Hitch Hiking by private plane

D

djeanis

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Apr 28, 2011
Messages
8
Location
Clearwater FL
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Display name:
Dirk
Back in the 70's and 80's I used to hitch hike with other pilots and they with me. Generally I didn't go farther than Portland to LA and so it was fairly local. If I had a seat and load available they went.

The kids are gone now, so is my job. I now have some time to play with. I wanted to know if anyone knows about hitch hiking today?

I live in Clearwater Fl (greater Tampa area) and want to hitch to Dallas Metro Area and back. Timing and schedule are not really important. I do not want to spend more time than to hitch by care really (24 hours or so).

1. Any ideas?
2. What airports would be best legs for this flight since a full flight there is unlikely (I was a western boy so I have no idea)?
3. Will I get rides or just waist my time?
4. Does it sound fun to any there?

Dirk
 
Dirk,

I recently heard about worldaeroclub.org that is kind of a site for planning stuff like that.

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Click to expand...

I haven't actually tried it, so I don't know how useful it is, but perhaps it might help you.
 
I've joined the site, and it's not really geared towards hitchhiking (though it could certainly be used for it) but is more for ride-sharing amongst pilots.
 
Hi Everyone!
This post caught my attention because this summer I am going to attempt to hitchhike around the country on private planes and jets. It is part of an going project called JetHiking, and it will be recorded and broadcasted by a radio station in upstate NY as part of the morning show.

I am a travel journalist (MSNBC, Sherman's Travel, ABC News Travel, Frommers, and many more print and online publications), so my journey will also be recorded online in a travel blog. Of course, I am willing to go anywhere at any time, which is what will make this even more interesting. I am limiting my budget and with no "plan" ahead of time it will be fun to see where I land and what I will do. :)

If anyone has any upcoming trips planned in summer or fall 2012 please let me know if you'd be willing to offer a seat on the plane! I can provide good company and a plug on my website, JetHiking.com if you are interested.

Thanks for reading, and if you have any suggestions on how I can do this any ideas are welcome!
- the JetHikingGypsy
 
This past tour I was in LGB. I dropped off some passengers and had to reposition to SNA. While paying for gas I ovearheard another crew arranging a car to SNA.

So I offered a ride. They turned it down! Whatever, I know what side of karma I'm on. Enjoy the drive.
 
I say bad idea. Too easy to lose your thumb on a prop.
 
JetHikingGypsy said:
Hi Everyone!
This post caught my attention because this summer I am going to attempt to hitchhike around the country on private planes and jets. It is part of an going project called JetHiking, and it will be recorded and broadcasted by a radio station in upstate NY as part of the morning show.

I am a travel journalist (MSNBC, Sherman's Travel, ABC News Travel, Frommers, and many more print and online publications), so my journey will also be recorded online in a travel blog. Of course, I am willing to go anywhere at any time, which is what will make this even more interesting. I am limiting my budget and with no "plan" ahead of time it will be fun to see where I land and what I will do. :)

If anyone has any upcoming trips planned in summer or fall 2012 please let me know if you'd be willing to offer a seat on the plane! I can provide good company and a plug on my website, JetHiking.com if you are interested.

Thanks for reading, and if you have any suggestions on how I can do this any ideas are welcome!
- the JetHikingGypsy
Click to expand...

Gypsy:

Give us a name and location, maybe we can get some stuff done...
 
Im happy to help... Also, once when i was in FXE, I was looking at my options abut how to get back to dallas on the airlines. All flights were sold out, and i had been chatting with a challenger crew in the fbo. They had an empty leg that night back to KLIT... So they offered me a ride there, where an airline should be easy to get back to dallas. I ended up repositioning to boston, for another trip, but it was sure a great offer! Ive made such offers on occasion.
 
JetHikingGypsy said:
Hi Everyone!
This post caught my attention because this summer I am going to attempt to hitchhike around the country on private planes and jets. It is part of an going project called JetHiking, and it will be recorded and broadcasted by a radio station in upstate NY as part of the morning show.

I am a travel journalist (MSNBC, Sherman's Travel, ABC News Travel, Frommers, and many more print and online publications), so my journey will also be recorded online in a travel blog. Of course, I am willing to go anywhere at any time, which is what will make this even more interesting. I am limiting my budget and with no "plan" ahead of time it will be fun to see where I land and what I will do. :)

If anyone has any upcoming trips planned in summer or fall 2012 please let me know if you'd be willing to offer a seat on the plane! I can provide good company and a plug on my website, JetHiking.com if you are interested.

Thanks for reading, and if you have any suggestions on how I can do this any ideas are welcome!
- the JetHikingGypsy
Click to expand...

