What do you do once you land at your destination? Rent a car?

jconway2002 said:
Now that I am close to getting my ticket, I am beginning to wonder how I will use it. My biggest question is what I am suppose to do once I land at a destination airport an hour or two from home? If I want to go explore the city I am in, do I need to rent a car? I have heard FBOs have a car that they will lend you...how true is that?

What do you guys do?
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I have noticed that if you stay the night (at a place such as a Bed and Breakfast, or in some cases a KOA campground) - they will pick you up at the airport after you land.

Bigger FBO's (at class C airports and some D) will have "loaner cars" if you do an "attempted top off" or a certain minimum number of gallons. Not sure if you can have the car overnight, but I did this once in Monterey and drove to the Aquarium.

I've taken a "cab" (shuttle) with fixed prices to Mendocino with John and others, I think it was less than $20 per person for a round trip ride, out in the morning and back in the afternoon. That was great.

Other people buy "folding bikes" for their planes and just bike once they land.

EDIT: if you fly to see a friend or family member, which I have also done, just ask them to come and pick you up at the airport.
 
Kim, even the smaller airports have loaner cars. Actually I've found that for piston pounders like us the smaller airports make it easier to get a loaner. Sometimes the bigger ones want to save them for the biz jet jockeys who spend lots of their companies money.
 
AdamZ said:
Kim, even the smaller airports have loaner cars. Actually I've found that for piston pounders like us the smaller airports make it easier to get a loaner. Sometimes the bigger ones want to save them for the biz jet jockeys who spend lots of their companies money.
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It seems to be the opposite on the west coast. The small airports don't have them at all. I have been given one in Monterey, Reno and Stockton, all from major FBOs. There was a guy at Livermore who offered me his personal truck, but it wasn't an airport car.
 
John221us said:
It seems to be the opposite on the west coast. The small airports don't have them at all. I have been given one in Monterey, Reno and Stockton, all from major FBOs. There was a guy at Livermore who offered me his personal truck, but it wasn't an airport car.
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Thanks for saying that. I was going to wonder what "small airports" I was missing out on that had cars. Often not having cars is one of the bigger issues here in CA.
 
I've had really good luck with courtesy cars at small (really small) airports in the West... Show Low-AZ, Benson-AZ, Page-AZ, Burns-OR, Ellensburg-WA, Twin Falls-ID, Monticello-UT, Battle Mountain-NV, Laughlin-NV... and many let you keep it overnight!
 
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CT4ME said:
I've had really good luck with courtesy cars at small (really small) airports in the West... Show Low-AZ, Benson-AZ, Page-AZ, Burns-OR, Ellensburg-WA, Twin Falls-ID, Monticello-UT, Battle Mountain-NV, Laughlin-NV... and many let you keep it overnight!
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I guess it is a California thing then. I have yet to find one, outside of an FBO that caters to jet traffic. It is probably a liability issue. California is known for its litigation.
 
John221us said:
It seems to be the opposite on the west coast. The small airports don't have them at all. I have been given one in Monterey, Reno and Stockton, all from major FBOs. There was a guy at Livermore who offered me his personal truck, but it wasn't an airport car.
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kimberlyanne546 said:
Thanks for saying that. I was going to wonder what "small airports" I was missing out on that had cars. Often not having cars is one of the bigger issues here in CA.
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John221us said:
I guess it is a California thing then. I have yet to find one, outside of an FBO that caters to jet traffic. It is probably a liability issue. California is known for its litigation.
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Jeez one would think in car crazy California they'd be everywhere, go figure.:dunno: Lots of smaller GA fields here in the East have loaner or crew cars. Some aren't so pretty but they get ya where you need to be.
 
If I have a quick errand, I try to use a courtesy car, which quite a few airports around here have. If I am going to be awhile, I rent a car or drive mine there, depending on the hassle factor.

If you are doing this for business, and "have" to be there... you shouldn't probably be flying... but a rental or something pre-arranged will be necessary.
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I fairly frequently fly from Memphis to Nashville on business trips. I usually land at Tune, which has great rental car service. Last time I was there, they brought the rental out to my airplane on the ramp, even though I was in a C-150. They have a 6 hour rental, which usually works out great for me. An awful lot of people fly on business trips. Just set up your ground transportation in advance.
 
dell30rb said:
their best attribute is not their weight or speed but that you will look like a goober
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Yeah, so just wear your pilot gear and they will cancel each other out...

:wink2:
 
John221us said:
Epaulets and a captains hat? Or just a leather bomber jacket and aviators?
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All of the above, of course. Optionally substitute canvas helmet, goggles and a white silk scarf... but then you have to have a handlebar mustache.
 
A lot of Texas airports have loaner cars, usually retired police cars. You get a big car with durable vinyl seats, a great air conditioner, extra lights on the ceiling (for paperwork), a certified speedometer and (sometimes) back doors that only open from the outside.
 
SCCutler said:
A lot of Texas airports have loaner cars, usually retired police cars. You get a big car with durable vinyl seats, a great air conditioner, extra lights on the ceiling (for paperwork), a certified speedometer and (sometimes) back doors that only open from the outside.
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It's too bad they take the cage out. ;)

You forgot HUGE alternator. :)
 
denverpilot said:
It's too bad they take the cage out. ;)

You forgot HUGE alternator. :)
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Yep.

