Sounds like fun!
I was recently (two weeks ago) on an engineering job outside of Paris France
(180nm SW of Paris). My programmer was arriving from Los Angeles on Friday
morning, and we had to get him to the site in time to meet with the
contractors before they all took off for the weekend. I could drive up to get
him, but as you say this would have been 4 hours each way - tiring to the
point of being dangerous, and not exactly optimal use of my time. Train
schedules were not cooperating, despite the excellent trains in Europe, they
are not perfect to all destinations at all times.

Weather was great though, and there was an airport a couple miles away, with
a flying club where I was able to rent a 172. Did a checkride the night
before, then launched in the morning, had a stunning tour of the French
countryside and had my guy on site before lunch! And the total cost of the
operation was not that much more than the train, that would have had him
there at 5PM.

Everyone was thrilled with the "usefullness" of the small plane that saved
the day - but in truth we sort of hit everything "on the numbers". The trip
was just long enough to be useful, but short enough to be practical. Weather
was fine - couldn't have planned this ahead of time under VFR, Other
transportation means were not coming through - and of course my car was
already there, so we weren't stranded upon landing.

The only "imperfect" element was that in Europe you cannot fly into large,
ommercial airports - at any cost. Charles de Gaulle is strictly off limits to
GA, so I had to get the guy to taxi to a small airport, which cost him some
time and money - but he was more than glad for the sightseeing tour. He only
saved 2.5 hours, compared to me driving him, but for me it was three hours of
relaxing flight, compared with eight hours of stressful driving.

G Faris