Give Me A GOOD Reason

[[email protected]]

Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to fly
airplanes or helicopters for private use? After more than 50 years I'll
be damned if I can come up with one. But I still do and probably will.
WHY?????
Ol S&B

[Peter R.]

) wrote:

> Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to fly
> airplanes or helicopters for private use? After more than 50 years I'll
> be damned if I can come up with one. But I still do and probably will.
> WHY?????

Because you can't take it with you when you die.

--
Peter

[G.R. Patterson III]

wrote:
>
> Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to fly
> airplanes or helicopters for private use?

Logical? No. It's like spending money to visit Six Flags -- it's entertainment.

George Patterson
The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise.

[houstondan]

sure...it's darwinian:

wars, pestilence, motorcycles and the i.r.s. are failing to weed-out
those of the species who should not breed .

dan

[OtisWinslow]

Life is short. Eat dessert first.


> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to fly
> airplanes or helicopters for private use? After more than 50 years I'll
> be damned if I can come up with one. But I still do and probably will.
> WHY?????
> Ol S&B
>

[Withheld By Request]

None will be provided because none is required.

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to fly
> airplanes or helicopters for private use? After more than 50 years I'll
> be damned if I can come up with one. But I still do and probably will.
> WHY?????
> Ol S&B
>

[Jim Burns]

It's cheaper than a psychiatrist.
Doesn't have the side effects of prozac.
....and according to Goose in Top Gun, eliminates the need for Viagra.
Jim

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to fly
> airplanes or helicopters for private use? After more than 50 years I'll
> be damned if I can come up with one. But I still do and probably will.
> WHY?????
> Ol S&B
>

[steve.t]

Been to a commercial airport lately to fly on a commercial airliner?

Try this.

Assume 120KTAS and a Piper of some kind (4 or more seats).
Assume max time in air per leg of 3 hrs and 30 minutes to fuel, potty,
refile, & go.
Note time of departure from house and time of arrival at destination.
Departure from local a/p where you rent/tie down/hanger to Tampa FL
(also assuming you are >300 Miles from Tampa).
Assume you would have to fly out of ATL or connect via ATL.

Which way will get you to the Tampa area and to your hotel in the
shortest time w/o heartburn/migraine, etc.?

Real Example:
>From AKR (Akron Regional, where the blimp hanger is) to Tampa via a
C-182 fixed gear plane takes approximately 7 hours (including one
potty/fuel stop).

Assuming that you fly out of CAK (Akron Canton) and have to get there
at least 1 hour before departure (2 hours to ATL) [CLE - Cleveland is
1.5 hours ahead] and,
that you have to make a connection in ATL (1hr) and get nailed with one
of those random security pull-asides (1.5 hrs to tampa),
and have to rent a car at Tampa plus find/get your baggage (1-2 hrs).
So with the 45 minutes to the airport, and 45 minutes to get to your
end hotel, this has taken 8+ hours.

Now assuming you can fly direct, you get to remove 3 hours from the
trip.

What part of this doesn't make logical sense thanks to TSA & HSA?

Lastly, don't forget that you get to determine when you depart for
going home and won't have to pay any change of ticket fees, nor can
some party in/of your trip get bumped off of a flight.
Regards,
Steve.T
PP ASEL/Instrument

[Bob Noel]

In article . com>,
wrote:

> Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to fly
> airplanes or helicopters for private use? After more than 50 years I'll
> be damned if I can come up with one. But I still do and probably will.
> WHY?????
> Ol S&B
>

Night flight, CAVU, full moon reflecting off the ocean.

QED

--
Bob Noel
looking for a sig the lawyers will like

[Cockpit Colin]

Because it's cheap nourishment for the soul.


> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to fly
> airplanes or helicopters for private use? After more than 50 years I'll
> be damned if I can come up with one. But I still do and probably will.
> WHY?????
> Ol S&B
>

[Steven P. McNicoll]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to fly
> airplanes or helicopters for private use? After more than 50 years I'll
> be damned if I can come up with one. But I still do and probably will.
> WHY?????
>

Sure, I can give you an excellent reason. Because I want to.

