So a few weeks back, Boss Man pops in my office and says we have a TOMCAR demo at a resort in Pennsylvania and do I want to come with him and meet our Business Development Representative out there. I figure sure, sounded intriguing. Then he springs on me that we were going to fly. Well duh, driving to a resort south of Pittsburgh would take a whole day. But before I could book my Northworst ticket, he says that he’d be flying us….

OH GAWD!

Here’s the scoop…Boss Man is a pilot. I admire that. He has regaled me with a few stories about jumpin’ in the plane and going here and there. That’s real cool, until YOU have to be the one to squeeze into the “four-seat” flying tin can. Look it is not like I don’t trust him, it’s just I have NEVER been in a little prop plane before and I was really nervous. To his credit, he did tell me that I didn’t have to go if I wasn’t comfortable. I appreciated that, but figured I had to man up and get on that plane.

This is the plane, a CIRRUS SR22.

Yeah, pretty plane…pretty SMALL!!!   Oh boy!!  Even still Boss Man was trying to calm my nerves by constantly reminding me that the plane has a parachute back-up system.  No, that’s not two chutes in the back for us to jump out…the PLANE has a CHUTE!  While you think that might instill confidence, it really just kept freakin’ me out.

So Monday comes and off we go to the Pontiac Oakland Airport.  Stomach starts turning a bit.  I call Better Half to let her know I’m getting ready to take off and I can hear the worry in her voice, which even while I an trying to reassure her things are going to be great, I’m thinking in the back of my head “I’m getting on a plane with it’s own parachute.”

Well it turns out that it WAS a great flight.  There was a remarkable amount of room in the cabin, even for a 6’5″ guy, more than I’d ever have in coach on ANY airline.  The plane had the latest in navigation, weather and GPS equipment.  Skies were perfect and the wind at our backs.  I can see how easy it is to get accustomed to traveling like that. 

On top of all that, it made a ton of sense to fly as the resort has their own landing strip and the entire trip would only end up taking 1.5 hours (opposed to about 7.5 by car).  Also with mileage paying out at something like $0.565 per mile, it was cheaper too.

I will not belittle or bemoan any company who has a jet or uses a flight service.  Sometimes you got to get in and out!  This way you are not subject to the airlines schedule and/or any problems / delays they might encounter.  You don’t have to deal with hoards for leisure travelers (who I really have a great deal of disdain for as I travel more and more frequently for business).  It just makes sense.  There is a cost for that convenience, but I believe that costs is outweighed by productivity and lack of “lost” time due that you incur during normal airline travel.

So Boss Man – when we flyin’ again?

Tomorrow – more about the resort we visited…