It still stacks up.

In fact I am off to Berlin next week for the flyer trip. Airborne time is 2:30, other numbers remain the same.

Milan takes me 3:00hrs. Sweden, this week total flying time off 4:20.

The key for me here is not having to drive to an airport at an ungodly hour, not to have to queue through check in and security and not have to strip to my socks for 'security'. I am not tied to timetables and I don't need to use the 2hrs sat in an airport as an excuse to 'work'.

Even selling your MCR and finding someone else with another 50k only gets you a Tourer not complete business tool. I guess the point I am trying to make is look outside the box, the GA scene is much larger than farm strips and permits.

That's an excellent reason to fly :ok:

Unfortunately, she's married...

“The key for me here is not having to drive to an airport at an ungodly hour, not to have to queue through check in and security and not have to strip to my socks for 'security'.”

So you are spending money and time and getting back an improved quality of life. I can understand this approach, but as I have to do X amount of work anyway, I think the extra non productive time would be the killer. By using my local airports and being “slick” with the system I have ironed out a lot of time and managed to utilize most of what is left. I would just have to spend 2 – 3 hours working the night before if I flew myself, which I would consider a reduction in my QOL.

Rod1

Most of the smart ones DO realise. My wife's favourite jokes about pilots:
She's just commented: "No dear, they're not jokes. And be especially wary of ones that wear epaulettes or flying suits." Of course, none of those apply to me. I don't wear epaulettes.

.

LOL, you will have to do more than that to convince me!! I never work on my own time thats what QOL is all about. It is the reason why I don't like to get up at an ungodly hour!! You are just trying to convince me that slick use of dead time at commercial airports is better than fitting everything in a normal sociable hours day. It won't happen!!!

GA gives me great utility and great productivity as well as improving the quality of my life by keeping freeing more time for me!

Oh dear,

Have I diverted the thread....

But true...we ARE the most boring people to meet socially...especially if there are more than one of us in any given location.

Maybe thats why ATC keeps us well separated!

Best,

Sicknote:ok:


PS - Hawk eyes - didn't notice the ring...sigh:eek:

Actually, it goes

How do you know when you’re half way through your first date with a pilot? He says “enough about flying, now let’s talk about ME”.

IO540, I stand corrected!

After two years of using the DA40 for business trips usually twice a week I have developed some rules which allow me to work out if using the plane is ahead of the only other options of car or public transport. Any no answers stop me from taking the plane:
1. is the journey more than 2 hours away driving
2. is the weather forecast good
3. is the local airfield less than half an hour by taxi away from the client ( any longer and the taxi fare is usually more than the fuel cost to get there )
4. is the meeting before 3pm
5. where needed, any Jet A1 available but DA40 has 6 hour range so never an issue.

Best trips from midlands are northern France, Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, South West, East Anglia, north of Manchester and south of M25 early morning or Friday afternoons when driving is a complete no no. If I had a bigger engine and hence speed then this range would grow accordingly but then would need an IR to get best benefit - DA50 ideal candidate. Beauty of the DA40 is that it is simple to fly , low complexity, high on features like autopilot , G1000 and low fuel cost - just needs another engine manufacturer.....