Hmmm.... A journalist from MSNBC and ABC wanting to ride in those jets owned by greedy corporations that rob the lower and middle class of the right to be equal. :idea:.... I can see a "mistakenly" disclosed N number on one of the blogs detailed a hitchhiked flight sending the viewers /readers into a class warfare riot in 3.2 seconds.. IMHO.

Great idea but the unintended consequences could be ugly.
 
As a pilot, I feel about hitchhikers about the same way as I do when driving -- a lot more circumspectly than 40 years ago. These days, when driving, I doubt I'd pick up someone not in military uniform. For others, I won't pick them up when solo, and if accompanied, they get the right front seat while my original passenger sits directly behind them, preferably armed.

As for getting on a corporate jet, not hardly -- insurance and security rules do not allow that these days.
 
Just to update everyone on this thread, I have been doing this now since July and am in Portland right now. I'm blogging on the way (check out JetHiking.com for more info).
 
You might get a ride on a corporate jet now and then - the pilots don't own it or pay the bills (ah, and I now see you are female)
You might get a ride with me if I happen to be going somewhere - but the odds really lousy if I don't already know you (more than just meeting you in the pilots lounge)
For me to give a stranger a ride the odds are zero because:
1. You might be crazy and have a knife
a. or go crazy with panic and fight me for the controls at the first bump
2. Your heirs will sue my widow for everything I have if we crash - our un-sane legal system is too much of a threat.
3. If you are a journalist I will suspect you of being a leftist, socialist, admirer of Hugo and Che who will call me pejorative names for having worked 14 hours a day in order to afford a plane..
4. For me it is a lose-lose proposition. I have absolutely nothing to gain by taking a risk on flying a stranger.

Other than that, good luck to you.
 
2. Your heirs will sue my widow for everything I have if we crash - our un-sane legal system is too much of a threat.
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I hate to admit it, but this is a big factor for me also. Sad the way our society has gone :(.
 
I travel between large cities often. Sometimes I drive, sometimes I fly. I offer rides on craigslist all the time when I drive, and give rides often. I won't take anyone in the plane if I don't know them in advance. Liability is just too high.

Nothing to do with the person who is asking for the ride, just need to protect my family in the event of an accident from their heirs.
 
N801BH said:
Hmmm.... A journalist from MSNBC and ABC wanting to ride in those jets owned by greedy corporations that rob the lower and middle class of the right to be equal. :idea:.... I can see a "mistakenly" disclosed N number on one of the blogs detailed a hitchhiked flight sending the viewers /readers into a class warfare riot in 3.2 seconds.. IMHO.

Great idea but the unintended consequences could be ugly.
Click to expand...

I think you're on the right path but you likely missed the real concept of what is potentially going on.

Think about what journalists do to GA every time they get a chance. Blundering around on airports where they don't belong and plastering it all over the news about no security and how easy it is to steal airplanes. Airliners can't hurt anything but a dinky CE150 can wipe out an entire major city. Babbling about us being terrorists just because we don't behave like terrorists. Twisting every little comment made into complete hogwash then acting like they are experts when they know squat nothing about aviation then telling the public their opinion and selling it as fact. A simple total non event flat tire on landing and the sky is suddenly falling and everyone on the ground everywhere will die because of the dangerous little airplanes. In general, they're hellbent on getting GA shut down.

Now here's one of those individuals asking for rides places just by hopping in and going. That's just asking for no end of trouble.

Maybe the guy is legitimate in his intentions as indicated. If so, he likely failed aviation journalism 101. Maybe the guy passed aviation journalism 597 and is collecting information to get our pilot certificate numbers tattoo'd on our forearms and sent to the gas chambers.

Based on previous behavior patterns: I'll give a random stranger a ride somewhere. I'll leave a journalist standing there on the ramp even if I know he will die because of it. (Not really sorry either dude. It's not my fault. Your colleagues in deceptive unethical arms created the problem)
 
From the hitch hiker side of it, I'm a little particular about who I will fly with in regards to pilots. I don't climb into a private aircraft with just anyone at the yoke.
 
a meh, me personally I've been on both sides several times, never a problem.
 
The person is a woman. I read her blog. She doesn't appear to be aviation ignorant or bashing.
 
The person is a woman. I read her blog. She doesn't appear to be aviation ignorant or bashing.
Click to expand...

I read about her in the paper last week. She is a young lady just going on an adventure. I don't think she is bashing either. I thought about the hitch hiking thing when I read the article, and the potential liability to the aircraft owner jumped out at me then. The same kind of liability would apply for autos, but most people don't think about that.
 
Dr. O said:
2. Your heirs will sue my widow for everything I have if we crash - our un-sane legal system is too much of a threat.
Click to expand...

BTDT - that's why you buy insurance. The money turns out to be the least awful thing.

(Result of a multi-fatal accident involving a car I owned which made me liable under Michigan law)
 
I fly people and get in other people's planes all the time.

