A new website, Fly-Inn.com, has launched.
Based off the Airbnb model, the website lists properties available for short-term rentals for general aviation pilots.
The site, which went live in early 2024, is the brainchild of Carollyne B. Carmichel and her daughter Kenya Hodson.
The idea was born through Carollyne’s own travels with her husband, a general aviation pilot who owns two airplanes, a Cessna Skylane and a Rans S-20 Raven.
“We got tired of flying to the same places over and over again just because they have a courtesy car,” she says. “You get in your airplane and you don’t know where to go, so you end up going to the same places over and over again and it just got boring.”
The couple, who own property on an airpark, thought it would be a good idea to offer their property to other general aviation pilots.
“And then we thought, wouldn’t it be nice if somebody returned the favor?” she continues. “And it just grew from there.”
After several property owners got on board, they realized it was time to launch the website.
So far, there are more than 10 properties on the site, ranging from Florida to California. But that number is sure to grow as Carollyne says they receive between one and five inquiries a day from people wanting to list their properties.
Once the properties are ready for guests and the hosts submit photos to the site, those properties will go live, she adds.
The range of prices for overnight stays starts at $50 and goes up to hundreds of dollars, depending on the property.
The least expensive are campsites, which many pilots are interested in, according to Carollyne. There are also cabins, small houses, or individual rooms in houses, up to a six-bedroom house in Borrego Springs, California, that rents for $300 a night.
No matter the accommodation, properties must meet four criteria to be accepted on the Fly-Inn website, according to Carollyne.
The first is, obviously, accommodations.
“That could be a campsite or a mansion, it doesn’t matter,” she explains.
The second is a “convenient” way to land your airplane. That might mean the house is on an airpark or has its own landing strip or is very near an airport.
Carollyne did point out there is one property on the site that’s about 15 minutes away from an airport in a mountain-top community.
The host notes: “We truly wish we could offer you an airstrip in the community, but sadly this cozy cabin is tucked away in the aspens and pines of a gated mountain community.”
“There’s no way to have a runway there,” Carollyne says. “But we can’t leave out those houses because they might be of interest to pilots as well.”
The third requirement is the host must provide a way to secure your aircraft during your stay, whether it’s a hangar or tie-down.
And the fourth requirement is that the host must offer some way for guests to have transportation once they land.
“What good is it to land if you can’t get around once you arrive?” the website states. “All our hosts know this and provide either a free loaner or a nice car to rent or at least transportation to a nearby car rental. If the airport is a few minutes from the property, transportation will be made available to you at the airport upon your arrival.”
Now that the Fly-Inn website is up and running, Carollyne is excited about pilots learning about the various places they can stay across the country.
“It’s our passion to help the aviation community,” she says. “We just want to provide the same services we wish were available to us. The more properties we put on the site, the more properties we can all enjoy and the more fun we’ll all have with our airplanes. We don’t have to go to the same few places just because they’re convenient and they offer a car.”
For more information: Fly-Inn.com
