Considering commuting by airplane and hoping to get some info

I absolutely love flying. I started working on my PPL about 4 years ago and didn't finish due to work and other things I had going on that made it hard for me to my instructor to work with me so I stopped. Only about 6hrs total but was basically taking off and landing by myself and loving every second of it. At the time I also considered commuting via airplane but for financial reasons this would not have been possible. Fast forward a few years and now this could be a real option and possibility for me.

I've taken a ride with Rosie out of SoCal and had a great time in his RV6. Great Pilot and great plane. I live in St. George Utah and work in Lancaster, CA where I am a Fireman. Been commuting by car for the past 7 years and have 10 more to go. The freeways are getting more crowded and my commutes seem to be taking longer. I have a 360 mile commute by road and it takes me about 6hrs or so to drive. I'm thinking by airplane I can cut that time in half even though the price per commute would be significantly higher. Time at home for me is a premium and every hour home is well worth it to me. I think someone once told me that from St. George to Lancaster, Ca is about 300sm. Also the weather between St. George and Lancaster is probably 90% of the time VFR. It's one of those things also where if I have to drive it's no big deal. I'd have a car at both ends and if the weather is bad I hop in the car and drive which isn't a big deal since I do it all the time anyways.

I'm an Engineer with the Fire Department and one of the other Engineers from my station just bought a Mooney and is commuting from Boise, ID. He flys a lot farther than I do but has sparked my interest after finding out he leaves work after me and is home way before me. Haha. One of my concerns is my size. I a big guy at 6'5 and 250lbs. Hoping to ask and find out which RV's would make the most sense for me. I'd probably budget about $70k or less for a plane. I hate everyone's opinions on this? What plane makes sense financially for minimal amount of time in the air (speed) and doesn't burn 15gph and will be comfortable enough for a big and tall? I've always read you should buy the plane the covers 90% of the type of flying you will do and you can rent for the other trips. So commuting would be my main thing so 2 seats is plenty. Don't need a Cessna 172-182 plus I'd like something a little faster and more fuel efficient.

Would love to hear some opinions on this. Sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes.

RV-8 or -8A

My mission is similar to yours. I'd consider a discovery flight on a RV-8 or -8A. 2-seat tandem will likely be more comfortable for you and fast enough.

lacofdfireman said:

What plane makes sense financially for minimal amount of time in the air (speed) and doesn't burn 15gph. . .

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Every RV will beat this requirement. Even the RV-10! You could cut that in half with all the 2 seat RVs. I typical flight plan for 7-7.5 gph in the 9.

lacofdfireman said:

. . .and will be comfortable enough for a big and tall?

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I am 6'1" 250 and fly an RV9A. The 9 and 7 are identical in the cockpit. I find it comfortable. I know there are those who think the RV tight but I think a Mooney would be tighter so I am happy with what I have. The 'Almost an RV14' modification can help for taller pilots.

If your commute is around 300 sm then you will do better than cut the commute in half from your 6 hours with an RV. Not considering whatever transport to and from the airport you would have to deal with, 300 sm would take approximately 2 hours at 150 mph. Pretty much every RV except the RV12 will fly faster than that so I would expect 2 hours to be the max time spent in the air for that distance.

Speaking of the transport to and from the airport there is that time, expense, management that you would have to iron out but definitely doable.

I do not regularly commute with the airplane but I have been able to use my airplane several times for work commutes for my job. I typically see my flight time to be approximately 1/3 the time for driving for anything less than 3 hours. Anything longer than 3 hours and I really see even a greater time savings.

There is one other aspect of using your airplane for work commuting that needs to be thoroughly evaluated. That is the issue of WX. This cannot be overlooked if you are in a situation where you absolutely have to be at work at any given time. Unless you are fully IFR capable and comfortable flying in the clag on every given flight there will come a time when the WX is just not conducive to flying. In such a case you will be relegated back to that 6 hour commute. Definitely something for which you will have to be prepared.

