Fighting the high cost of flying

On Jun 5, 6:54 pm, "Jay Honeck" wrote:
Excellent move, Jay. Looks like a real clean airplane. I think lots of
folks will be making a move in a similar direction. What's the plan for
Atlas.

Well, for now we're planning to keep Atlas. With a 1460 pound useful load,
and 140 knot speeds, it allows us to be in Florida in just 5 hours,
Wisconsin in 90 minutes, Kansas City in two hours, etc.

The Ercoupe will be a fun little 95 mph plane, but a cross-country family
hauler it is not... Of course, once the kids are grown and out of the
house, will we still need a minivan/airplane? Probably not.

It really depends on what happens with 100LL and the cost of fuel in
general.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination""Rod" wrote in message

.. .



Just having returned from a 400NM trip, I have to say there are other
reasons besides fuel cost that is against GA. Today's automobiles have
come a long way in comfort, speed and convenience. The same level of
comfort only exists in airplanes that cost several million bucks.

The 95F heat this afternoon made the 10 minute taxi and run-up feel
like an eternity. Even with the cabin fan at full blast we were
suffocating by the time we took off. Then there was the 30 knots
headwind all the way, which increased the trip time by a full hour.
Even with ANR, the noise was physically draining. Now combine this
with a 2-year old in the back seat. I find it is impossible to justify
to your family that this is better way of traveling.

I could not see my family suffer through this ordeal, so I stopped at
an airport and rented a brand new Toyota Prius and told them to drive
it home, one of the best decision I have made in a long time. It was
definitely longer than flying, but it was way more comfy and cost far
less than flying. Next time I have decided to drive for family trips.