And a BUNCH of rubber plugs in antenna holes.

And, sometimes, a spotlight.
 
Flying is inconvenient, and expensive. Yes, it doesn't end when you turn off the plane, it just begins, again.
 
I've done everything from taking the crew car, calling a cab, getting a ride from the FBO employee, renting a car, etc... If I am going to be more than just overnight, I almost always arrange transportation (hotel shuttle, rental car, etc..) in advance.

My favorite was showing up in one town in Iowa to find the last hotel room (we had stopped there as the hotel was adjacent to the airport) in town taken by the guy ahead of me in line. I get the chart out and she calls the next town over that has an airport, which happens to be Pocahontas, IA. She gets the hotel to hold a room for us and then calls the Police Department to find out how we can get from the airport to the hotel. They tell us the keys to the courtesy car are in the (not staffed) FBO but if we couldn't find it or the car was already out, to just call them and they'd give us a ride.

Turned out the courtesy car was there, and after searching around the unlocked FBO building we found the key and a sign out book. As with many small airports it was a retired police car. We get to the hotel to find it is "Heritage day" and there's a street fair and fireworks that evening so we had a wonderful time in small town america.
 
What do you do once you land at your destination? Rent a car?

I go to the bathroom or nearest palm tree.:happydance:

José
 
Jay Honeck said:
I can't tell where you're from by your profile, but if you're anywhere near the Texas Gulf Coast, you can fly into the only hotel in America with courtesy cars for pilots - Amelia's Landing. :D

All we ask is that you put gas in it.
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And the hotel and innkeepers are absolutely mahvelous!! :) Hands down one of the best GA destinations in the USA. As for the courtesy cars at KRAS, it kinda reminds me of the surfing culture of the 1950s where everybody would leave their long heavy boards in the bushes at the beaches all up and down the California coast. It was an honor system. And it worked very well for its day.
 
DrMack said:
And the hotel and innkeepers are absolutely mahvelous!! :) Hands down one of the best GA destinations in the USA. As for the courtesy cars at KRAS, it kinda reminds me of the surfing culture of the 1950s where everybody would leave their long heavy boards in the bushes at the beaches all up and down the California coast. It was an honor system. And it worked very well for its day.
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Garsh, thanks (blush)!

Courtesy cars are an ENORMOUS risk, in addition to being a PIA. We finally took ours off of the hotel's insurance, after enduring the hassle of my agent's threats.

Therefore, our courtesy cars are our personal vehicles, and are labeled as such. This is probably dumb, and opens us up to personal (rather than corporate) liability, but pilots who fly in are family, and are treated accordingly.

We have only had our hospitality abused twice in 10+ years, and I've written about them here so I won't bore you with the details. All I can say is this: When you find a courtesy car, put gas in it, maybe air up the tires, and run it through the carwash. Treat it like the manna from heaven it is, and realize the enormous amount of faith the owner is putting in you.

Sent from my Nexus 7
 
Unless I have friends in the towns I fly to I normally can't go anywhere. Im not old enough to rent a car and I look to young for FBOs to give me a courtesy car. I had one FBO in Dallas tell me they don't loan cars to kids. :mad:

So all my cross countries, unless someone was with me who looked older, where point A to point B and back after a quick fuel.

Luckily when I flew up to STL for the weekend with some friends, last fall, Enterprise waved the 26 year old rule.

Being 21 and looking MUCH younger is not a good mix.
 
ARFlyer said:
Unless I have friends in the towns I fly to I normally can't go anywhere. Im not old enough to rent a car and I look to young for FBOs to give me a courtesy car. I had one FBO in Dallas tell me they don't loan cars to kids. :mad:

So all my cross countries, unless someone was with me who looked older, where point A to point B and back after a quick fuel.

Luckily when I flew up to STL for the weekend with some friends, last fall, Enterprise waved the 26 year old rule.

Being 21 and looking MUCH younger is not a good mix.
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I rented cars at 21. Trick is to presume to be in town on a business trip, and to offer to take a beater and pay a premium. Having had to travel on business, and as you said in your post, I learned that the agents had a bit of leeway, and I got stuck with crappy ford fiestas.
 
ARFlyer said:
Unless I have friends in the towns I fly to I normally can't go anywhere. Im not old enough to rent a car and I look to young for FBOs to give me a courtesy car. I had one FBO in Dallas tell me they don't loan cars to kids. :mad:

So all my cross countries, unless someone was with me who looked older, where point A to point B and back after a quick fuel.

Luckily when I flew up to STL for the weekend with some friends, last fall, Enterprise waved the 26 year old rule.

Being 21 and looking MUCH younger is not a good mix.
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ChrisK said:
I rented cars at 21. Trick is to presume to be in town on a business trip, and to offer to take a beater and pay a premium. Having had to travel on business, and as you said in your post, I learned that the agents had a bit of leeway, and I got stuck with crappy ford fiestas.
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Some car companies have realized that they can make a mint out of allowing those under 25 to rent cars at much, much higher rates. They don't wreck them that much, but when they do, the higher rates more than pay for them.
 
