With the economic downturn, pilots are learning that traveling in United States is a bargain, according to Thierry Pouille, operator of Air Journey, a travel company that arranges escorted tours for pilots who want to fly their own aircraft.
“We have seen a huge spike in the number of people who want to fly with us around the United States,” Pouille says. “Most major travel surveys of hotels, rental cars and domestic airlines indicate a growing interest in U.S. destinations, and that’s what we’re seeing at Air Journey.”
New this year is Air Journey’s Colonial Journey, which will tour the original American colonies.
Pilots will gather Oct. 25 for a self-flown seven-day tour that includes stops in St. Augustine, Fla., Charleston, S.C., Cape Hatteras, N.C., Williamsburg, Va., and other locales important to the birth of the United States. Experts will greet the group at each stop for presentations on the area’s history and significance within the 13 American colonies. As with all Air Journey expeditions, there will also be opportunities for the group to relax, shop and soak up the local color.
Air Journey excursions often feature added bonuses. On the upcoming Colonial Journey, well-known aviation electronics guru Paul Sanchez will join the group.He will provide lectures in the evening, and then ride with each pilot during the trip to educate them about their airplane’s specific avionics.
Pouille’s Air Journey has been escorting pilots in private aircraft for more than a decade. Pilots sign up for a variety of trips, from long weekends in the Bahamas to trips that circumnavigate the globe. Air Journey prearranges virtually everything, from weather briefings to foreign customs, leaving the pilot and passengers free to fly themselves on vacation.
For more information: AirJourney.com or 561-841-1551.
