skydriller wrote:
The thing with these types of idea for me is this: when you have the kind of money to buy and run an aeroplane big enough to be able to live in, then you would surely have the money to be able to just fly yourself to any location and then pay to get to a hotel or whatever somewhere nice away from the airport……the exception to this is wilderness flying which is bushplane/seaplane or helicopter. But then wouldnt you want to camp?
Yes, that is precisely the point that this flying caravan idea is for a specific use case of “off-piste” locations. If I wanted to fly around Australia for example, there are a raft of non-urban (a broad term to cover outback, bush, rural, farm, etc) locations where this would work. But if flying into Sydney (e.g. Bankstown, the city’s main GA airport), then you’re going to go to a hotel. It does raise the issue that you’re going to need permission of the air{strip, field, port} to remain on site and camp out in your plane: going to challenging I can imagine.
skydriller wrote:
The thing with these types of idea for me is this: when you have the kind of money to buy and run an aeroplane big enough to be able to live in, then you would surely have the money to be able to just fly yourself to any location and then pay to get to a hotel or whatever somewhere nice away from the airport…
This may well work in Europe, but in the Western US there often is very little / no ground infrastructure. The idea (at least mine) is not to live in the airplane, but to be able to visit some of the amazingly beautiful wilderness areas and spend a few days in relative comfort. Hence also my idea of a PC12. Can go backcountry, but also provides a great means of transport from city to city. Unfortunately in this regard I have champagne taste – and a beer budget….
I guess the Catalina converted into a Flying Playboy Mansion Yacht is well known:
Flying Yacht
I guess the Wilson Global Explorer is as close to an RV/Caravan as you can come. It was also built for that purpose.
The thing with these types of idea for me is this: when you have the kind of money to buy and run an aeroplane big enough to be able to live in, then you would surely have the money to be able to just fly yourself to any location and then pay to get to a hotel or whatever somewhere nice away from the airport…
…the exception to this is wilderness flying which is bushplane/seaplane or helicopter. But then wouldnt you want to camp?
Regards, SD..
A largish flying boat amphibious aircraft would be something. But IMO an aircraft doesn’t easily convert into a “home” with any sort of comfort like a boat or a caravan/RV. A flying boat is probably the closest you get.
An aircraft is really only good for the transportation part of a journey
Here is a neat AvGas platform which is for sale.
Maoraigh wrote:
There was a Scottish guy who made his fortune in Silicon Valley, bought a castle, and toured the world in a Cessna Caravan, fitted as an office and living space. He had a pilot to fly it when he chose not to, or was working on his business.
I believe he took in New Year 2000 in Afghanistan, with hostile military.
I heard he was in poor health a year or so ago
Be great to know more details on this !
There was a Scottish guy who made his fortune in Silicon Valley, bought a castle, and toured the world in a Cessna Caravan, fitted as an office and living space. He had a pilot to fly it when he chose not to, or was working on his business.
I believe he took in New Year 2000 in Afghanistan, with hostile military.
I heard he was in poor health a year or so ago
That’s been my dream (and will prob99 remain one….) for a while: get a PC12 and fit it out like a camper van, two dirt bikes in the back with a ramp down the rear cargo door and off to explore the backcountry ! A Caravan and Kodiak are a tad slow, but probably more rugged. Dreams for the New Year…..
