Consider what you can reasonably do
- as a hobby
- as a money-earning profession
- how a hobby interest could advance a profession
- what doors you would close by choosing an option
I suggest that if you like the engineering then take the research option and use practical hobby flying to validate the theoretical research; that's a powerful and useful combination.
Traditionally it is more difficult to re-enter a research career after "mere" practical experience than it is to re-enter a practical career with previous theoretical experience.