New England - chartering a plane in Maine

Does anybody have any experience with Maine Scenic Airways, Airlink Connection, Penobscot Island Air or any other charter companies in the general mid-coast area? Who has the best prices, the best service?

I'm trying to get from Isleboro to Montreal later this month. There are no direct flights and what scheduled flights there are (out of Bangor for example) are expensive.

Also I don't drive so renting a car is out of the question.

Any suggestions welcome. Thank you.

Concord Trailways (Greyhound) stops over in Belfast. Only thing is you'd have to head all the way down to Boston and then to Montreal so it'll take all day. No idea about the flights though, good luck on that front.

Concord Trailways (Greyhound) stops over in Belfast. Only thing is you'd have to head all the way down to Boston and then to Montreal so it'll take all day. No idea about the flights though, good luck on that front.

Thanks, Dave. I'd already looked into it, but 16 hours on a Greyhound bus is not an option.

Look up your local airport and contact the FBO (fixed base operator) or flight school there. They can probably point you in the right direction.

When are you trying to go? My brother is driving to Montreal from Portland later this month. If chartering a plane is in your budget he could probably make a detour.

That said I am sure you could hire a driver.

When are you trying to go? My brother is driving to Montreal from Portland later this month. If chartering a plane is in your budget he could probably make a detour.

That said I am sure you could hire a driver.

Thanks, ClimbGuy. Getting on a bus to Portland was something I looked at, as was ride-sharing and getting a driver. As it happens, it looks like my friends in Isleboro may have found me a driver, so I think I'm set.

I should explain that the only reason I thought about hiring a plane in the first place was the price of tickets out of Maine. A BGR-BOS-YUL takes so long and costs so much that chartering a plane actually compares very favorably. For only a few dollars more, I'd be able to leave from a nearby airport and make the entire trip in a couple of hours, instead of 6 or 7 hours or even more. So it sounds a little extravagant, but if flying had been the only option, the private-plane option would have probably won out.

For anyone interested in the charter option, only Airlink got back to me promptly, and the couple of e-mail we exchanged were helpful. Maine Scenic and Penobscot didn't reply to my e-mails.

No need for explanation, if I could afford to charter aircraft I would.

While it was slightly off topic, the fact that you mentioned you looked at Greyhound lead me to believe price was something of a concern.

I am glad to hear you were able to work something out.

Thanks, ClimbGuy. Getting on a bus to Portland was something I looked at, as was ride-sharing and getting a driver. As it happens, it looks like my friends in Isleboro may have found me a driver, so I think I'm set.

I should explain that the only reason I thought about hiring a plane in the first place was the price of tickets out of Maine. A BGR-BOS-YUL takes so long and costs so much that chartering a plane actually compares very favorably. For only a few dollars more, I'd be able to leave from a nearby airport and make the entire trip in a couple of hours, instead of 6 or 7 hours or even more. So it sounds a little extravagant, but if flying had been the only option, the private-plane option would have probably won out.

For anyone interested in the charter option, only Airlink got back to me promptly, and the couple of e-mail we exchanged were helpful. Maine Scenic and Penobscot didn't reply to my e-mails.