Getting a PPL and a single engine plane as a form of transportation

This will be a VERY fun thread to follow.... no, not a pilot. Just dream about it... and I
too travel a LOT in WA, OR, ID, and MT and have often had fantasies about doing something
like that.

Hopefully there will be a lot of good feedback on this one.

Thanks for posting GT,


Jedi

 

Where are you located?

In some parts of the country, sure. In others, such as the northwest, you could do it in the summer but not often in the winter.

 

Even with a well-equipped airplane, I think you have to have the flexibility to cancel or be ready to go commercial; you do not want to be under pressure to make the flight in a typical moderate capability single-engine airplane. Also it may be less exciting than it seems, I flew Socal - Norcal (about 350 NM) 2x a month for about 3-4 months and it got old after a while. I also went commercial 1 or 2x because I didn't like the weather, even IFR rated and in a decently equipped airplane (it was technically qualified to perform a CAT-II ILS and had some icing aids).

I knew someone who flew 200 miles as a commuter almost daily in Norcal. IFR rated, GPS/NAV, FD/ADI, A/P, de-ice system on wings, hot prop, turbo Mooney, etc. His airplane had terrific oil analysis/inspection results even 1000 hours after OH limits, due to the daily use. He was 1 mile from the airport at home and walking distance to work at the other end. It worked well for him for 4-5 years. However, he lost the engine on takeoff finally and couldn't return safely in a heavy fog layer and crashed on the perimeter with some injury.

 

Yin is correct. Planning on using a light aircraft for business travel until you have an instrument rating and an aircraft capable of flying in IFR conditions and really nasty weather (read winds and icing) is wishful thinking and a good way to get killed.

Your question on listening to music really seals the answer. Of course not, flying is a full time job. If you think you can do it with only part of your attention, you are well on your way to becoming a statistic, and not a good one.

Light aircraft flying is for pleasure, not trying to defray costs by deducting some of it for business travel. In pleasure flying, a pilot looks at the weather and says not worth it. If you are trying to make a schedule, you will have a tendency to make bad calls, and those can be fatal.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

I'm with Taz on this one. It's harsh but accurate.

GA flying is all about weather weather weather. You WILL be grounded, you WILL miss appointment, and you WILL be stranded in a city trying to get home....

All because of weather.

I would not even attempt it without an IFR ticket, a few hundred hours under my belt, and an advanced piston single (with the requisite training) as a BARE minimum for shceduled "fly yourself" air travel....

Just my $0.02c

 

Taz, well said. Partial attention can lead to total disaster. A great percent of flying is attitude, one where the pilot has chosen to stay ahead of a machine and a concert of situations that will potentially kill you if you are napping OR LISTENING TO MUSIC when you should be attending to a constantly evolving series of deadly challenges. I recall one of the old saws about flying, " Never let the airplane arrive at your destination 20 minutes before your brain does." And I just posted what my old instructor said..." This airplane is just waiting for a chance to kill you..." And another, " Forever Vigilant or Forever Asleep". These are from OLD PILOTS. Several times when I was a right-seater I uttered some chatter when we were within 5 miles of approaching the airport. I was told to keep quiet in a very unceremonious manner, once by my own son. Flying is not a ho-hum stroll in the air and it demands your total attention at all times because you are in an adversarial relationship with your airplane, weather, other airplanes, sleeping pilots, and mechanical bogeymen.

 

I think the comments about weather and being on a schedule are all right on. I wouldn't consider it unless you have your instrument rating, or you bring a CFI along. And for those trips, I'd find something more capable than a 172.

As for music, I have to disagree with some of the comments. Sure, IFR, listening to music is a bad idea, but most of the flying the OP is going to be doing is VFR, and there's nothing wrong with listening to some music while cruising along VFR-- as long as you understand when it's appropriate and when it's not. In busy airspace, it's not appropriate. Droning along VFR over Texas or Oklahoma-- no problem.

 

Flying is a great way to get somewhere really fast IF,...you are not in a hurry. 500 miles routinely in a 172? That would be like practiced bleeding. An ice protected Turbo 182RG or 210 maybe. A little Beech Baron B55 even better. (Assuming you also plan on getting a MEL).
Good luck with getting your PPL. It is a great accomplishment.

 

I'm a brand new PPL pilot and I thought I would add to this discussion the topic of personal minimum and maximum limits.

Initially when you get your license, you'll want to set your own limitations on things like max x-winds for t/o's & landings, min ceilings & visibility, max level of forecasted/reported turbulence, chance of storms, chance of icing, max duration/distance, fuel reserve, etc. and these limits typically will be more conservative than what is legal to fly VFR in or the limits of the plane.

I just think these kinds of personal limits will make it even more likely to be grounded when trying to use a plane for business travel when you first get your license.

I'm not sure when I'll raise my limits, probably in slow steps as I get comfortable with each one as I get more experience.

 

Good attitude to have, but also it's worth noting that at some point you will end up in your destination city trying to get back

Obviously it's not an issue that'll deep six the whole thing, but it's something you have to have a contingency for

IMHO you have to have a backup plan in place and handy at all times, that way you can assuage the "get-there-itis". It sounds like you're doing that.

When you get licenced be sure tio update us on how it's going

 

I'm thinking the cure for "get-home-itis" is Enterprise Rent-a-car.
I can always come back days later and pick-up the plane.

 

Congratulations!
Did you go up in a Cessna 172?

 

Yes! I'm currently working on my instrument rating and I've been flying my Arrow long distances, both for expediting business travel and building X-country hours for instrument and commercial. I always make sure that I have a good window of departure times available so that I don't end up missing important things due to weather or mechanical problems (both of which affected my last outing, which was 1717 nm total -- glad I planned for problems!). I WILL NOT take off in an aircraft or conditions that are below my all-important personal minimums. Sure, sometimes you can legally go VFR, but is it always a great idea? Of course not.

I prefer to go when the weather briefings are very solid and I can get up high enough to save some fuel and give myself some time to think if the $%t hits the prop. If conditions for the trip look dicey a few days out, I usually resign myself to driving...but when the stars align, it's great! I make Atlanta in 3:10, sometimes even less with good wind, and driving usually takes 8! ATL and back in my Jeep is a little over $200 in gas, so if I'm high enough I actually save a little there. Of course, maintenance has to be factored in, but hey -- I'm getting hours and saving time.

As for music...I have an ipod interface in the plane. I think it's pretty much useless as I always get flight following, and any transmission shuts the interface down for several seconds. In busier areas, you never even hear it. It would be nice in the acro plane, though

Anyway, so far for me, it has been very rewarding and a lot of fun.