Can You Commute To Work With A Small Plane & Private Hangar?

There is a particular joy to flying a personal light aircraft across an airfield, seeing the world from a bird’s-eye perspective before landing and parking inside a secure, high-quality aircraft hangar building made from solid steel from a trusted prefabricated kit.

Once a pilot becomes licensed, certified and feels confident travelling long distances using their own aircraft, the thought inevitably occurs that one could use a small aircraft such as the popular Cessna 172 Skyhawk as a commuter vehicle.

There is precedent for this; there are many stories of computing pioneer Gary Kildall using his private plane for business trips, most infamously on the day when he had the opportunity to sign the most lucrative contract in the history of computer software.

Can you fly to work? Should you fly to work? And what should you store in your hangar if you ever consider it?

Is It Possible To Fly To Work?

There are countless stories of commuters who live hundreds of miles away from work who opt to fly rather than live closer, but most of these rely on domestic airlines. It is possible to do the same in a private small plane, but there are a lot of caveats and downsides to consider.

Depending on where you live and where the nearest strip of land you can land is, it can be remarkably fast to fly to your destination if you work somewhere with a huge amount of traffic or you are taking an unusually long trip to a meeting or conference.

It is an especially fun way to get to work, and if you happen to work near a suitable airfield, then there may be enough utility to make it worth considering.

However, there is a difference between theoretical possibility and practical reality.

Should You Commute To Work By Private Plane?

You should not rely on a light aircraft as a commuter vehicle, as the flying conditions are not always safe for personal aeroplanes to fly and land, which could leave you stranded at home or at work without any alternative options.

It is not impossible, but you need to make several considerations to avoid being stranded or taking potentially fatal risks on your flight.

Work Days Sometimes Leave No Daylight

Using a plane to get to work is a summer flight of fantasy because they offer the best weather and flight conditions for it to be plausible.

However, it is important to remember that for nearly half of the year, many jobs have working hours that start before the sun fully rises and end after the sun sets.

This means that people commuting by flight need to fly at night, which is either very difficult if you live near an airfield with lights or literally impossible if you do not.

Always Have A Contingency Plan

There will be days where the weather is such that attempting to fly is extraordinarily dangerous, so you need to have a car available at all stages of your journey to make sure you can actually make your way back home.

Never Ever Push Through

The weather will sometimes make it impossible to fly. Do not ever try to fly anyway, as this could lead to a potentially fatal crash.

Instead, treat flying to work as a nice option on suitable days and have a car in your hangar ready to drive just in case.