We have used the plane for several volunteer vacations trips, and certainly it’s great when the weather’s nice. We’ve taken a few trips in IMC weather too. However, we’ve also been “stuck” occasionally. I’ve come to the conclusion that to really use GA to travel, turbocharging is required, wx avoidance gear (stormscope and/or radar) is required, de-ice is pretty much required, and pressurization is nice (though you can wear O2, its just not comfortable for non-flyers, especially kids). But of course we’re talking real money to make this happen.
This would make MOST trips do-able, though there are certainly still conditions that a GA airplane won’t be able to do. Of course there are conditions that even the airlines won’t operate in… If you haven’t flown in a year, you may want to really consider whether your commitment to flying is such that you want to take on an airplane with these capabilities, because they require a fair commitment to training and currency. A VFR ticket is a reasonable mode of transportation, as long as you can be flexible – and you are located in the right location.