[C J Campbell]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to fly
> airplanes or helicopters for private use?

Reason's got nothing to do with it.

[aluckyguess]

As my little girl would say because its cool.
"C J Campbell" > wrote in message
...
>
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to fly
>> airplanes or helicopters for private use?
>
> Reason's got nothing to do with it.
>
>

[Larry Dighera]

On 24 Jan 2005 10:11:37 -0800, wrote in
. com>::

>Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to fly
>airplanes or helicopters for private use?

The last few years I have been scouting for real estate. Diving
through several counties' congested traffic is more than I can bear,
so I hop over it and enjoy myself and the magnificent view from above.

Imagine driving back and forth through the Mojave Desert between
Laughlin/Vegas and Los Angeles/Orange County; that heat and congestion
would spoil the vacation entirely. And there's no moronic LEO hiding
behind a billboard. The freedom from ground-bound travel is more than
worth the cost.

Airline travel, just say no! :-( Congested hub airports, waiting for
their schedule not yours, intrusive "security" measures, stuffed into
the cabin with who knows what viruses infected soles, that's not for
me thanks.

It may cost a little more flying yourself, but the benefits of private
flying far ought weigh the additional expense.

[kage]

Because a boat doesn't fly!

Karl
> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to fly
> airplanes or helicopters for private use? After more than 50 years I'll
> be damned if I can come up with one. But I still do and probably will.
> WHY?????
> Ol S&B
>

[Wizard of Draws]

On 1/24/05 1:11 PM, in article
. com, "
> wrote:

> Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to fly
> airplanes or helicopters for private use? After more than 50 years I'll
> be damned if I can come up with one. But I still do and probably will.
> WHY?????
> Ol S&B
>

To silence the whispers in my heart.

To show my children that you are never too old to embark on new journeys in
life, to learn and explore.
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino

Cartoons with a Touch of Magic�
http://www.wizardofdraws.com

More Cartoons with a Touch of Magic�
http://www.cartoonclipart.com

[Dave]

Easy....

Conversation 3 wks ago....

Wednesday....

Bride is telling me about husband of a friend, about same age
as me, (56) who just had a stroke....

Me-

"Remind me to go flying this weekend.."

Her-

"Why?"

Me-

"Because I can"

....(I did)


I have LOTS more if needed.....

Dave




On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 21:23:26 -0500, Wizard of Draws
> wrote:

>On 1/24/05 1:11 PM, in article
. com, "
> wrote:
>
>> Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to fly
>> airplanes or helicopters for private use? After more than 50 years I'll
>> be damned if I can come up with one. But I still do and probably will.
>> WHY?????
>> Ol S&B
>>
>
>To silence the whispers in my heart.
>
>To show my children that you are never too old to embark on new journeys in
>life, to learn and explore.

[Ron Garret]

In article . com>,
wrote:

> Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to fly
> airplanes or helicopters for private use?

To honor the memory of every human being who ever dreamed of flying, and
most especially those who died before 1904.

rg

[[email protected]]

wrote:
> Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to
fly
> airplanes or helicopters for private use? After more than 50 years
I'll
> be damned if I can come up with one. But I still do and probably
will.
> WHY?????
> Ol S&B

To keep the aircraft manufacturers going.
-Kees

[lardsoup]

Because since the beginning of time man has dreamed of fly. And we are
lucky enough to be alive during this time in human history to have it
available to us.

[Jay Honeck]

>> Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to fly
>> airplanes or helicopters for private use?
>
> Logical? No. It's like spending money to visit Six Flags -- it's
> entertainment.

Well, it's more than that. For me it's more like a need that had to be
fulfilled.

Although I must admit that my obsession with aviation has gone to greater
extremes than most!

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Corky Scott]

In article . com>,
wrote:

>> Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to fly
>> airplanes or helicopters for private use? After more than 50 years I'll
>> be damned if I can come up with one. But I still do and probably will.
>> WHY?????
>> Ol S&B

In Alaska and much of Canada it's how you get around because there are
few roads. In the lower 48 it's the most spectacular way to get from
point A to point B there is.

Things that cause the brain excersize are good and flying causes a lot
of brain activity.

