Fly or sail?

ozone

Well-Known Member
So, here's my dilemma: I learned to fly and got my license for two main reasons
1. I always wanted to, ever since i was a 2 year-old
2. I had a HORRIBLE job and needed to get my head into another realm so I would not go postal on my former co-workers and family. BTW, counseling would probably have been cheaper, but no where near as fun.

Now, fast forward a year. I now have an excellent job, great co-workers and a wife who has patiently moved (yet again) with me to our new digs. Now, we live in boating heaven. My wife still refuses to fly and every time I go flying, I wonder to myself what the heck is the point of blowing another $150-250? I have no "mission specific" reason for flying, I am just poking holes in the sky. I keep waking up in the wee morning hours thinking "did i really just use up another $200 today....and for what?"

So, this weekend was an airplane-free weekend since my wife had her birthday. We hooked up with some friends who had a boat and had a blast! No "mission" or "goal" or "destination" involved and it was really enjoyable. Our evil friends then floated the idea of rafting boats 2 or more boats together and weekend camping if only we would buy a boat as well.
Also, our kids are about the same age.

I do believe in the idea of a "one-toy-at-a-time" lifestyle and I think I need to decide: continue my solitary pilot life or choose a more family-friendly activity like a sailboat?

I am deliberately posting this here since i know y'all are biased toward flying, and I want opinions about what would you do if, after you tried it, you discovered that flying, while really fun, was not your passion.
 
dude, there is so much more to do with boating, swim, fish sleep, drink relax, kill manatees. With a plane, you can fly somewhere and then.... well you get the point, atleast on the water you can spend a day on the boat,. Sitting an entire day on a superchicken just doesnt seem like fun.
 
Boating is awesome.


I think if you are already questioning what it is your are doing up there, it might not be where you want to be.

Con: The words, "I'm a boater" just doesn't have that ring.
"but but but, I'm a boater."

You should look into a specialty.
- Sea Plane
- Glider
- Aerobatics
- Low flying (get some)
 
You don't have to choose, I am addicted to both. Boats are awesome, best Idea is to keep your boat far away and fly there every weekend.
 
plane+boat= seaplane or flying boat. The best of both worlds. Two toys in one package. ;)
 
If I lived in a area of the US that had some really interesting sights or destinations I think I would "waste" the money to go see those items.

IF i lived up north I would fly to NY City, New Jersey, Boston, ETC.

If in the Southwest I would fly to Grand Canyon, Oklahoma City, Monument National park....

You get the idea. Get the kids interested. Mine love to fly and since they took an interest then so did my wife. Then came the question from my 9 year old, "Daddy, could we fly to Atlanta and go to the Kids Museum?" My wife took notice and started asking all kinds of questions: How far, how long, transportation...again, you get the picture.

I took my wife's interest and turned it against her one day after she made a comment loud enough for me to hear that involved the amount of time it would take to drive to some out of the way place she had just seen on TV. She was on the phone saying these things to a friend who wanted to go to the same place but did not want to spend six hours driving. Two and a half hours of flying later, and one hell of a saturday nap in the pilot lounge with no kids, we had gone and come back and they loved it. They came back empty handed but had a great time and bragging rights next week anyway.

Last thing is that once she got over the fear or disinterest I told her and her friend to come up with some places they would like to eat within a six to eight hour drive. Once every two months we have a couples date night and fly to a restaurant. We always pick a place that has a crew car and we don't drink, or at least I don't.

Find ways to bring your family into flying and maybe your interest won't die.

Or, like us, save some money, borrow a plane, fly to the beach, rent a cottage, bring a cooler, fishing pole, sunscreen and towels and be a beach bum for a week. We actual;ly saved money because we did not go shopping, we ate in, and we didn't use a car and the gas that goes along with it. Just the fuel to fly there and catch a ride to the cottage.
 
I am deliberately posting this here since i know y'all are biased toward flying, and I want opinions about what would you do if, after you tried it, you discovered that flying, while really fun, was not your passion.

