Why do you like flying?
Safety First!
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Theres something about flying isnt there...
The fight against gravity, watching the earth far below, trying new aircraft types, being able to go inverted, pulling off a great landing, the community of pilots, engineers, and others, parting with huge lumps of cash (
), the endless booze ups, the smell of Avgas and Jet A1. The list is endless.
Wouldnt be doing anything else old chap.
Kermie
The fight against gravity, watching the earth far below, trying new aircraft types, being able to go inverted, pulling off a great landing, the community of pilots, engineers, and others, parting with huge lumps of cash (
), the endless booze ups, the smell of Avgas and Jet A1. The list is endless.Wouldnt be doing anything else old chap.
Kermie
PPruNaholic!
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So many reasons (in no particular order)... boyhood dreams, ambitions achieved, the view, the feeling, the technical interest, the freedom, navigation, the challenge(s), etc. etc. I suppose that like (I am told) golf is, you can never master it - there's always more to learn and explore.
I think that at the moment, as only low hours PPL, I get the most excitement and satisfaction from landing - particularly at an airfield I have not previously visited, and particularly if I do it well!
Andy
I think that at the moment, as only low hours PPL, I get the most excitement and satisfaction from landing - particularly at an airfield I have not previously visited, and particularly if I do it well!
Andy
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Fanastic machinery i.e. cool aircraft. Great feeling of satisfaction from any particularly nice segment of flying, be it a good turn, take off, landing etc. The problem solving aspect. Reading the map, and having the sense of flying above it.
The solitary aspect of being up in the air, particularly in gliding.
Gliding especially, now evokes an emotion in me like being in love with a wonderful girl, an unconditional and overwhelming love.
I hope I can always fly.
The solitary aspect of being up in the air, particularly in gliding.
Gliding especially, now evokes an emotion in me like being in love with a wonderful girl, an unconditional and overwhelming love.
I hope I can always fly.
The Original Whirly
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There are many things about it I like, but the main reason is that in an over regulated world where everything has been made too safe, you're on your own, just you and the aircraft and the elements and your own abilities. For some reason I find that totally addictive - even though it often terrifies me. The only other places I can think of where it applies are sailing - and I like that too, mountaineering (never tried), and wandering in wilderness areas (used to do that).
But this may be a rationalisation of what's become an addiction; if I don't fly for a bit, I just gotta get up there!
But this may be a rationalisation of what's become an addiction; if I don't fly for a bit, I just gotta get up there!
Not so N, but still FG
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I agree with all of the stuff above (but give poor old TM a (run and?) break!). The combination of intellectual and physical challenges, the decision making, the feeling of close connection with the machine when manoeuvreing, all that good stuff. Let me try refining the question: Why do we all fly in the various ways that we do? Some of us are tailwheelers and/or aeros junkies. Some of us enjoy planning and executing long range flights in fast machines with lots of gadgets. Some of us like building our own. Some of us (the ones with three hands and two brains perhaps) even go in those things with the wibbly wobbly tops, and so on.
As someone who inclines to the view that the blue bit looks better underneath, I was interested to note how many experienced GA ppruners confessed to spinnaphobia on the recent thread of that name in the Instructors forum. So what gets yer cookies if you don't like yanking the thing about the sky? NB this question contains no implication that one sub set of enthusiasm is better than any other.
PS: am I the only aviation junkie who wants to chunder when he reads Richard Bach? St-Exupery gets my vote, every time.
[ 25 July 2001: Message edited by: FNG ]
As someone who inclines to the view that the blue bit looks better underneath, I was interested to note how many experienced GA ppruners confessed to spinnaphobia on the recent thread of that name in the Instructors forum. So what gets yer cookies if you don't like yanking the thing about the sky? NB this question contains no implication that one sub set of enthusiasm is better than any other.
PS: am I the only aviation junkie who wants to chunder when he reads Richard Bach? St-Exupery gets my vote, every time.
[ 25 July 2001: Message edited by: FNG ]
Join Date: Dec 2000
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I think it's an excellent question. A huge proportion of people who get their PPL give up within a year or two - something like 60%. If it's such a no-brainer, why do they do all the hard work and then throw in the towel?
Certainly if I was taking up something which costs 5 grand to get a licence and has such a drop out rate I'd want to know what people really get out of it before I spend the money.
Certainly if I was taking up something which costs 5 grand to get a licence and has such a drop out rate I'd want to know what people really get out of it before I spend the money.
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Magical.........forget the physics of why, and just enjoy! pulling off a greaser as the sun is setting after a long cross country that has taken you accross miles of sky. The feeling of humility when you consider what the pioneers achieved. Being a part of an international brotherhood of like minded people. Knowing that you have worked damned hard to keep it all together. The meticulous preflight planning, hours of poring over a hal-mil chart, late into the night with only the odd few bottles of Newkie Brown for company... (I do double check the plans later I add!) budgeting, planning and yet more planning. Anticipation. The whole thing fascinates. Gliding or powered, as long as I get to do it often. Working to always improve my performance and skill.
I agree that Antoine De Saint-Exupery is good, but also suggest that you try "The Cannibal Queen" by Stephen Coonts, "Cloud Cuckooland" by Harald Penrose, "West with the Night" by Beryl Markham, and finally, "Alone in the Sky" by Jean Batten.
Then, like me, consider how much they did, and how much you dont know!
Tailwinds
I agree that Antoine De Saint-Exupery is good, but also suggest that you try "The Cannibal Queen" by Stephen Coonts, "Cloud Cuckooland" by Harald Penrose, "West with the Night" by Beryl Markham, and finally, "Alone in the Sky" by Jean Batten.
