Flying? Boring! Why would I ever want to do it? Aside from being expensive and time consuming, it’s also pointless. Why would I want to shoot around the sky in a metal tube? It just seems like a poor use of time. Seriously, only those with poor judgement would consider getting a pilots’ license. There are just so many reasons why you should never do it, but here are the top ten that I could think of.
1. The view sucks. Why would I want to see the world from 3000 AGL? I have such a hard time picking out my house from the plane, it’s so much easier if I’m driving around in my car. The world just looks so big from the air and it’s really not that interesting. I’m just not interested in seeing the bigger picture.
2. Airports are boring. Nothing interesting happens at airports. Seriously, flight schools talk about teaching you soft field landings and precautionary/forced landings, but never actually let you do them, always forcing you to return to the airport. How about some danger? I’ve seen Top Gun – I’m ready!
3. Air Traffic Controllers are bossy. They constantly tell you what to do and they talk so fast that you can barely understand them most of the time. And they always tell you to switch frequencies and get upset if you don’t call them.
4. Too many calculations. You really have to learn how to flight plan to learn how tedious and pointless it is. Just point the airplane in the direction you want to go – how much harder does it have to be, people? Fuel, schmuel. I’ll just keep an eye on the fuel gauge like I do when I drive. What could possibly go wrong?
5. No in-flight entertainment. Unless you count your instructor, there is no real source of entertainment when you’re flying. No movies, TV, music or anything. No hot coffee. The service stinks. Why would I want to sit in an old uncomfortable 30 year old Cessna when I can comfortably stretch my legs out on the couch like a human being. When I stretch my legs out in the Cessna I just end up hitting the rudder pedals, which causes yaw and I have to do more work to correct it. Can’t relax in the thing for a second.
6. Flight instructors are annoying. They are always telling you what to do and bossing you around. It’s worse than ATC because you can’t really get away from them. Once you leave the control zone you are free of the claws of terminal control but you can’t get rid of your instructor once you let them in the plane with you. They really don’t know that much … How much can there possibly be to know??
7. Too much safety emphasis. Do you know how long it takes to prepare to actually go on a flight that lasts less than an hour? About two hours. Checklists, meetings, briefings, log books, journey log books, sheesh. So much paperwork and so many safety checks. I mean, did you know when you’re at the hold short line that you have to check your engine is operating? It started, so why do you need to check it again? Obviously it’s working and the plane is ready to go. If it wasn’t it wouldn’t start. Obviously.
8. Trainer planes are old. Trainer planes are so old, I think they must have been built when dinosaurs roamed the earth. They are loud and uncomfortable.
9. It’s too hard. The instrument panel in your car has only a few sources of information: speed, fuel quantity, engine temperatures and some have a tachometer. The most basic airplane panel has six highly confusing instruments which are really hard to understand, ever mind all the other engine instruments, radios, direction finding equipment, navigation tools, approach systems, and the little floaty thing on the dash. There are so many maneuvers, attitudes and movements too learn, it’s just seems like way to much work.
10. It’s scary. The whole concept of flying just seems like a bad idea. There are just too many planes of movement. It’s not that rewarding, and not really fun to be in control of the thing. Constant briefings, meetings, exams, preparations, paperwork and safety checks. Soaring through the air? Make a career out of it? Seriously why bother. I’d rather just sit on the couch eating chips.
We hope you had a good laugh reading this.
Sarcasm aside, ever try to talk yourself out of getting a license? So many reasons. The fact is that flying is hard, committing wonderful and very rewarding. Like many things in life, if it wasn’t hard, it wouldn’t be worth doing. Challenge yourself and don’t give up. Search your soul and if you discover flying is right for you, you will have the time of your life and you will not regret it!