Houston to the Panhandle, the border to the Red River. Texas is big enough that a ferry flight is often the fastest way across it.
Texas trips are cross-country flights in miniature: long distances, changing terrain, and weather that can differ completely from one end of the state to the other.
Settle Ferry Group flies them from a base in Dallas-Fort Worth, so most Texas pickups start with a short trip for the pilot rather than a cross-country airline itinerary.
Common general aviation airports in the area. Any public-use airport the airplane can safely operate from is fair game.
Longer than most people expect. A Dallas to Houston flight is roughly 200 nautical miles, and Dallas to El Paso is close to 500. In a typical piston single cruising around 120 to 150 knots, the short trips take under two hours and the long ones can need a fuel stop.
Most Texas trips fit inside a single day, which is the unit a ferry quote is built on. See how the rest of a quote is built in the ferry flight FAQs.
Yes. Lubbock, Amarillo and El Paso all sit above 3,000 feet, and summer heat pushes density altitude much higher than the field elevation. Takeoff distance, climb performance and loading all get planned around that.
Wind is the other factor. Strong surface winds and gusts are common across the Panhandle and West Texas, which matters in lighter airplanes and for crosswind limits.
Point to point relocation for piston singles and twins that are legal to fly, anywhere in the lower 48.
Bought an airplane two states away? It gets flown from the seller's airport to yours.
The dual hours your insurance company requires, flown with a certificated flight instructor, often on the trip home.
Runs to and from annuals, avionics installs, paint and repair shops, including airplanes flying on a ferry permit.
Yes, and it is one of the most common kinds of in-state trip, since the two metro areas together hold a large share of the general aviation airplanes in Texas. The flight itself is short, roughly 200 nautical miles between the Dallas and Houston areas, so most piston airplanes cover it in under two hours with no fuel stop. The planning is mostly about airspace and weather. Both metro areas have Class B airspace around their major airline airports, and general aviation traffic usually works through reliever airports such as Addison or McKinney on the Dallas end and David Wayne Hooks or Sugar Land on the Houston end. Gulf moisture can bring low ceilings to the Houston area, especially in the mornings, and spring storms can affect the whole route. When the airplane starts in Houston, the pilot travels there first, which is part of the quote. Send both airport identifiers for the most accurate number.
Generally, yes, because most of the cost scales with distance. A quote is built on a day rate plus expenses, so a trip that finishes inside one day costs far less than one spread across three. Fuel follows the same pattern. Pilot travel is often lower too, because reaching an airplane elsewhere in Texas is a shorter trip than flying commercially across the country, and returning home afterward is quicker as well. That said, two Texas trips of similar length can still price differently. An airplane parked at a remote West Texas strip with limited airline service nearby may cost more in pilot travel than a longer trip that starts at a major metro airport. Airport fees also vary widely between busy fields and small ones. The fastest way to know is to send the tail number, both airports and your timing through the quote form, and the reply will break the costs out so you can see what drives the total.
Ready when your airplane is
Send the tail number, the two airports, and when you need it moved. We will come back with a plan and a price.