Plastic Pilot

This post is the third in the series about good reasons to fly general aviation, be it very light, or business aircrafts. As any hobby should be, aviation is challenging, interesting, and can be extremely rewarding… in various ways.

Mastering flying technique, executing manoeuvers properly, co-ordinating altitude, speed and heading on approach are tricky things. Any pillot knows the theory of it, but there is quite a gap between theory and practice… so achieving a good flight from the flying technique point of view is certainly rewarding.

The extreme vision of flying technique is obviously found in aerobatics. Such flights are short, land at the airport they departed from… so they have no “objective” reasons… except the pleasure for the pilot to execute complex manoeuvers exactly as planned.

There is however much more than simple flying technique. A good flying day is also about choosing a good itinerary, interpreting metoroligcal signs correctly, managing the passengers expectations, and so on.

Flying on instruments (opposed to visual reference) is a mental exercise, different from other activities. It relies on spatial orientation, some geometry and calculus. On top of that, understanding the complex electronics on board modern aircrafts is not exactly easy… making the whole thing even more rewarding.

Managing all these factors is a complicated task, and having all done is really… a pleasure ! I guess this can apply to any hobby, from bowling to cheese boxes collection ! On the other hand, if there is a lot of possible satisfaction, the potential for frustration is high as well !

Missing a landing, or interpreting a procedure the wrong way can definetly make a flight much less enjoyable… but there is room for improvement everywhere, and this is also what makes it… rewarding !

Easy things are not fun… aren’t they ?