What you are proposing is doable. There will indeed be an initial investment that will be high but after that initial outlay the costs would be manageable.

Hope it can work out for you.

Just make sure you understand the effects of sleep deprivation and stress on your health and decision making abilities. I am a firefighter/paramedic in a very busy system and when I get off work in the am, I am often barely fit to drive home 2 miles, let alone go flying.

The effects of sleep deprivation are even worse at altitude. Obviously you are able to make the 6 hour drive, so you just need to be extra cautious and able to wait/rest before making the trip by air.

Chris

My RV-9A does 147-150Kts on 6.5 gallons per hour. It fits me at 6'2" and 200 pounds. My cross country times are generally 3 times faster than a car, and even less if the flight is direct and the road is not.
KWJF to KSGU looks like it would be 1:49 by flight planning on skyvector.com.
Get your certificate first, and then take the next step of getting the airplane you need.

lacofdfireman said:

I'd probably budget about $70k or less for a plane.

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70K might not be enough to get you a nice IFR machine, which would be desirable for your mission.

It would likely get you a nice vfr RV 6 which is a great airplane.

It may not be enough for a late model, low time, well equipped vfr 7, 9, or 8 unless you really find a great deal. I'm guessing these, IFR equipped, are going to run 85 k and up if they are well built examples.

70k sure can get a nice IFR RV.
I have a RV-9A for sale at that price point with
190 SMOH O-320 for about 6.5 gph cruise at altitude
metal cruise prop for 150 kt cruise
GTN650
ADS-B IN/OUT weather and traffic display
terrain
Trio Pro Pilot coupled to GTN
and
heated seats

YellowJacket RV9 said:

Just make sure you understand the effects of sleep deprivation and stress on your health and decision making abilities. I am a firefighter/paramedic in a very busy system and when I get off work in the am, I am often barely fit to drive home 2 miles, let alone go flying.

The effects of sleep deprivation are even worse at altitude. Obviously you are able to make the 6 hour drive, so you just need to be extra cautious and able to wait/rest before making the trip by air.

Chris

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You are certainly right about gaging ones fitness for flying. I would postulate that the same goes for a long drive.

I commute Mon and Friday. Its fairly short at 180nm and because it is so short it only saves me 30 to 45 minutes over driving. HOWEVER, and this is a big one, it saves me big time in the mental zone. I think there is no comparison between constant stress on an accident prone highway and easy cruising at altitude on AP. Even in IFR. I am way more concerned about an auto accident vs a flying one. We have all seen too many people do stupid **** on the highway. While flying, I can keep it to myself. For the most part anyways......

Early on, I was driving one morning in awful soggy winter weather. In a whiney mood I thought "Why is it always bad when I'm driving? ......Duh. Of course, if it was at all flyable, I would be flying."

Don't wait. Pursue your dream. Get your PPL. Go and fly. Life is too short to sit on the freeway.

Consider the view from say 8 to 10 thousand feet. The terrain between Lancaster and St. George is mountainous. It gets hot and windy in the high desert and over those mountains. There will be mountain wave activity occasionally. You may encounter turbulence resulting in a very bumpy ride from time to time. Even on a VFR day it can get crazy enough that you may wish you were down on those roads driving as opposed to flying. I'm not trying to discourage you, just saying.

Do you plan to fly at night through the mountains? There's much to consider.

You're a big guy. Find someone with an RV-8 and try it on for size. $70K seems pretty low for many RV-8's I've looked at.

You've flown in Rosie's RV-6, what did you think of that? Did you fit?

As far as speed, many of the RV's are pretty close in numbers (RV-4, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10). You should be able to buy one that could achieve 145 KTAS or more at altitude using under 9 GPH.

I'm 6'1" and 260lbs and fly an RV-6A. I second the recommendation of an 8 or -8A. I think, especially in your price range, that is the one you will fit the best by far.

I know this has been rehashed before and your mileage may vary, but if you don't have a license yet give some thought to buying your plane and get your license in it. There are pro's and con's but you can sure save some money over rentals.

Bob