Tony wrote:
If you're a fairly experienced pilot -- say 300 plus hours -- what is
your usage profile like?

About 5% are "overhead" (post maintenance test flights, currency, BFR)
About 10% are charity (Young Eagles and other donated flights)
About 85% are cross country family trips

We do use the plane much like many others would use a family car or a
motor home. It allows for trips and activities that would not otherwise
be possible due to driving time, or commercial aviation shortcomings (no
commercial service to destination/lack of seats on short notice/high
cost for 4-6 seats/flight times/etc).

We can pack much more into a weekend, such as being in town for a
commitment like one of my kids' baseball or soccer games AND visit the
grandparents in Phoenix (P19) or hit the ski slopes in Mammoth or Big
Bear.

With the traffic problems in Southern California, the time benefit of
flying can be pretty substantial. A friend from work drove up to Big
Bear to spend New Years with us (we'd flown up before Christmas). We
both went home on January 1st. It took us 30 minutes to fly home (58nm
L35 to L18). It took him 4 hours to drive back with all of the holiday
traffic. Even without traffic it takes over 2 hours to drive the 110sm
by road.

Steve

PS -- Just recently learned that www.bigbearairporthouse.com (I have no
affiliation with them) has a picture from their web cam at the bottom of
their page which shows our Lance parked in the snow behind their
property back in December. I can just imagine the call from my boss "If
your home sick, how come I see your plane on the web cam at Big Bear?!" :-)