Flight 3Route: White Plains, NY - Bedford, MA (HPN-BED)
Aircraft: Hawker 400XP
Operator: Travel Management Company
Flight type: JetDeal
Return: One-way car rental
Went with: My then-5-year old daughter.
@EJB and his family joined us for the flight as well.
Flying on a private jet? Spending the day alone with her father at the Boston Children's Museum? A bottomless bag of nosh? Yeah, my daughter was
somewhat excited.
Our aircraft today was the Hawker 400XP, aka the jet with less headroom than a Mini Cooper.
@EJB, who had boarded right before me, nearly died laughing as I practically crawled into the plane on all fours.
My daughter, at least, had plenty of space for herself
and her fish:
It wasn't long and we were airborne for the short, 36-minute flight to Bedford, just north of Boston:
Call me a snob, but from all the private jets I've flown the Hawker was the least comfortable (I know, what a horrible life I lead
). While the Learjet 45 is only an inch or so taller, it somehow feels way roomier. The Hawker is just a horribly cramped affair, and I can't imagine flying it on longer flights. Quite frankly, a regular coach seat may be a better option sometimes (heresy, I know).
The pilots were happy to let my daughter check out the flight deck:
Like a million dollars:
To get an idea if how tiny this plane was, check out how my daughter is basically as tall as the door in the above picture.
After landing and a short rental car snafu we headed into Boston proper for lunch. Rami's mediocre food wasn't helped by the rude service (I mean seriously, this guy puts New Yorkers to shame), but it did the job. Next stop: Boston Children's Museum!
I found a garage a few blocks away that charged $12 for the rest of the day, which was more than reasonable. The weather was lovely, and my daughter had a fine time exploring the streets:
The museum as an absolute hoot, and my daughter loved every minute. There are a ton of exhibits here, and most of them hands-on. Everything was engaging, and she was having the time of her life. The much-hyped Please Touch Museum in Philly is worthless compared to this, IMO. This place is well thought out and much more varied.
I won't bore you with a bunch of family snapshots, but suffice it to say that this place is a hoot for young children.
When your foot is bigger than the one in the "huge foot" exhibit
:
We stayed in the museum until we were kicked out, and then all too soon it was time to hit the road and drive back.
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