Flying is good for your health.

Corky Scott

[[email protected]]

Larry Dighera wrote:
<snip>
>
> Imagine driving back and forth through the Mojave Desert between
> Laughlin/Vegas and Los Angeles/Orange County; that heat and
congestion
> would spoil the vacation entirely. And there's no moronic LEO hiding
> behind a billboard. The freedom from ground-bound travel is more
than
> worth the cost.

How timely. I just got back into Phoenix this morning (in time for
work) from Laughlin, NV. I had the afternoon off on Mon. On the spur
of the moment I decided to reserve a $19 hotel room, hop in the plane
and go. I had a great time, and spent 1.75 hrs in the air each way.
It wouldn't have been possible if I'd had to drive the 5 hrs. each way.
>
> Airline travel, just say no!

I couldn't agree more. As I was coming across western AZ, there were
about a dozen airliners stacked up over Prescott, waiting to get into
PHX. Apparently there was some problem on the ground this morning.
Some had to divert after holding for 45 minutes. I just zipped by 'em
all in my Cherokee, glad I wasn't with them :-))
John Galban=====>N4BQ (PA28-180)

[Gene Seibel]

http://www.skygod.com/quotes/quotes.html
--
Gene Seibel
Gene & Sue's Aeroplanes - http://pad39a.com/gene/planes.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.

[Jay Beckman]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to fly
> airplanes or helicopters for private use? After more than 50 years I'll
> be damned if I can come up with one. But I still do and probably will.
> WHY?????
> Ol S&B

Because everytime I fly, I get another chance to drink from the well of my
soul.

Jay Beckman
PP-ASEL - Romantic
Chandler, AZ

[Matt Barrow]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> How timely. I just got back into Phoenix this morning (in time for
> work) from Laughlin, NV. I had the afternoon off on Mon. On the spur
> of the moment I decided to reserve a $19 hotel room, hop in the plane
> and go. I had a great time, and spent 1.75 hrs in the air each way.
> It wouldn't have been possible if I'd had to drive the 5 hrs. each way.

Indeed! My son and I are coming down to Scottsdale (Scottsdale Airpark) for
the last two rounds of the Phoenix Open this weekend (Friday-Sunday).

Driving would be 560 miles and 10 hours and the airlines (commuters)
probably couldn't handle it in much less time. Flying is going to take 2hrs
15 each way.

Flying lets me run my business from a "remote backwater" and makes the "off
duty time" much more "productive".

--
Matt
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO

[George Patterson]

Corky Scott wrote:
>
> Flying is good for your health.

and poor for your wealth.

George Patterson
He who marries for money earns every penny of it.

[jim rosinski]

Jay Beckman wrote:

> > Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to
> > fly airplanes or helicopters for private use?
>
> Because everytime I fly, I get another chance to drink from the well
> of my soul.

I like that answer. Another more practical reason I use is that for a
given time constraint (say, out and back in a day), even my slow Cessna
increases the number of available destinations over driving by nearly
an order of magnitude. Rule of thumb: Skyhawk is twice as fast as a
car, but gets you there more like three times faster due to its ability
to travel in a straight line. So the areal coverage is increased vs.
car travel by a factor of 3x3=9.

Jim Rosinski

[Larry Dighera]

On 25 Jan 2005 11:57:31 -0800, "
> wrote in
. com>::

>On the spur of the moment I decided to reserve a $19 hotel room, hop
>in the plane and go.

Right. And if one finds a view of the Colorado River inspiring, s/he
can get a lovely room on one of the upper floors of Harrah's with
magnificent views at $25/night.

I probably would never have discovered the joys of Laughlin if it
lacked an airport.

[Jay Honeck]

> http://www.skygod.com/quotes/quotes.html

What a terrific website!

Thanks for sharing it, Gene.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Brian]

The Same reason that people spend so much money on:
Boats
Snowmobiles
4 wheelers

Sking
Golf
Etc.

[Brian]

Done This.
Door to Door from Boise To Roswell, NM via the airlines and required
driving = 10 hrs.
Door to Door From Roswell to Boise, via 105kt Stinson = 10 hrs.

