To support your point about GA utility, I'm IR, fly a Mooney, and used
it quite a lot on business. It was based in Massachusetts, so there
were lots of pretty bad flying weather days. My own IFR minima are
close to those published, but I don't fly whel pilots are reporting
icing or embedded thunderstorms, things like that. Given I'd make most
business apointments a wek or more in advance (so projected WX was not
a factor, I'd make about 95% of the trips I planned.

If I was restricted to VFR I doubt it would have been as many as 60%.


affecting the schedule was On Feb 19, 8:45 am, "BDS"
wrote:
wrote

One factor that makes flying a bit unattractive is that a simple PPL
does not have a lot of utility and is not the equivalent of a driving
license in the sky. Sometimes it is sold that way though. When I took
my first intro flight in Northern CA, the instructor tried to sell me
the idea that once I get my PPL, I would be free as a bird and could
fly to on a whim to Tahoe for skiing! I think that the PPL kind of
flying is more of a sport than anything else like mountaineering or
skydiving or even gliding and maybe needs to be marketed as such. It
just so happens that on some nice days it can be used as a means of
transport but this cannot be the main reason for getting a PPL.

Well, you will never be able to match the airlines' ability to maintain a
schedule if that's what you're looking for. But, if you can be even just a
little flexible with your schedule then you certainly can do quite alot with
a PPL, and even if you fly strictly VFR. Add an instrument rating and
maintain your currency and you greatly extend the utility of your PPL.

BDS