Last weekend, I had to travel to Minnesota for some appearances. Since I absolutely, positively had to be there, and the sponsoring organization was picking up the tab, I let them book me on the big Red-tailed bird (NWA) for the trip up and back. Nice trip, got there on time...and of course, the weather was nice VFR both ways....
Let's review the timing. I left my office at 1430 on Friday afternoon for a nice one-hour drive to Houston Intercontinental Airport. Parking lot, parking shuttle, luggage check (remembering to tuck my pocket knife, eye drops and chap-stick in my checked luggage so I didn't get stopped at security by the Gestapo!), and then an hour wait for the flight. A nice smooth flight in a comfy seat, and then a LONG walk north through the Minneapolis terminal (I think the southern end of the "G" terminal at KMSP must be in Iowa!) to wait for/pick up my bag, followed by a LONG walk south to the rental car counter to pick up wheels and drive to my parent's home. Arrival time 2100!
If, instead, I had driven from the office to my hangar, leaving at the same time, I would have been airborne by 1500 (with all of the contraband still in my pockets!). Assuming a quick fuel stop and short turnaround somewhere in Missouri, based on previous trips on the route in the Valkyrie, I'd have touched down at a local GA airport about 2030. A quick phone call to a sister living 5 minutes away would have gotten me a ride for an arrival at my parents home at....2100!!
Once again, proving that travel by RV on trips up to about a thousand miles can meet or beat the airlines on the same route.
I just thought I'd bring it up for those folks wondering (or still sitting on the fence) about how useful these machines can be....of course, if there had been icing in the clouds (if there had been any clouds) I'd have been REAL happy to be sitting in that seat on the Airbus....I'm not crazy!
The Valkyrie will make the Christmas trip...after a (hopefully) trip to Florida and back in the next few days...
Paul
Let's review the timing. I left my office at 1430 on Friday afternoon for a nice one-hour drive to Houston Intercontinental Airport. Parking lot, parking shuttle, luggage check (remembering to tuck my pocket knife, eye drops and chap-stick in my checked luggage so I didn't get stopped at security by the Gestapo!), and then an hour wait for the flight. A nice smooth flight in a comfy seat, and then a LONG walk north through the Minneapolis terminal (I think the southern end of the "G" terminal at KMSP must be in Iowa!) to wait for/pick up my bag, followed by a LONG walk south to the rental car counter to pick up wheels and drive to my parent's home. Arrival time 2100!
If, instead, I had driven from the office to my hangar, leaving at the same time, I would have been airborne by 1500 (with all of the contraband still in my pockets!). Assuming a quick fuel stop and short turnaround somewhere in Missouri, based on previous trips on the route in the Valkyrie, I'd have touched down at a local GA airport about 2030. A quick phone call to a sister living 5 minutes away would have gotten me a ride for an arrival at my parents home at....2100!!
Once again, proving that travel by RV on trips up to about a thousand miles can meet or beat the airlines on the same route.
I just thought I'd bring it up for those folks wondering (or still sitting on the fence) about how useful these machines can be....of course, if there had been icing in the clouds (if there had been any clouds) I'd have been REAL happy to be sitting in that seat on the Airbus....I'm not crazy!
The Valkyrie will make the Christmas trip...after a (hopefully) trip to Florida and back in the next few days...
Paul