[Colin W Kingsbury]

"jim rosinski" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> an order of magnitude. Rule of thumb: Skyhawk is twice as fast as a
> car, but gets you there more like three times faster due to its ability
> to travel in a straight line. So the areal coverage is increased vs.
> car travel by a factor of 3x3=9.

Because it's nice to have people in Boston look at you funny when you say
"Let's have lunch on the Vineyard" and then realize you're not kidding.

-cwk.

[George Patterson]

"steve.t" wrote:
>
> Assume 120KTAS and a Piper of some kind (4 or more seats).
> Assume max time in air per leg of 3 hrs and 30 minutes to fuel, potty,
> refile, & go.
> Note time of departure from house and time of arrival at destination.
> Departure from local a/p where you rent/tie down/hanger to Tampa FL
> (also assuming you are >300 Miles from Tampa).
> Assume you would have to fly out of ATL or connect via ATL.
>
> Which way will get you to the Tampa area and to your hotel in the
> shortest time w/o heartburn/migraine, etc.?

Well, for something I've really done, Delta will get me from Newark, NJ to
Knoxville, TN in 4 hours, 36 minutes. Rather than hassle with parking, I would
take a limo, which will show up at my house two hours before the flight. Total
time about 6.5 hours.

The run in my Maule will be approximately 6.5 hours with typical winds and one
30 minute fuel stop. The drive to the airport, preflight, etc. will take about
an hour, so we have a total of about 7.5 hours.

As far as cost goes, the loaded cost of flying my Maule will be higher than two
airline tickets. The fuel cost alone is about 60% of the cost of one coach
ticket.

As far as "heartburn" is concerned, dealing with the airlines is a pain, but
worrying about the weather for that run is worse.

For a run to Tampa, Delta takes 4 hours, 40 minutes through ATL and the Maule
takes 8.5 hours (*not* counting wind) with two fuel stops.

George Patterson
He who marries for money earns every penny of it.

[Matt Barrow]

"George Patterson" > wrote in message
...
> > Which way will get you to the Tampa area and to your hotel in the
> > shortest time w/o heartburn/migraine, etc.?
>
> Well, for something I've really done, Delta will get me from Newark, NJ to
> Knoxville, TN in 4 hours, 36 minutes. Rather than hassle with parking, I
would
> take a limo, which will show up at my house two hours before the flight.
Total
> time about 6.5 hours.

Try it from somewhere away from a city the major airlines serve.

Montrose to San Diego - Montgomery Field (in-laws...okay, maybe not the best
example but go with me on this).

15 minutes to airport and park car in hanger
3hrs. 30 min flying time, taxi/run-up.
30 minutes to shutdown, get rental car
Drive 12 miles to in-laws house from outskirts of city: 20 minutes.
** Bonanza - Door-to-door: 4hrs 15 minutes. Cost: +/- $690 (total cost
@$160/hr)

Airline way:

Drive to airport and park (easy to do here): 30 minutes
Arrival ahead of departure : one hour
Commuter flight to Denver or Salt Lake: 40 minutes
Turn around to major airline: one hour.
DEN or SLC to SAN: 1.5 hours
Putz around San Diego airport waiting for luggage... one hour.
Drive 31 miles to in-laws through the heart of the city: one hour.
**Airline - Door-to-door: 7.0 hours. Cost of four tickets: $502 apiece =
$2008.

'Nuff said?


--
Matt
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO

[jim rosinski]

George Patterson wrote:

> As far as cost goes, the loaded cost of flying my Maule will be
> higher than two airline tickets. The fuel cost alone is about 60%
> of the cost of one coach ticket.

This appears to violate the "3X" general rule of thumb that the total
cost of aircraft ownership is roughly three times the cost of the fuel
you put into it. If the 3X rule applied in your scenario, your
ownership cost would be only 180% of the cost of one coach ticket,
which is cheaper than the 200% cost of two coach tickets. No doubt it
depends greatly on hangar and maintenance costs, but I find the 3X rule
applies well to ownership costs of my Skyhawk. But I conveniently
exclude engine reserve and the opportunity cost of the initial purchase
price in that calculation.

