Mxsmanic wrote in
:

In practice, I usually just go on flights that are of an acceptable
duration in real time, and then fly them in real time. It's true that
small aircraft take a long time to get anywhere compared to large
jets--but then again they often seem to be much faster than cars (even
though their actual speed over the ground isn't that much greater).

For example, driving from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon takes hours, but
I can be there in about 45 minutes in a Baron.

I could be wrong, but I believe the Cruising Speed of a Baron is about 175 -
185Kts, or about 200-215MPH. The speed limit on most US Highways is 65-75MPH.
In no-wind conditions, if both vehicles are travelling in a straight line
(rare for IFR aircraft, but even rarer for vehicles on the ground) the Baron
is faster by nearly a factor of 3. Perhaps you are not flying the Baron
properly to achieve maximum performance.