Then, like me, consider how much they did, and how much you dont know!
Tailwinds
Not so N, but still FG
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Also "North to the Orient" by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, "Le Grande Cirque" by Pierre Clostermann and "How we invented the Aeroplane" by some bloke from Dayton Ohio whose name I forget.
There's no standard answer to what to do with the aeroplane, and why.
I love going touring in a fastish tourer like a Warrior.
I love dropping into tiny strips in a taildragger or flexwing microlight.
I love throwing an open cockpit aeroplane around the sky for the sheer joy of it.
I used to find enormously satisfying the huge demands of bringing a Jaguar back with some decent test data and still in one piece.
I enjoy the challenge of spin-testing a new design, and coming back with both useful data and the aeroplane.
And in any of them, the view is stunning, and it always feels good to touch down on the numbers.
G
I love going touring in a fastish tourer like a Warrior.
I love dropping into tiny strips in a taildragger or flexwing microlight.
I love throwing an open cockpit aeroplane around the sky for the sheer joy of it.
I used to find enormously satisfying the huge demands of bringing a Jaguar back with some decent test data and still in one piece.
I enjoy the challenge of spin-testing a new design, and coming back with both useful data and the aeroplane.
And in any of them, the view is stunning, and it always feels good to touch down on the numbers.
G
Why do it if it's not fun?
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Genghis,
Well said! I've tried to add my thoughts to this thread a few times, but kept scrapping it because I couldn't express my feelings properly - but I think you've done it for me!
From the sounds of your reply you've got a fair bit more experience than me At only a few hours since passing my skills test, I haven't yet had a chance to fly a taildragger (but I will soon!) or microlight, and I certainly haven't done any test-flying in Jaguars!
But despite that, there's so many things that I love about flying I really don't know where to start. The thrill of take-off. The beauty of landing smoothly on the numbers (yeah, right!) The scenery, the challenge of controlling an aircraft, the challenge of navigation. I still find that looking at weather from the air, from a safe distance of course, is amazing - knowing that I can fly around the shower just by moving a control, whereas people on the ground don't have that luxury. When I look out a window at clouds from the ground, I now see a 3D picture, whereas it used to be 2D.
And I've still got so many more things that I want to learn - both so that I can enjoy the learning process, and enjoy the skill I've learnt afterwards! Taildraggers, aerobatics, night-flying, IMC, gliders, microlights, the list goes on...
There really can't be one single reason for loving flying - the whole experience is just great!
FFF
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Well said! I've tried to add my thoughts to this thread a few times, but kept scrapping it because I couldn't express my feelings properly - but I think you've done it for me!
From the sounds of your reply you've got a fair bit more experience than me At only a few hours since passing my skills test, I haven't yet had a chance to fly a taildragger (but I will soon!) or microlight, and I certainly haven't done any test-flying in Jaguars!
But despite that, there's so many things that I love about flying I really don't know where to start. The thrill of take-off. The beauty of landing smoothly on the numbers (yeah, right!) The scenery, the challenge of controlling an aircraft, the challenge of navigation. I still find that looking at weather from the air, from a safe distance of course, is amazing - knowing that I can fly around the shower just by moving a control, whereas people on the ground don't have that luxury. When I look out a window at clouds from the ground, I now see a 3D picture, whereas it used to be 2D.
And I've still got so many more things that I want to learn - both so that I can enjoy the learning process, and enjoy the skill I've learnt afterwards! Taildraggers, aerobatics, night-flying, IMC, gliders, microlights, the list goes on...
There really can't be one single reason for loving flying - the whole experience is just great!
FFF
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To add my tuppence worth
Because I can....
Boyhood dream of wanting to fly, never able to do it. Manadged to scrap together the funds to do it, and loved it ever since the first trial lession.
I think its often in the blood you either love it and can,t get enough ( money providing), or you hate it.
All the stuff above describes it wonderfully well. I just do it now because I can and love it. Wish I could have done it earlier.
[ 25 July 2001: Message edited by: What a Loop ]
Because I can....
Boyhood dream of wanting to fly, never able to do it. Manadged to scrap together the funds to do it, and loved it ever since the first trial lession.
I think its often in the blood you either love it and can,t get enough ( money providing), or you hate it.
All the stuff above describes it wonderfully well. I just do it now because I can and love it. Wish I could have done it earlier.
[ 25 July 2001: Message edited by: What a Loop ]
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Who would agree that after a long enjoyable flight someone could tell you that the world is about to end, and quite honestly, you couldn't care less.
I find I always get the "satisfied" feeling after a good trip especially if you are with a group of non-flying friends who you know cannot understand your "inner-smugness"!
I find I always get the "satisfied" feeling after a good trip especially if you are with a group of non-flying friends who you know cannot understand your "inner-smugness"!
Thread Starter
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Hey! Why is it that whenever I start a thread some people always use it to slate me?
Its not a dumb question, its very valid and it isnt something that everyone likes, some people hate it and those who like it often for completely different reasons.
I read Wind sand and stars by St. Exupary and I didnt like it that much, it was a bit boring and slow paced. A book I really like is Cecil Lewis' Saggitarius Rising.
Who is Bach?
Its not a dumb question, its very valid and it isnt something that everyone likes, some people hate it and those who like it often for completely different reasons.
I read Wind sand and stars by St. Exupary and I didnt like it that much, it was a bit boring and slow paced. A book I really like is Cecil Lewis' Saggitarius Rising.
Who is Bach?