When I traveled for business prior to 25, all we had to do was provide Hertz with proof the company had self-insured and I was an employee. Still had some agents that didn't get it, but asking for a supervisor or for them to read their machine more carefully, along with pointing out that the test gear I was carrying cost three times the price of the car did, new... usually took care of it.
 
We landed yesterday and had to get a cab. So that's a new one for me (the cab with POA members before at our lunch was actually a shuttle with a waybill and pre-determined price, which doesn't count).

It sucked for many reasons:

1. Google said 3 - 4 mile walk from the Nut Tree airport to a nearby store (about 1-2 hours). We started walking and in less than 15 minutes realized none of us brought suncreen. I think it was 90+ degrees. We were sweating and tired.

2. We gave up, stopped for food, and called Yellow Cab. They said to wait no more than 15 minutes. 30 minutes later and no cab. We called and they said the driver got "lost" and was "new." Crap. We gave the driver turn by turn directions to this huge hunting / gun / fishing store. About $15 ride.

3. Going home after the store closed, I called Yellow Cab again, hoping for a different driver. This time the cab was there in less than 10 minutes, professional driver, knew how to avoid the traffic jams on the freeway. To the airport in no time. A bit less on the ride, she forgot to hit the button to start! I think they tipped her for that.

So for $30 - $40 that seems like a lot for a cab. I didn't help since I obviously paid for / piloted the plane and this was "their" trip (I don't own a gun and had no need to visit a gun supply store).

Pretty cool though that the boyfriend wanted to check out this fishing / hunting place and asked if I could fly there. 31nm can't be logged as XC but still going to a new airport is always better than me just flying the pattern.

We even had a new student pilot (works with my boyfriend) who had taken only one lesson. I had him help with the trip and that is always fun. Seeing somebody struggle with headings and altitudes reminds me how far I've come.
 
My worst cab experience was Whiteman to downtown L.A. It took the cab guy over an hour to find the airport with an address and a GPS. I guess it could have been an excuse, but I talked to their office several times and they said he was lost. The cab ride back from L.A. was a lot easier.
 
If my trip somewhere is unplanned, for example just a couple of guys flying around then we decide to stop somewhere for lunch, I will take my chances with a courtesy car.

If my trip is planned, I've been bitten too many times with not being able to get a car, or ending up waiting 40 minutes for a taxi to turn up then another long wait getting another taxi to get back. So now I will organize a rental car if that option is possible. Another really cool benefit of that is usually it will get driven out to you plane side so you can transfer all your luggage easily.

And off topic, Jay I am DEFINITELY going to come and check out your hotel one of these days! Great idea.
 
Mary, Becca, and I flew into Stinson Field (San Antonio) Sunday.

No courtesy car. :mad: So, we rented a car for 4 hours, which cost ~$50 -- about what two cab rides to/from the Riverwalk/Alamo would cost, with tip.

It sucked, but 2 hours of flying sure beat a 5 hour drive. We had a great day, and made it back before our staff's time was up.

Sent from my Nexus 7
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
Yes it can.
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True. But those XC minutes don't count toward the experience requirement for the instrument rating. It seems like it would be a real hassle if you log them as XC if you are going to go for the next rating to segregate out the real XC time from the fake XC time.
 
Jay Honeck said:
Mary, Becca, and I flew into Stinson Field (San Antonio) Sunday.

No courtesy car. :mad: So, we rented a car for 4 hours, which cost ~$50 -- about what two cab rides to/from the Riverwalk/Alamo would cost, with tip.

It sucked, but 2 hours of flying sure beat a 5 hour drive. We had a great day, and made it back before our staff's time was up.

Sent from my Nexus 7
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So you are not sick anymore?
 
PPC1052 said:
True. But those XC minutes don't count toward the experience requirement for the instrument rating. It seems like it would be a real hassle if you log them as XC if you are going to go for the next rating to segregate out the real XC time from the fake XC time.
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Correct. Now I need to figure out if the XC requirements for Angel Flight (and if AUX requires any) are the "real" kind or not. Then and only then would I have a reason to keep track of the fake ones.

Right now my lonely XC column only gets filled if I go 50nm or more. I will change that in the future if I get my IFR (which may never happen) and if I qualify as pilot for AUX (many hundred hours away) and if I qualify as Command Pilot for Angel Flight (many hundred hours away). At about 30 - 60 hours per year predicted, this is stuff I won't have to worry about for years to come.
 
FBO San Antonio Aviation says on their website they have a courtesy car. Did you park there?

http://www.sanantonioaviation.com/guests.htm

Jay Honeck said:
Mary, Becca, and I flew into Stinson Field (San Antonio) Sunday.

No courtesy car. :mad: So, we rented a car for 4 hours, which cost ~$50 -- about what two cab rides to/from the Riverwalk/Alamo would cost, with tip.

It sucked, but 2 hours of flying sure beat a 5 hour drive. We had a great day, and made it back before our staff's time was up.

Sent from my Nexus 7
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