Commuting by Air - Practical?

Short answer: Sure!

The answer comes with confidence because my 2001 retirement came after 15 years of doing just that, 5 days a week all year round with a 95%-plus "go" rate. Like all short answers, though, there are some caveats to keep in mind. Consider these points:

The first point seems obvious but in fact many pilots have never needed (or wanted?) to analyze the actual incremental hourly cost of operating their pride and joy. Unless you are in that enviable position of not having to worry about such things, a five day per week commute in, say, a Baron, is eventually going to eat you alive. Remember, this is going to amount to 200 hours per year or more. My steed of choice was a C-182 with an autogas STC, which burned 2000+ gal/year from the local ARCO station, and even this modest vehicle's operating cost ran (in circa 2000 dollars) $26-$28 per hour....and that only projected on the engine running well beyond TBO without major trauma (which the first one did).

Point number two (IFR) was something of a surprise even though I had previously lived in the LA basin for twenty years. The marine layer's comings and goings were not as obvious when I was only driving under it! The nice part of this is that for much of the year a VFR flight can be made to a point where the fine folks at SoCal Approach can provide a pop-up IFR approach with minimal hassle to anyone.

In the interest of full disclosure, it must be said that if anything more IFR-ish than a brief approach through the marine layer would be too much for you, you could have a substantial number of "driving" days during winter. Winter does bring periods of "real" IFR, with rainy, bumpy rides at night over mountains, occasional judgment calls on icing conditions at the 7,000 ft. MEA and so on. The flip side is, it certainly offers an incremental way of gaining IFR experience in varied conditions.

Finally, you will need a place to park the bird when you get to LA. Most FBOs will not let you grace their ramp for free all day every day, so unless you have a "deal", count on renting a tiedown. Burbank, my south-end destination, nicked me for $135 per month in the final years, one more cost to be factored in. And don't forget ground transportation. An airport car will be a must, unless you have a very understanding (not to mention dependable) buddy who will do daily pickup and dropoff duty.

The Upside:

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Last modified: 7/27/08