Sailing vs. Flying

Seagreen

Seagreen

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Sometime ago I was bought as a crimbo prezzie, an hour's taster flight with the local flying school.

It was all great fun, flying about in the clouds, but I got to thinking why I wouldn't take it up as a hobby over sailing, as I don't have the time or money for both.

Once airborne, and I'd got over the "wow!" factor, it occurred to me that I still just have to sit there, managing the controls (if I got licensed) and not much else. I can't easily get out, walk about on the wing, or curl up next to the tail whilst reading a book with a mug of tea, giving the occasional all-round glance. I couldn't say to myself "more tea, and cake!" and dissappear below, for a slice of McVitie's. I couldn't get to a nice part of the sky and say "looks nice - lets stop here for lunch".

Fun though it was, it was very like (this Cessna) being in an old 2CV at 2000ft - great view, but no stereo.

Any other opinions?
 
Had the same thoughts..................

After the initial Wow your just sitting there in a green house "driving" about the sky slightly dissociated from the elements (unless you have a Tiger Moth).

Now a glider.................and I once flew in (I think) a Slingsby T21? open cockpit, side by side, constructed like one of my model planes, would be very different.

I think gliding is to powered flight as sailing is to motor boats. Do they have similar conflicts as stinkies V raggies? Certainly gliding has the same appeal to me as sailing.

Cameron /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
You'r right. I gave up leisure flying over 15 years ago, but very much enjoyed it at the time. Came to the conclusion that to keep my interest going I'd want to do more aerobatics which I had just started, but having a young family decided that I wanted to be an old pilot, but not a bold one! I enjoyed it, especially the IFR rating and the aerobatics in an open cockpit Stampe - a real feel the plane by "the seat of your pants" type of flying. Might do a heli PPL one day just for the fun factor and then drop it. Flying can be a bit family anti-social too! Boating gives a much better return and diverse enjoyment, and 10 times more chill out factor. Also try going to the head in a tumble dryer at FL10 /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Poor private flying safety stats are off the scale compared to commercial line flying.
 
Flying and especially gliding must be even more weather dependent than sailing.

Lots of hanging around at a draughty aerodrome, waiting for the conditions to improve.
 
I fly and sail. The flying I do is helicopter, R22 and R44 so far. I enjoy them both for different reasons. Sailing is more relaxing, fills greater lengths of time, gets me to more places and further away. Flying a helicopter is much more challenging, a great buzz, but all too soon over.

I would say the annual cost is about the same for me. I do self-fly hire, so no big investment, and I could cut the cost done to an absolute minimum if I had to.

As for conditions, I can't fly at night, and I can't fly in Instrument Meteorological Conditions, so I need basic visibility (a lot less for a heli than a plane). Wind conditions limit my flying and sailing about the same, as light helis are more wind tolerant than light planes. If it's too windy for flying inland, it's probably not that pleasant at sea for sailing either.
 
I gave up flying light aircraft some years ago after the "adrenaline factor" went. I can still get scared on the sea which makes boating worthwhile! As for being weather dependent, we used to say - it's better to be down here wishing you were up there than to be up there wishing you were down here!

Phil
 
Well there's one big difference. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

<u>Flying</u>: Your at 10,000 ft in a single engine plane at night over water doing 130kt, and you think you hear a change in engine note or start to imagine a vibration, probably just a coin rattling in the aft locker, but your hyper sensitive hearing makes you paranoid.

<u>Boating</u>: You think you hear a change of engine note in a boat doing only 20kt a few miles from the nearest hard obstical, you check the temp and pressure gauges for green, knowing that in a boat in doesn't matter much if the engines give up, she'll just stop and you can wait for a tow or throw out the hook. Uncomfortable perhaps, but you won't plaster yourself over the side of a mountain. BUT in a sail boat you can hoist the sails.
 
I found that the learning bit was great: constantly exciting, and you never forget the first time the instructor gets out and sends you off solo. A real sense of achievment. But once you've got there, the excitement does wane, and it is very expensive. I've reverted to water.
 
I've stopped flying now but do miss it.
I think it depends on what sort of flying you do, from home built PFA type aircraft which are very cheap to maintain and run through to multi engine stuff which aren't but do give a lot back and instill pride in a job well done.
If you go down the PFA route it can open a whole world of flying from unlicensed strips, normally a couple of quid in the tea fund for landing fee's and a great social scene. Lots of free flying in every one's aircraft and challenging strips to get in and out of. I got to fly some fascinating aircraft that way that I would never have got near otherwise.
The normal route is flying club aircraft, for me the secret was always trying to fly something different and widen my horizons, going foreign, getting a night or IMC rating and eventually going on to multi engine aircraft, always a lovely thing to be, above the clouds in the sunshine when its miserable underneath (providing you have the right aircraft and qualifications).
Yep you still get the Mobo v Raggie equivalent, it was spamcans v ragwings then. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Thoroughly enjoyed my flying and still miss it at times.
 
Got my PPL and then having taken girlfriend, mum and a few aquaintances flying couldn't see what to do next. Luckily for me her Maj asked me to go fly her Helos in the RN and that is a different kettle of. Try landing a Lynx on a Frigate at night in the middle of the Atlantic in rough weather - thats adrenalin (brown and lumpy normally).

I used to sail to relax!!!
 
[ QUOTE ]
and you never forget the first time the instructor gets out and sends you off solo

[/ QUOTE ]

That's very true, although in my case it was in a glider. From a big 2-seater Blanik with an instructor to a single-seat Slinsgsby Swallow. No experience like it, even though it only lasted 4 minutes!
 
[ QUOTE ]
What's all this about "single engines" and "130kts"????

probably in a shallow dive.
I must admit to it being very boring most of the time, interspersed with heart stopping rushes of adrenaline when the aforementioned engine note changes - reach for carb heat?
 
I had this urge - no stronger- to perhaps get into building a Zenith 801 or similar STOL aircraft (seduced by the "flying landrover" tag), suit my ruff n ready attitude, but came to the conclusion I couldn't afford the time or the plane kit, and that I ought to be living in Canada! Then I was seduced by the boat of my dreams..

/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
I bought a Luton Minor for about £3,500 and did over 300 hrs in it, had a VW 1835 up front. Climbed at 65, cruised at 65 and descended at 65, stalled at about 40kts. Very rarely got out of it without a grin on my ugly face and cost peanuts to run as it was on a permit. Hangarage was the highest cost.
It was hardly at the cutting edge when it was designed, looked very strange but you could land that in a small paddock, handled beautifully and had lots of fun for not much money.

GBDJG%201a.jpg
 
[ QUOTE ]
I found that the learning bit was great: constantly exciting, and you never forget the first time the instructor gets out and sends you off solo.

[/ QUOTE ] The adrenaline factor.

Some types of professional flying are full of adrenaline factor, and there are occasional moments in routine work (big airline aircraft) that give a kick. It's the job you're trying to do which determines how interesting flying is. But, for sure, it's always very expensive.

Sailing offers easier and cheaper thrills. The jobs to be done are either: getting from a to b via x,y and z faster than someone else; or surviving a big wind, collision risk, poor vis pilotage or other cruising hazard.

Plain pleasures (without adrenaline) pall in flying. They remain in sailing - a fine weather F3 to a quiet anchorage . . . a quiet beer at anchor. That's a way of life . . . for the elderly?
 
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