This insurance thing surprised me. I have rental (plane) insurance and the flight school has insurance too.

I live paycheck to paycheck, am not married, don't own a house (or my car), have no assetts.

If the passenger dies and I don't then what will they do? Make me file bankruptcy?

So I can understand where the more wealthy are coming from but I'm not in the same situation.

The "gypsy" and I almost flew last weekend but her flight from Oregon with a Mooney got cancelled due to ice and fog. I will fly with her in the next few weeks. I think her adventure is pretty cool and we've talked on the phone... reading her travel adventures / blog makes me want to show her how wonderful SF is (by car and by air).
 
For the people who hesitate to give other people rides in their airplane because of the liability issue, do you also hesitate to give people rides in your car?
 
Everskyward said:
For the people who hesitate to give other people rides in their airplane because of the liability issue, do you also hesitate to give people rides in your car?
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Mostly, yes, that's the unfortunate world we live in. We don't take other people's kids in our car to school field trips, etc even though we often have empty seats.

Likewise you'll never see anyone in our plane other than family and long time friends. Not that this ever really comes up. If we take the airplane out of its hangar it's because we're going someplace. We're not flying just to be flying with $6 gas.
 
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Ron Levy said:
If I don't know them? You bet I hesitate.
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I didn't mean picking people up by the side of the road. I wouldn't think twice about giving a friend of a friend, an acquaintance, or a customer of my employer a ride in my car.
 
Everskyward said:
I didn't mean picking people up by the side of the road. I wouldn't think twice about giving a friend of a friend, an acquaintance, or a customer of my employer a ride in my car.
Click to expand...
With the exception of the last one (where my employer's risk manager might have a cow and then my job as a result), I'd probably be OK with most of those.
 
Ok, obviously diff'rent strokes...
 
Everskyward said:
I didn't mean picking people up by the side of the road. I wouldn't think twice about giving a friend of a friend, an acquaintance, or a customer of my employer a ride in my car.
Click to expand...

No wonder I like you so much!

Me too, heck, I'm giving that jet hiking gypsy a ride in my car next week on Thursday and I've only "met" her on POA and over the phone!

Maybe one day I'll get old and cautious but I think I'm a pretty good judge of character now.
 
The character of the person on board is rarely in question. The character of the heirs of their estate might be princes, or they might be conniving wretched bastards who would sue the pilots estate into penury.
 
Yeah, my crowd, no worries, they got their own insurance lol, if I survive they'll take good care of me. :rofl:
 
docmirror said:
The character of the person on board is rarely in question. The character of the heirs of their estate might be princes, or they might be conniving wretched bastards who would sue the pilots estate into penury.
Click to expand...
If I was going to worry about stuff like that I'd need to find a new line of work.
 
Everskyward said:
I didn't mean picking people up by the side of the road. I wouldn't think twice about giving a friend of a friend, an acquaintance, or a customer of my employer a ride in my car.
Click to expand...

I've taken ramp rats for 6 hrs of multi, "I'll be back this evening and go again tomorrow, be working here all week", good to have some company.
 
Everskyward said:
If I was going to worry about stuff like that I'd need to find a new line of work.
Click to expand...

It amazes me but really shouldn't the black-heartedness of some folks when they find out someone has assets, and they think they can get their filthy hands on it via the tort system. As you may be able to discern, I've had a little experience with this kind of stuff.
 
docmirror said:
It amazes me but really shouldn't the black-heartedness of some folks when they find out someone has assets, and they think they can get their filthy hands on it via the tort system. As you may be able to discern, I've had a little experience with this kind of stuff.
Click to expand...
It is too bad that some people are that way but I am not going to live my life worried about that kind of thing. Personal choice.
 
Everskyward said:
It is too bad that some people are that way but I am not going to live my life worried about that kind of thing. Personal choice.
Click to expand...

Having kids affects how one worries. I could lose plenty of money and never worry much, but taking money away from my wife and kids for college, dowry, retirement, first home payment, etc isn't going to happen. I'm not going to keep defending my position, but trust me, it's based in logical and well-planned history.

You do what you want to do, and I'll do what I want to do. Just hope you never wind up in a situation I found myself in through NO FAULT of my own.
 
I think it's a privilege to give people rides in my airplane. Do I want my family to get sued for something I do wrong? Absolutely not. But I'm not going to live as if the sky is falling either. I'm lucky enough to have an airplane and a license to fly it with passengers. Not everyone is so lucky, and I'm grateful to give someone the opportunity to fly in my airplane.
 
I just saw this thread. i really do like the idea.

i know there times when a piolet has to fly an empty plane home and empty plane=no money. people could really make a killing out of a small site to pick up a plane to fly. its just the faa would frown on it

im going to try to bum a flight here in december. if i can it will save me so much time getting there. hitchhikeing with a pilot is probably safer than most other ways :D
 
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