Nationwide Roaming

Pilots fly for a variety of reasons. If youre like me, transportation is the main reason to own an airplane. Flying a single-engine general aviation airplane can be an effective way to travel for business and personal reasons, especially in this era of degrading, inflexible and unpredictable airline service. However, to safely use small aircraft for this purpose and manage the risks, you need to expand the scope of your typical planning efforts and be ready to change schedules and even cancel some portions of a trip. This is especially true if, like me, your travel requirements include the entire United States.

Robert Wright

Friday, April 26, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Using a personal single-engine general aviation airplane offers an effective and flexible alternative for extensive, multi-stop nationwide travel, especially for complex itineraries not efficiently served by commercial airlines.
Successful and safe execution hinges on rigorous upfront planning, comprehensive risk management (addressing pilot proficiency, aircraft suitability and maintenance, and environmental factors), and the flexibility to adapt or cancel plans.
Pilots undertaking such travel require advanced risk management skills, and the aircraft must be fast (150+ knots), have a good range (5+ hours), be meticulously maintained, and equipped with essential tools like an autopilot and weather data.

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Pilots fly for a variety of reasons. If you’re like me, transportation is the main reason to own an airplane. Flying a single-engine general aviation airplane can be an effective way to travel for business and personal reasons, especially in this era of degrading, inflexible and unpredictable airline service. However, to safely use small aircraft for this purpose and manage the risks, you need to expand the scope of your typical planning efforts and be ready to change schedules and even cancel some portions of a trip. This is especially true if, like me, your travel requirements include the entire United States.

I’ve written about using small aircraft for transportation before in this journal (for example, see “Flying for Transportation,” March 2013). However, the best way to illustrate this process is to describe a typical multi-stop “mission” that I typically accomplish two to four times a year.