Well this might be some thread drift...but to kinda answer
@Skyrys62 question I just did a quick flight plan from my home base to the Keys (KEYW). So a bit farther than where I would fly to hop to the Bahamas but still what the OP was interested in. I show 1380nm one way. For the 182 I planned for about 123kts. I have 4 legs total the first 3 being around 375nm. The last leg down Florida is 256nm. That is 9.3hrs of flight time including climbs/descents. Add 1hr stop after each leg and its pretty close to a 12hr trip (no wx/mx delays). So, in summer especially, it could all be done in daylight.
Now the fuel. It is showing 103gal (includes climbs/descents - no winds) but I rounded to 120gal. Let's go with $5.75/gal average. So lets just go with $1400 of fuel for the round trip.
So it takes a full day each way and $1400 to get there and back.
Lets say a second person goes and they are a pilot. That gives a bit better chance of making it in a day, less mistakes (airspace, etc).
Lets say round trip airline tickets for the two to Ft. Lauderdale from Minnie are $400 each. So that is $800 to fly commercial down and back. So that leaves the commercial option $600 ahead and they are in FL way earlier.
Lets say they do the rental checkout that afternoon and takes 2hrs at $275/hr for the plane and instructor for $550. Now the commercial guys have $50 left to spend!!!
Lets say there is a total of 7hrs of flying: Get over to the Bahamas on day 1, hop around some on day 2 and then back to Florida on day 3.
My overall operating rate for our 182 is $125hr for everything or another $875.
Lets say the rental agreement for three days was $200/hr and minimum of 3hrs/day x 3 days (I have no clue on overnight minimums). So the rental would be $1800.
Lets leave out food, hotel, survival stuff as they are about the same. Then it looks like the following:
$2275: 2 People Fly GA Plane Down And Back
$3150: 2 People Fly Commerical then rent from FL to the Bahamas and back.
Now bring in the variables.
Lets say there is a wx delay for the GA flight down. Maybe the trip gets scrubbed. If schedules are flexible it will basically add hotel room and dinner for a couple nights ($150/day or $300). Now the difference is close to $500.
Lets say the commercial flight gets there early enough that the check out ride can be done the same day. That saves time but both groups still need a hotel that night. If the commercial fliers were already checked out in the plane they could fly to the Bahamas and save one hotel night in Florida which might close the gap by $175 or so and do leg # 1 to the Bahamas on the first overall trip day!
For the commercial flyers, if the check ride takes longer (3hrs or more) it starts to increase the difference. And if my guess the 3 day rental is off on the low side I think the commercial flyers will be spending even more.
The nice part of about renting is it might be a newer plane (for me it would be). No hours on my plane. Its only 7 or 8 hours of flight time so less chance of a mx issue far away from home. Plus a mx issue for my plane way down there would be more of a PITA than a rental plane down there.
The odds of the commercial option getting in the full 3 days is higher than the GA option since the commercial flight has like a 95% of making it down. Being a VFR pilot I am guessing a 50% chance of making it in a day.
If you can add a 3rd person the savings for flying GA get even better and still easily doable in the 182.
If I had extra money I'd fly commercial and rent. But that would miss the point of the adventure of getting there and back. I hope to do this trip some day soon
...that's basically how I see it. I probably missed like 23 things - LOL!
But I am guessing the OP will be thinking along the same lines.
