Peter wrote:
An autopilot is a brilliant safety enhancement because it reduces pilot workload by a huge margin. I am wasting my time writing this anyway because everybody who flies for real will know this already.
Define “for real” then 
What exactly is flying “for real” ? Flying commercially? If that’s the correct definition, then I have been “flying for real” for several years already. Not that it pays for all that much food on the table IMO it’s only one way to fly “for real”, and that is by using stick and rudder. It’s the next best thing from growing wings on our backs. It’s irrelevant anyway, because all of us here fly for fun. Some like autopilots, some like it more hands on. Some like to tinker, some don’t.
Anyway, that has nothing to do with what I wrote. What I’m wondering about is who would actually want this autopilot instead of:
Those who like tinkering with gadgets and stuff, and would like an autopilot, would end up in 1. Those who simply would like a decent plane with a decent autopilot, would for sure end up in 2. Who is the target audience for this device? It’s hard to pinpoint.
LeSving wrote:
all of us here fly for fun.
No, not always. Some of us fly to travel.
LeSving wrote:
all of us here fly for fun
Lionel wrote:
.
No, not always. Some of us fly to travel
I am sure you hate every minute of it ;-)
Everyone has a different idea which aspects of ownership and flying they enjoy and which they hate. For all we know, some us secretly enjoy the paperwork and mindless bureaucracy!
Cobalt wrote:
For all we know, some us secretly enjoy the paperwork and mindless bureaucracy!
He he I can think of a few around here…
arj1 wrote:
incorrect, some fly to travel the distance and it helps to reduce your workload on a 3-4 hour flight by a LOT.
I never said an autopilot didn’t. But it’s a bit like arguing paddling a kayak to travel the distance. Yes, you can, but there are seriously few places you have to be that are best travelled by kayak. Yet, people do it regularly.
I rephrase again, since the word “fun” obviously is not macho enough: We are all “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey” kind of guys
LeSving wrote:
I rephrase again, since the word “fun” obviously is not macho enough: We are all “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey” kind of guys
Again, agree to disagree – some days you fly for the journey, and some days you actually want to get there. You know, just like with your car. :)
Cobalt wrote:
No, not always. Some of us fly to travelI am sure you hate every minute of it ;-)
Well, obviously, I choose to fly because it is better than the alternatives. I prefer to sit 2h departing/arriving at any time I choose in an arguably small cramped plane without toilets rather than between 6h30 and 8h40 in a train, having only the choice between 7 fixed departure times. So no, I don’t hate every minute of it. Yes, most times when I fly to La Rochelle, I go to La Rochelle for fun. Sometimes for business. But even if I go to La Rochelle for fun, it doesn’t mean “I fly for fun” in itself. I fly to go to La Rochelle. “Fly for fun” is “the 100 $ burger” or “the bimble”.
That point of nomenclature is important, because from that it depends whether “small aviation” is taken seriously, and catered for, or not. “Flying for fun” is an activity that is nice to have, but well, if it cannot be done, you take up another hobby, be it crocheting, boxing, karting, … While flying to La Rochelle to go to La Rochelle, that flying is making use of the regional / national / continental transport infrastructure, just like people that fly to Palma de Majorque to go to Palma de Majorque “for fun” or taking the train to Paris to go to Paris “for fun” are.
Now, yes, if Europe had an underground network of tunnel that gets me at each town of 20 000 people or more at speeds of 2500km/h, I would use that and not fly.
LeSving wrote:
all of us here fly for fun
I very much doubt that. My guess is that maybe 50% of the honoured EuroGA membership flies for fun, and even that might be high…
I also wonder about the amount of people, or the proportion of people having, and using, an IR? For sure, the most eloquent members on here are, but are those the majority?
@Peter, any pointers on the above?
Dan wrote:
My guess is that maybe 50% of the honoured EuroGA membership flies for fun
According to my personal very limited experience the vast majority flies for the flying part, that is: for fun only. Top experience in a flying life is the one tour abroad or the one event to go to, maybe each year. I mean like 80-90 percent of pilots, don’t know it better, but I think I have much more insight than others.
I fly to get to places, but the flying part is serious fun. Maintenance, too, by the way. If not I would stop flying. Because there’s a lot of work involved in flying one should not forget. And it’s f*** expensive. Flying never pays out in terms of “time saved” alone.
Question could be: do you have more than 1 hour flying per hour spent on all the regularities and paperwork and maintenance and so on?
Some fly for pure fun (fun of flying or fun of traveling)
Some fly because it’s a lot of work.
Some fly to escape a hard job/life situation.
I have been thinking about why some people (me included) seem to enjoy the work to fly/get X rating etc… and recently I came up with an answer.
Humans (and men in particular) need a sense of purpose and achievement. I think we are just like dogs, we need a mission, a purpose.
Otherwise we dig holes in the garden smoke, drink, gamble, watch TV etc….
Some of them pick a challenge which gets them this sense
for some it will be a marathon, others deep diving, some fighting CTOTs
The problem with flying for the challenge is you always need a new challenge, otherwise you drop it.
I agree.
any pointers on the above?
Not sure how one could find out short of doing a poll. Maybe someone can set up an external poll? This was done a few times e.g. to work out peoples’ income, anonymously
Arguably nearly all of us fly as a hobby – because, logically, there is the car, train or the airliner. None of us fly to places which are totally inaccessible by other means.
There are some commercial/charter pilots here, and quite a few current and former airline pilots. Nearly all airline pilots fly Annex 1, IME, which is probably predictable.
Flying is a great hobby, and with a very good reward/hassle ratio if managed carefully.
