09-23-2009, 05:04 AM
Yes, and only I wish I could travel that way Every time. Highly recommended if you get the chance.
It was a lucky break after speaking w/a relative's friend's boyfriend (or husband?) who told me he was a private pilot, and let me (& my sister, so sorry, no hanky-panky to report) hitch a ride to LA in the empty air taxi, where he would pick up some execs to fly on down to S. America somewhere (& we'd say adios).
Very enjoyable. Not only did I avoid the whole airport experience & waiting around thing, but in-flight (forgot the plane model, it was a little larger than the Lear, nicley appointed; cushy swiveling leather living room-like seats, etc), spent most of the time in the co-pilot seat talking to the pilot, and the view from that seat landing into LA at night was a definite highlight. Pilot radio'd ahead to have a taxi pick us up right at the plane, for the full rock star/overpaid CEO travel pkg.
The whole thing was much more like having taken a memorable & adventurous short roadtrip in a sportscar for me, than the usual catatonic limbo bus ride of a commercial jetliner. Would be Very easy to get used to traveling like that. -Might become old hat if I really could, but I've thought about it again recently, and realized it would allow me to go to long-distance destinations w/my dog- So Now, I'm a little motivated to get those kind of bucks!
Btw, Dakota, I looked into the cost to charter a number of years ago, strictly out of curiosity. At that time it seemed like you could count on a minimum of $20K, maybe $30K or more, plus fuel etc
It was a lucky break after speaking w/a relative's friend's boyfriend (or husband?) who told me he was a private pilot, and let me (& my sister, so sorry, no hanky-panky to report) hitch a ride to LA in the empty air taxi, where he would pick up some execs to fly on down to S. America somewhere (& we'd say adios).
Very enjoyable. Not only did I avoid the whole airport experience & waiting around thing, but in-flight (forgot the plane model, it was a little larger than the Lear, nicley appointed; cushy swiveling leather living room-like seats, etc), spent most of the time in the co-pilot seat talking to the pilot, and the view from that seat landing into LA at night was a definite highlight. Pilot radio'd ahead to have a taxi pick us up right at the plane, for the full rock star/overpaid CEO travel pkg.
The whole thing was much more like having taken a memorable & adventurous short roadtrip in a sportscar for me, than the usual catatonic limbo bus ride of a commercial jetliner. Would be Very easy to get used to traveling like that. -Might become old hat if I really could, but I've thought about it again recently, and realized it would allow me to go to long-distance destinations w/my dog- So Now, I'm a little motivated to get those kind of bucks!
Btw, Dakota, I looked into the cost to charter a number of years ago, strictly out of curiosity. At that time it seemed like you could count on a minimum of $20K, maybe $30K or more, plus fuel etc