Bucket List

[yakdriver]

Or just go take spin training in an airplane that is designed for spins like a Citabria. Then you can actually explore the full spectrum of spins. A 172 is not that great of an airplane to do spins in because you have to force it in and it will recover by just relaxing the controls. Don

 

[zaitcev]

Because renting an airplane to fly the same distance is far more expensive than the airline flight.

I priced it a few times. For a trip between Albuquerque, NM and Monterey, CA, a rental Arrow would cost about $2000..2500, and an airline ticket is about $440. There is a number of variables. You can slash $80 or $100 off airline ticket by flying direct into SFO and taking a rental car for 2-hour drive. But buying any kind of a better ticket than the non-refundable lowest-cost ticket pushes the cost up significantly. Also, if I take wife along, airline costs multiply by 2, while GA costs stay almost the same. I think the rule of thumb for this trip is about 3 to 5 time difference. For a family trip, I can afford it. Note that pilot-owned airplane is usually cheaper.

The problem with GA really is elsewhere. First, I am not instrument rated, and Monterey tends to have marine layer all the time. I suppose I can get into Salinas and drive, but... There may be some enroute weather, too. Second, the dispatch reliability of a piston single is really not all that great. And third, GA is slow. It's faster than driving, on average, and if you're flying a Mooney. But I remember sitting in SFO, my leg to Monterey in a geriatric EMB-120 being delayed by THREE HOURS, simply because the schedule was unrealistic to begin with, and the aircraft accrued a delay on every round-trip between MRY and SFO, so by the time I needed to fly it, it grew to 3 hours. So I sat there and thought: if I took the Arrow, I would still be somewhere near Vegas now. Even with United being jackasses this much, I would still arrive much later.

If you live in those miniature states out East, GA may not be prohibitely slow, but then you have IFR with ice 100 days a year. So it hardly works out either.

-- Pete

 

[dell30rb]

I think the golden zone of most GA aircraft is about 250-600 nm. Anything in that range is far enough that driving in a car sucks, and if you travel with passengers you will get there in less time & less expensive than flying on an airline.

 

[Everskyward]

I think the golden zone of most GA aircraft is about 250-600 nm. Anything in that range is far enough that driving in a car sucks, and if you travel with passengers you will get there in less time & less expensive than flying on an airline.

I think it also has to do with how big a metro area you live in and whether or not there are convenient airline flights to the places you need to go. Other factors are the weather, the terrain, your budget, and how much of a premium you put on the enjoyment of flying yourself.

 

[Henning]

The problem with GA really is elsewhere. First, I am not instrument rated, and Monterey tends to have marine layer all the time. I suppose I can get into Salinas and drive, but... There may be some enroute weather, too. Second, the dispatch reliability of a piston single is really not all that great. And third, GA is slow. It's faster than driving, on average, and if you're flying a Mooney. But I remember sitting in SFO, my leg to Monterey in a geriatric EMB-120 being delayed by THREE HOURS, simply because the schedule was unrealistic to begin with, and the aircraft accrued a delay on every round-trip between MRY and SFO, so by the time I needed to fly it, it grew to 3 hours. So I sat there and thought: if I took the Arrow, I would still be somewhere near Vegas now. Even with United being jackasses this much, I would still arrive much later.

If you live in those miniature states out East, GA may not be prohibitely slow, but then you have IFR with ice 100 days a year. So it hardly works out either.

-- Pete

The marine layer doesn't particularly make it IFR. Typically you can drop under the layer from the east and get in.

 

[Fearless Tower]

I think it also has to do with how big a metro area you live in and whether or not there are convenient airline flights to the places you need to go. Other factors are the weather, the terrain, your budget, and how much of a premium you put on the enjoyment of flying yourself.

Also, need to factor in the number of pax - that can make a huge difference in overall cost.

 

[Everskyward]

Also, need to factor in the number of pax - that can make a huge difference in overall cost.

That's true and why it probably would never work out economically for me.

 

[zaitcev]

The marine layer doesn't particularly make it IFR. Typically you can drop under the layer from the east and get in.

I don't know if I would dare. First, it may be low: 500 feet. I know that because I went up the coast to Watsonville and did a check-out there in P92. It was right on the edge of the layer, and we climbed above it by the time we were at pattern altitude. I suppose it's no problem to slip under it along the coast, but I would not dare doing it from the east. On our flight from Watsonville we went to practice at Hollister and I saw hills poking through the clouds. I am not falimiar with the terrain. It seemed open to the north-east from MRY, but really I don't think I want to experiment. And second, it's a Class C field. It would be endless "unable" and getting the approach and tower mad, I'm afraid. Anyhow, from what I saw of their cloud cover, it is a significant problem, especially for a visiting pilot.

 

[silver-eagle]

My list is IR (started working on it again), Rotorcraft, and commercial. If there is anything left, MAYBE acro. As for planes, I'd like a Cherokee 6 (300HP). I'd like to fly a P51, T6 (again), and a Corsair.

 

[kimberlyanne546]

I think it also has to do with how big a metro area you live in and whether or not there are convenient airline flights to the places you need to go. Other factors are the weather, the terrain, your budget, and how much of a premium you put on the enjoyment of flying yourself.

I was shocked to see how little time it might take in a 172 as compared to driving to somewhere like Lake Tahoe or Reno. In a car, on a weekend when everyone else is going there anyway, with traffic and pulling over to put on chains etc . . . it could take more than 5 hours. Less than 2 in a Cessna!

 

[gprellwitz]

I was shocked to see how little time it might take in a 172 as compared to driving to somewhere like Lake Tahoe or Reno. In a car, on a weekend when everyone else is going there anyway, with traffic and pulling over to put on chains etc . . . it could take more than 5 hours. Less than 2 in a Cessna!

In the 182, I usually use a 1:3 ratio. 1:2.5 sounds about right for a 172. Go higher if you're in a hi traffic or circuitous road area.