With permission, this has been copied from Avcom ....
Before you read it, about the author ....
Regional Airline pilot ex-SAAF: Pilot's Course 1/85 B.Eng (Electronic) Stellenbosch
Regardsnugpot wrote:Everything in this post is my opinion - right or wrong and I am happy to discuss it further.
Microlight pilots are (almost per definition) recreational pilots. I am sure there are some professionals and/or pilots who fly professionally and also microlight, but they must be a small minority. The same can be said for a majority of the Avcom members. They are mostly recreational pilots and do a lot of their flying for the pure enjoyment it brings. Now this is part of the reason why we have (and will continue to have) these discussions in the Academy.
To explain the other part of the reason I have to change tack slightly. People do things in their spare time to bring fulfillment to their lives. Some people cycle, run, play sport, paint, read, garden and then some do so-called "adrenaline sports" like base-jumping, sky-diving, motor racing, downhill skiing or downhill mountain bike racing. The differences between these two types of activities are purely related to the danger factor, i.e. the chance of getting hurt. To avoid getting hurt in the first group of activities, you basically only have to avoid being a complete idiot. In the second group you have to exhibit a high level of skill and, more importantly, the ability to plan your activity in such a way that you bring the danger of injury down to the level of your skill.
For me flying is part of the first group. I do it for a living and like it very, very boring. It takes some skill, but probably less than golf, which for me is really difficult - although much more enjoyable than flying. If you find that flying for you is part of the second group, you should at this point make a mental note that it should be treated with utmost respect. You can NEVER do anything that you haven't planned and/or discussed with those who know more than you (Yes, for 99.9% of us there are such people).
To bring the two points together. CTFC have been kind enough to invite me to talk to their club members a week or so from now. I hope to speak to the guys who want to make a living in aviation to make this exact distinction. If you fly because you enjoy the rush of adrenaline when you fly low, or do low level aerobatics or shoot-ups, then I don't think flying as a job is for you. You should double your life insurance and vow never to take up a passenger, because very few adrenaline seekers who fly part time do it successfully for long.
If you decide to take a passenger, you immediately join the ranks of "transport pilot" and you should (and will be by me) be measured by the same standards that I am measured by as an airline pilot. You have taken a conscious decision to raise the standard that you are to be judged by, by taking the life of another human into your hands. There are a few (very, very few) pilots who are able to give you an adrenaline rush in a very safe manner. They are the display aerobatic pilots who will tone down their manoevres when they have passengers to a level that all but ensures successful, safe execution. I have to re-iterate that there are very few of these individuals. In South Africa there are probably less than 10, so you are probably not one of them.
We talk quite often about what is legal (flying below 500' where you are not a nuisance), but we don't often enough talk about what is prudent and we never talk about changing your attitude when you are not alone, because face it, it is not fun to fly low and or do shoot-ups when there is no-one to see you (either on board or on the ground). If you can honestly tell me that you enjoy shoot-ups and low level flying where nobody can see you and nobody is in the a/c with you - I will call you a liar. We do these things to show off.
My meandering train of thought is about to derail, so let me close with this. If you want to show off, do so in such a fashion that your resulting accident happens on a clear piece of open ground. Do it with your own, paid off aircraft and don't take passengers. If you take passengers, act as if you are an airline pilot who is paid to deliver his passengers safely and efficiently to their destination while being held to the highest possible standards of discipline and safety.
You can enjoy flying like I enjoy golf, for the pure joy of a well executed shot which follows the path I planned for it.
John