> As far as "heartburn" is concerned, dealing with the airlines is a
> pain, but worrying about the weather for that run is worse.

Agreed. For-real utilization of decades-old spam cans for purposes
where you must be at a specific place at a specific time seems
problematic at best. Maybe some folks can make it work, but I've never
done it.

Jim Rosinski

[jim rosinski]

Matt Barrow wrote:

> Putz around San Diego airport waiting for luggage... one hour.
> Drive 31 miles to in-laws through the heart of the city: one hour.
> **Airline - Door-to-door: 7.0 hours. Cost of four tickets: $502
> apiece = $2008.
>
> 'Nuff said?

Yes I think the main reasons the numbers work for you are 1) you're
filling your airplane with people; 2) $502 ticket price seems excessive
for Montrose-San Diego; and 3) connecting through a hub city wastes
alot of time. But an *hour* waiting for luggage in San Diego??? I don't
have much good to say about Denver's airport, but on United quite often
the luggage arrives at the carousel before I do.

Jim Rosinski

[Kev]

Because for thousands of years humankind has looked up and wished for
the ability to fly... and would've given almost anything to be able to.

Now we're lucky enough to live in the age of common flight.
More than reason enough.

Kev

[Dave]

.............One trip we take is a 6.5 hr drive around a body of
water by car.

Via 172, 1.6 hrs chock to chock....over the water of course...

And very often my partner (who uses the plane for business
travel) saves hundreds of $$$$ in meals & hotel costs. His clients
are very happy with the response time and low costs to them. With
good weather (so he can fly) he is killing his competition and still
making a great margin on his services.

...works for us...

Dave



On 25 Jan 2005 20:00:17 -0800, "jim rosinski" >
wrote:

>Jay Beckman wrote:
>
>> > Can anyone give me a good logical reason to spend so much money to
>> > fly airplanes or helicopters for private use?
>>
>> Because everytime I fly, I get another chance to drink from the well
>> of my soul.
>
>I like that answer. Another more practical reason I use is that for a
>given time constraint (say, out and back in a day), even my slow Cessna
>increases the number of available destinations over driving by nearly
>an order of magnitude. Rule of thumb: Skyhawk is twice as fast as a
>car, but gets you there more like three times faster due to its ability
>to travel in a straight line. So the areal coverage is increased vs.
>car travel by a factor of 3x3=9.
>
>Jim Rosinski

[George Patterson]

jim rosinski wrote:
>
> This appears to violate the "3X" general rule of thumb that the total
> cost of aircraft ownership is roughly three times the cost of the fuel
> you put into it.

Yes. Actual ownership costs will nearly always "violate" this rule. That rule
might apply if you put something in excess of 200 hours a year on the plane. It
will not if you fly less.

Consider another "rule"; that the break-even point between renting and owning is
about 100-200 hours (depending on who you ask). Well, rental on an older 172 in
this area is about $80/hr. It will burn about $21/hr in fuel. Applying the first
rule-of-thumb, the ownership costs for that plane are about $63/hr. Applying the
break-even point rule, however, tells you that your ownership costs are likely
to be much higher.

Mine certainly are.

George Patterson
He who marries for money earns every penny of it.

[Denny]

Having flown the route from Michigan to our place in Florida multiple
times using both commercial jet, and my moth eaten, battered, refugee
from a junk yard airplane, I have actual comparison numbers...
Flying the commercial jets we have landed at both Tampa, and Fort
Myers, with the cottage being 90 miles from Tampa and 50 miles from Ft.
Myers.... Of course, I have to rent a car both to get to the cottage,
and to have transportation while there(~$120.00)...
The average time for either landing point: 8.5 hours portal to
portal...
Tickets ~$600.00 to $700.00 round trip (two people more or less
comfortably)

Flying ourselves, I land at Venice and rent a car... It is 16 miles to
the cottage...
The average time: 8.5 hours portal to portal...
Fuel cost ~$870.00, round trip (5 seats comfortably)

Obviously, if we are going to Florida for a long weekend, or we are on
a business trip with appointments in certain cities at a certain time,
the airlines have the distinct edge on dealing with inclement weather
and meeting schedules, and that is the method we usually choose under
those circumstances... If we have more days and a flexible schedule,
we fly ourselves...

