How far?

[phecksel]

for 8 years, it was an hour drive.  Kinda made the hamburger run a moot point.  Last two years of ownership, moved if 5 minutes from home... at 3X the hanger costs.  HOWEVER, with it being so close, the annual expense went down considerably, because now I could work with the mechanic.  Funny how the annual took a week when I wasn't there, but 2-3 days when I was there with him, AND I felt more comfortable that every thing got done.

[DrBill]

My current commute to the plane is 3 miles (about 6 minutes). If I had to partner, I'd limit the commute to 30-40 mins. That would pull in 3 other airports plus my current one. On of the reasons I sold my boat was that the nearest lake are 45 mins away so each trip waisted 1.5 hrs of my time just getting to/ from the water. With my current airport I can leave the house, do 3 night landings and be home within an hour, and that includes putting it back in the hangar.

BILL

[orionflt]

My current commute to the plane is 3 miles (about 6 minutes). If I had to partner, I'd limit the commute to 30-40 mins. That would pull in 3 other airports plus my current one. On of the reasons I sold my boat was that the nearest lake are 45 mins away so each trip waisted 1.5 hrs of my time just getting to/ from the water. With my current airport I can leave the house, do 3 night landings and be home within an hour, and that includes putting it back in the hangar.

BILL

Come on Bill. Don't limit potential partners. If they want to drive an hour and a half to your airport let them! 

[rbridges]

I did 50 minutes one way for a couple of years and absolutely hated it. Nothing like coming home from work and being able to get to the plane in 15 minutes .

Sent using Tapatalk

 

15 minutes is close enough to do spur of the moment flying.  I think 30-45 minutes would be my limit, but you get spoiled living in a smaller town.  

[RJBrown]

 My house is inside Centennials 5 mile radius. But it is 10.5 and 20 minutes on the roads. Front range is 45 miles and an hour away. The hangers at FTG are less expensive than the shelters at APA. FTG is still too far away to consider.

  My next hanger will be about 100 feet from my bedroom and about 150 feet from the runway. Lot 154 on Pegasus.

 Considering a trip to the in laws in Leesburg Florida from APA. Including a fuel stop half way I can make the flight in the Rocket in under 7 hours with a door to door total of under 8 hours. With United nonstop it is 3.5 hours flight time. Door to door would include 1:00 drive time plus 2 hours at airport prior to departure. Then the need to wait for baggage and the rental car counter, at least an hour. Finished with a 1 hour drive to grandpas house. The airlines get beat by me by less than a half hour. Plus I get to chose when to go and no government goons interfering. Always annoys me to find the little note TSA left with my underwear. 

[fluffysheap]

You couldn't pay me to fly commercial.  Before I had the Mooney, I drove everywhere.

 

Sure, sometimes there's weather that airlines can fly in that Mooneys can't.  But when the weather is bad enough that the airline flights start to get cancelled, then GA wins again.  With your own plane, you can go as soon as the weather lets up.  With the airlines, you'll go when they're good & ready.  Might be the next day, might be a week.

 

When your Mooney flight gets cancelled, you know about it in advance because you cancelled it.  You never get stuck in the airport.  You never miss a connecting flight and get stranded in the middle of nowhere, or worse, Atlanta*.  You can take two passengers for the same cost as traveling alone.  You can usually land closer to your actual destination on the ground.  You can fly the day before Thanksgiving for the same price as a Tuesday in March.  You can carry all the Christmas gifts you want.  You don't have to book in advance.  You don't have to hurry up and wait.  The flight waits for you, and it leaves when you're ready.  Unless the battery is dead.

 

The real problem is coast-to-coast flights.  It's just really expensive to make that flight, and if you're going west, it's kind of a challenge to do it in one day.  But a thousand miles or less and you'll come out ahead or even.

 

* No offense intended.  All in good fun.

[jlunseth]

Only if you just count the marginal costs of the Mooney vs. the Airfare and disregard any status/frequent flyer upgrades/etc. 

 

Let's be honest, flying commercial is cheaper than flying and owning an airplane; but the flexibility and pride of ownership aren't things you can put dollar values on.

 

Yes and no.  You also have to consider the elaborate delays in flying commercial.  I have to get to the airport two hours early to make a flight, so I check in, go through security, then sit until the flight leaves (and often that is late, but we sometimes are also).  Then I have to deal with transfers and layovers, and lastly the amount of time to get my luggage at the other end, bus to the rental car lot, get the rental car, etc.  For me, it amounts to about 4 hrs per flight on average. 

 

A couple of years ago I went to a Mooney PPP in Peoria.  We rode the shuttle from the hotel with a Delta crew.  They were grousing about how long security was going to take.  The bus dropped them off at the main terminal, then went a block and dropped us off at GA.  I looked over my shoulder as we walked in the front door, out the back, pre-flighted and left.  They were still standing outside the terminal in the security line. 

 

And then, or course, there are the times when I get there but the luggage does not show for another day....

[Mooneymite]

The closer to your plane you live, the more utility you will get out of it.....up to a point.

[aviatoreb]

I live 7 min from my hangar.  I can say this - end up going there on many days when the weather is crummy and I have no intention on flying - just poking around the hangar, polishing the airplane or whatever.  I figure I am enjoying having an airplane, being an airplane guy, thinking about airplanes, and generally enjoying hangar-flying at 0gph on those LIFR days.

 

I wouldn't likely go if I lived far away.

[Hank]

The closer to your plane you live, the more utility you will get out of it.....up to a point.

 

My Hatz off to you, sir! How far is it to your Mooney? [P.S.--C models rock!]

[Mooneymite]

My Hatz off to you, sir! How far is it to your Mooney? [P.S.--C models rock!]

Hank, you'll have to stop by on your way to AUO (it's just a little out of your way)!

Are you going to keep your plan at AUO?

[Hank]

Hank, you'll have to stop by on your way to AUO (it's just a little out of your way)!

Are you going to keep your plan at AUO?

 

I'm hangar shopping right now. Looks like either Lanett or Tuskegee; AUO has only tiedowns available.

 

Once I get the Mooney down here, a little deviation towards Atlanta will certainly be easy. Send details by PM; with any luck, I may be able to fetch her the weekend after this one--Huntington is set for more snow and ice Friday evening/Saturday morning.

 

Hope it's not too bad over your way. It looks clear here right now; guess we'll see how it is in the morning. Makes me wish I still had the sand tubes in the back of the truck, but they had to come out for boxes of stuff to go in last week.

[rbridges]

I'm hangar shopping right now. Looks like either Lanett or Tuskegee; AUO has only tiedowns available.

 

Once I get the Mooney down here, a little deviation towards Atlanta will certainly be easy. Send details by PM; with any luck, I may be able to fetch her the weekend after this one--Huntington is set for more snow and ice Friday evening/Saturday morning.

 

Hope it's not too bad over your way. It looks clear here right now; guess we'll see how it is in the morning. Makes me wish I still had the sand tubes in the back of the truck, but they had to come out for boxes of stuff to go in last week.

 

let me know if that works for you.  maybe my wife and I can meet up with the two of you.