, if not built, at a time when
freeways were few and average road speed was probably 35MPH - less in remote
areas. Airplane speeds of 110KT were a huge gain, and 180Kt was just
phenomenal. The speed of powerful piston singles and twins at the time rivaled
that of the day's airliners (DC-3's). People also did shorter pre-flight
preparation and accepted risk differently (sounds strange - some will disagree
- but I believe this to be true). The extra cost was easily justified because
the time savings, even on 100nm trips was prodigious.

Today, you'll find many mission statements that "sort of" work. If you've got
just the right distance, airplane, weather scenario etc, and poor enough
alternative transportation between your destination points you may have an
argument. Southern Calif is a contender for this, because of the traffic
situation, and certainly it is the spot on the planet with the greatest number
of "personal" air commuters.

Few mission statements today can honestly argue cost savings - and not that
many even amount to much time saved. Factor-in the hassle of not having your
car when you get where you're going, plus the fact that weather can ground you
at either end (and every incremental step at overcoming this doubles your
operating cost) and what you come down to is - for those who do it, there's a
whole lot more enjoyment and satisfaction involved in getting somewhere in
your plane than in crawling along studying someone else's bumber stickers for
a few hours.

G Faris