For comparison Mapquest shows that if we drive it is 1350 miles and 22
driving hours... Fuel cost ~$180.00 round trip (4 seats comfortably if
a bit numb in the butt) and I don't have a ~$120 car rental bill -
clearly the cost effective method... Still, I haven't driven the trip
since the 1960's and don't intend to...


Denny

[Matt Barrow]

"jim rosinski" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Matt Barrow wrote:
>
> > Putz around San Diego airport waiting for luggage... one hour.
> > Drive 31 miles to in-laws through the heart of the city: one hour.
> > **Airline - Door-to-door: 7.0 hours. Cost of four tickets: $502
> > apiece = $2008.
> >
> > 'Nuff said?
>
> Yes I think the main reasons the numbers work for you are 1) you're
> filling your airplane with people;

Four of six seats.

I should add that the $502 is round trip, vs $1380 for a round trip by my
airplane. Yet just taking three of us beats the airline price, not to
mention the three hours time difference.

Even just three of us beats the airline price.

As I said, Montrose is not a major hub and that's where the time AND dollar
differences come into play.

> 2) $502 ticket price seems excessive
> for Montrose-San Diego;

Best price I could get on Orbitz.com (UE - UAL) with a 10 day advance
purchase.

> and 3) connecting through a hub city wastes
> alot of time. But an *hour* waiting for luggage in San Diego??? I don't
> have much good to say about Denver's airport, but on United quite often
> the luggage arrives at the carousel before I do.

In July my daughter and wife waited 55 minutes for luggage in San Diego.
That might be a bit much, but not very much.


Matt
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO

[Matt Barrow]

"Dave" > wrote in message
...
> ............One trip we take is a 6.5 hr drive around a body of
> water by car.
>
> Via 172, 1.6 hrs chock to chock....over the water of course...
>
> And very often my partner (who uses the plane for business
> travel) saves hundreds of $$$$ in meals & hotel costs. His clients
> are very happy with the response time and low costs to them. With
> good weather (so he can fly) he is killing his competition and still
> making a great margin on his services.
>
> ...works for us...

Think of getting up in the morning, doing business 500 miles away in some
town out in the boonies, and still being home in time for dinner.

Our ratio of one day trips vs. over-night trips is about 4:1 or 5:1. Most
trips by car would be two or three days.

We don't do business in bigger towns (too much competition, cost, etc) and
we couldn't do it by car or by airline. AAMOF, I can beat the big boys doing
it this way.


--
Matt
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO

[Larry Dighera]

On 27 Jan 2005 05:19:15 -0800, "Denny" > wrote in
m>::


>The average time for either landing point: 8.5 hours portal to
>portal...
>Tickets ~$600.00 to $700.00 round trip (two people more or less
>comfortably)
>
>Flying ourselves, [...]
>The average time: 8.5 hours portal to portal...
>Fuel cost ~$870.00, round trip (5 seats comfortably)
>
>[...] or we are on
>a business trip with appointments in certain cities at a certain time,
>the airlines have the distinct edge on dealing with inclement weather
>and meeting schedules, [...]

What of battling the congested automobile traffic to the airline hub
airport, absurdly intrusive security measures, waiting interminably
for the airliner to board, being packed in a sealed vessel with, and
re breathing the same air as, hundreds of strangers who may be
infected with various maladies? Airline travel is no longer
"glamorous"; it reduces passengers to the status of "a revenue
generating member of the herd," and subservient drones. Private
flying is a three dimensional adventure in freedom.

>For comparison Mapquest shows that if we drive it is 1350 miles and 22
>driving hours... [...] Still, I haven't driven the trip
>since the 1960's and don't intend to...

I don't know how the situation is where you are, but within 100+ miles
of Los Angeles the freeway congestion is so bad (mostly due to
bumper-to-bumper commuters and road work), that it renders long
distance automobile traffic very unpleasant indeed.