The $200 steak dinner!

[Ken Stallings]

Took the family flying in the 310R today. Flew over to Amarillo to the Big Texas Steakhouse. The one-way flight time was 30 minutes! Frankly, it took as long to start the engines and taxi for takeoff and after landing taxi to shut down than it did to fly there! On the way there, averaged about 175 knots ground speed. On the way home, about 185 knots groundspeed! Burned a total of only 30 gallons of fuel. Considering the speed difference, I would have burned about 15 gallons of fuel in the car over 5 to 6 hours of driving!

Plus the Tac-Air FBO gives you 30% off coupons and the Big Texas picks you up for free in their limos!

So, when you factor in the discounts and free transportation, the whole trip really costs just $200 including the cost of the meal for family of four!

Best news is my wife loves the new plane! So, that's a nice bonus! She took a quick cat nap both ways and I had to wake her up for landing. I'm sure from her perspective the flight took no time at all!

Cheers,

Ken

[Dain Arns]

Took the family flying in the 310R today. Flew over to Amarillo to the Big Texas Steakhouse. The one-way flight time was 30 minutes! Frankly, it took as long to start the engines and taxi for takeoff and after landing taxi to shut down than it did to fly there! On the way there, averaged about 175 knots ground speed. On the way home, about 185 knots groundspeed! Burned a total of only 30 gallons of fuel. Considering the speed difference, I would have burned about 15 gallons of fuel in the car over 5 to 6 hours of driving!

Plus the Tac-Air FBO gives you 30% off coupons and the Big Texas picks you up for free in their limos!

So, when you factor in the discounts and free transportation, the whole trip really costs just $200 including the cost of the meal for family of four!

Best news is my wife loves the new plane! So, that's a nice bonus! She took a quick cat nap both ways and I had to wake her up for landing. I'm sure from her perspective the flight took no time at all!

Cheers,

Ken

Ah but the memory will be priceless.

[Flyboy208]

I miss those type of times in the family Piper Aztec - flying from Hidden Lake Estates in Port Richey, FL to Chalet Suzanne - a grass strip - for a proper early dinner ... About a 3 and 1/2 hour endeavour ... Mike

http://www.chaletsuzanne.com/

Flying and good food = a great day!

[OBIO]

The closest I can come to that is hopping in the rusty Chevy Corsica and driving to Long John Silvers...though the experience is a bit more pleasant now that there aren't 85 leaky places in the exhaust system...the blarring cackle of an over revved 4-cylinder and the burning sensation in your eyes and nasal passages from the exhaust gas filling the car took a lot of the fun out of going out for dinner.

OBIO

[whitehawk_2009]

When I was at the University of Dubuque, there was a wings place in Minnesota that some people would go to. They had "Atomic" wings, and I was told they were pretty good.

The best trip that I made was to Gathering of Mustangs and Legends in Columbus OH. My roommate and I split the costs, I paid for the plane, he paid for the hotel and tickets.:ernae:

WH

[luckydog]

My father was a career Air Force pilot..( P-51's, F-84's & B-47's). When he retired, he went to work for United Airlines flying 727's.
One of his #1 rules was: never put your entire family on one flight/aircraft.

Do you think he was being overly cautious or.................... ?

[Ken Stallings]

My father was a career Air Force pilot..( P-51's, F-84's & B-47's). When he retired, he went to work for United Airlines flying 727's.
One of his #1 rules was: never put your entire family on one flight/aircraft.

Do you think he was being overly cautious or.................... ?

Since you asked ... in my view overly cautious.

Statistically, if you flight plan smartly for weather and keep your aircraft maintained properly (both well within the pilot's control) general aviation is safer than driving a car.

You own an airplane for personal transportation. Taking the family is no different a decision point that driving them in a car in terms of the purpose.

Cheers,

Ken

[Ken Stallings]

First batch of photos taken of me flying the aircraft ...

Kind of like the third photo of the group. Showing my youngest how to board the aircraft.

Cheers,

Ken

[luckydog]

I'm sure my father was aware of the "statistics"............

[Ken Stallings]

I'm sure my father was aware of the "statistics"............

Excuse me!

Are you actually trying to say I'm being irresponsible with the lives of my family? Is that really the point you are trying to make?

I shall not turn this into a pointless debate, but I submit you have crossed a personal line here.

Ken

[OBIO]

WHOA WHOA WHOA.....let's keep it civil and respectful gents. Far to many threads have been going down the toilet lately....let's not send this one to the septic tank as well.

OBIO

[Ken Stallings]

WHOA WHOA WHOA.....let's keep it civil and respectful gents. Far to many threads have been going down the toilet lately....let's not send this one to the septic tank as well.

