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From: cfiaime@ihnp4.UUCP (Jeff Williams)
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Subject: Driving vs. Flying
Message-ID: <701@ihnp4.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 14-Jan-85 19:29:13 EST
Article-I.D.: ihnp4.701
Posted: Mon Jan 14 19:29:13 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 15-Jan-85 02:27:19 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 50

Several years ago I lived in Wichita, Kansas, and my family lived in
the Chicago area.  During this time, I made several trips between the
two points, always careful to note how much it cost and how much time
it took me.

A typical trip from Wichita to Chicago took:
		air			driving
miles:		~500			~700
time:		5 hours (nonstop)	17 hours (with stops)
vechicle:	Cessna 172		AMC Spirit DL (1.5 engine)
Cost:		~$300 (rental, wet,	~$140 out of pocket (40 gallons
		round trip, block    	fuel @ $1.00 per gallon, $70 
		rate.)			lodging, $30 food.)
						or
					$308 at the 22 cents per mile
					I was paid for use of the same
					car on company business.  The 
					auto cost MUST include the same
					items as the aircraft cost if there
					is to be a meaningful comparison.
					These include fixed and variable
					costs (ie. fuel, insurance, rotables
					maintenance, payment, insurance,
					and the like.)

In the driving time, I did not allocate any time for overnight stops,
but you should really add 6 hours, making 23 hours door to door.  For the
Cessna, add an hour on both ends for loading, unloading, and trip to the
airport or house, making 7 hours door to door.  

I just realized an error in my figures above.  At 22 cents per mile, the
AUTO expenses were $308.  You still need to add overnight lodging ($35 per
night) and meals ($30) to that figure.

Most of the trips that I flew were VFR, with one exception.  Later I flew
the Funk up to Chicago (it was being recovered at the time this whole mess
happened), and it took about 9 hours door to door.  But I took my time at
lunch in Burlington, Iowa, and at another fuel stop in Kansas City.

Using this as a basis, not only can an airplane be faster, but it can actually
be less expensive on a trip.  If you need to rent a car at the destination,
your savings are gone in a hurry, however.

As another excercise, compute the savings of time by using a light aircraft
rather than the airlines for a typical trip.  (Remember to include time to
the airport, and pre-boarding wait time.)

					Jeff Williams
					AT&T Bell Laboratories
					ihnp4!cfiaime