OBIO

Far as I am concerned, it already has been sent to the septic tank. I create a thread about a family trip in an airplane in a forum themed on aviation.

Frankly, I never in a thousand years would have expected such a reaction as it received. And frankly, I'd never in a thousand years imply another member here has been irresponsible with the lives of his own family!

Does Talon have to endure that nonsense when he posts about his sailing voyages across the oceans? Does anyone else when they talk about a vacation taken in the family sedan? Nope and nope!

Good night!

Ken

[tigisfat]

Ken,

That sure is a good looking aircraft. I assume you haven't had it for a super long time since the switch was a recent topic of yours. Regardless, I didn't think they had Cessna 310s that clean. I am very envious, to say the least. My company is considering buying me a low-end Cirrus, but I find myself hopping on FSX to fly from Portales to Amarillo in a freeware Cessna 310 tonight...


You know, I lived in that neck of the woods for a long time and I still own property out there, and I've never been to the steakhouse you're talking about. Can we get a mini-review?

[luckydog]

Cheers....

[wiltzei]

Everything extraordinalily good in life is either:
- too expensive
- immoral
- illegal
- (your opinion here)

or a combination of those mentioned above.

Memories are priceless.

[harleyman]

Ken....I think that you just touched on a very sore spot was all..i do not believe it was a personal attack on your choice of flying your entire family in the same aircraft...I think he just neded to releave some hurt..It just happened here was all as the subject of his hurt was your topic here today..I think he meant no personal attach..

BTW,,,Its a great looking plane, and I wish you and yours many hours enjoying her and all she offers...


LuckyDog..It seems that perhaps you have been on the other side of that statestic..if so we are truely sorry..

[Snuffy]

Actually,

A drive just a couple miles from my house provides a resturant that has prices on steak dinners at around 75 - 85 dollars a piece.

A nice quiet dinner for two with drinks and desert can cost over $200.00 and that's without the cost of gas in the truck to get there.



Glad ya'll had a good time Ken.

[Toastmaker]

My brother, a GA pilot, used to fly from a field near Andrews AFB over to the Maryland eastern shore and he'd have lunch while there. He called it going out for a $100 hamburger -

[Chacha]

First batch of photos taken of me flying the aircraft ...

Kind of like the third photo of the group. Showing my youngest how to board the aircraft.

Cheers,

Ken

Thanks for sharing Ken,

We are expecting a second batch of photos....

That is really a lot of fun....

as Dain said: the memory is priceless!

[cheezyflier]

toast, i got a good laugh from that

ken, even though it's not really luck, you are a fortunate man. good job, cool toys, nice family, everyone healthy.
no one could realistically want more. except maybe for a beagle or two

[Brian_Gladden]

Someone needs to make that paint job for the Flight 1 C-310 so Ken can fly his plane in the sim as well as real life....



Brian

[bpfowler]

nice-looking kids! thx 4 the pix.

[Odie]

Took the family flying in the 310R today. Flew over to Amarillo to the Big Texas Steakhouse. The one-way flight time was 30 minutes! Frankly, it took as long to start the engines and taxi for takeoff and after landing taxi to shut down than it did to fly there! On the way there, averaged about 175 knots ground speed. On the way home, about 185 knots groundspeed! Burned a total of only 30 gallons of fuel. Considering the speed difference, I would have burned about 15 gallons of fuel in the car over 5 to 6 hours of driving!

Plus the Tac-Air FBO gives you 30% off coupons and the Big Texas picks you up for free in their limos!

So, when you factor in the discounts and free transportation, the whole trip really costs just $200 including the cost of the meal for family of four!

Best news is my wife loves the new plane! So, that's a nice bonus! She took a quick cat nap both ways and I had to wake her up for landing. I'm sure from her perspective the flight took no time at all!

Cheers,

Ken

Ken, I'm seeing an add-on for FSX here to rival Plum Island. Plum Island is the home of the "$100.00 Hamburger", so we need to bump it up to the "$200 Steak Dinner".

[GT182]

Tell me Ken, did ya eat the 72 ounce steak and fixins in an hour and get it fer free? Or did the wife and/or kids beat ya on that?

Did ya get any pics of the place to show everyone what they're missing? Especially of the record board of who consumed it all in an hour. Don't laugh guys, you'd be surprised who's done it. And at least one, that I can recall, has eaten 2 in one sitting.

I've stopped in at the Big Texan only once on my way to California with the 18 wheeler, and that was back in 88. Nice place, good food, and great atmosphere. Only wish I'd had a camera with me.

[srgalahad]

Factoring in the fixed operating costs and depreciation of the aircraft it probably ended up as more than $200

but the big, satisifed grin on Ken's face pretty much answers that question of advanced aeronautical economics



Rob