I am biased towards sailing. I cruise every chance I get, and as you mentioned it is great activity for the whole family. From a recreational standpoint you cant certainly have both if you can afford it, and I know plenty of sailors who are either private or processional aviators.
 
Flying is a job to me, but sailing is what I truly enjoy. Nothing like taking a nice boat out on the water and spending an entire day just cruising around, not caring about tracking a course, talking to ATC, watching the fuel, etc...
 
I think there are a lot pilots (myself included) who love boating. It's the allure of being free. Up in the air or cruising across a lake, freedom is what draws me to both.
 
Flying is a job to me, but sailing is what I truly enjoy. Nothing like taking a nice boat out on the water and spending an entire day just cruising around, not caring about tracking a course, talking to ATC, watching the fuel, etc...


:) Unless you are in Maine for much of the summer. It's like sailing in low IMC conditions, but at a leisurely 6 knots.
 
I say boating. It sounds to me like you already aren't to happy flying. So why force it? I mean if you wake up regretting spending the money...stop spending the money. Sailing to ME seems more relaxing and recreational...of I course I also fly for a living. Flying is work, for a lot of us here.
 
Sailing really is a lot like flying in general and gliding in particular. There's the same sense of freedom and exploration and the interaction with nature. Sailing is also fairly cheap (no need to buy a boat - there are sailing clubs just as like flying clubs). That being said, where I picked up sailing was right under the approach path of an airport. The more I sailed the more I wanted to going flying instead. However, from what you describe of your situation, sailing could be the right choice. Check out U.S. Sailing or ASA for certification and found out if you really like it.
 
Our 16 month old has really taken to being on the boat. When she is older I am sure I will expose her to flying, but there is nothing like a night in a quiet anchorage followed by a morning like this (taken on a trip last week):

1832-img-0120.jpg
 
Best of both worlds, seaplane. Ah, if only I were a french citizen, I'd by a Grumman Albatross and start a island hopping biz in Tahiti. Luckily for me my mom is a Croatian citizen, so once Croatia joins the EU I can apply for dual citizen ship (apparently). Island hopping biz on the Croatian coast...now that's living the dream. Can you get a JAA seaplane rating?

But seriously, If this whole flying thing doesn't work out, I would totally look in to going to a Maritime Academy.
 
Best of both worlds, seaplane. Ah, if only I were a french citizen, I'd by a Grumman Albatross and start a island hopping biz in Tahiti. Luckily for me my mom is a Croatian citizen, so once Croatia joins the EU I can apply for dual citizen ship (apparently). Island hopping biz on the Croatian coast...now that's living the dream. Can you get a JAA seaplane rating?

But seriously, If this whole flying thing doesn't work out, I would totally look in to going to a Maritime Academy.

I'll SIC that gig. Gotta have 2 crew for the HU-16, minimum. Plus, you'd probably want an A&P in the back, and somebody who knew something about how to dock it.

In any case, I'd love to get a chance to fly in one, let alone fly one.
 
I'll SIC that gig. Gotta have 2 crew for the HU-16, minimum. Plus, you'd probably want an A&P in the back, and somebody who knew something about how to dock it.

In any case, I'd love to get a chance to fly in one, let alone fly one.

Lest we forget we need an FA, and the girls from Dubrovnik make GREAT flight attendants. :pirate:
 
Best of both worlds, seaplane. Ah, if only I were a french citizen, I'd by a Grumman Albatross and start a island hopping biz in Tahiti. Luckily for me my mom is a Croatian citizen, so once Croatia joins the EU I can apply for dual citizen ship (apparently). Island hopping biz on the Croatian coast...now that's living the dream. Can you get a JAA seaplane rating?

But seriously, If this whole flying thing doesn't work out, I would totally look in to going to a Maritime Academy.

I'm from a country next to Croatia, been to Croatia many times. Gorgeous place.
 
I say boating. It sounds to me like you already aren't to happy flying. So why force it? I mean if you wake up regretting spending the money...stop spending the money. Sailing to ME seems more relaxing and recreational...of I course I also fly for a living. Flying is work, for a lot of us here.

I was thinking the same. You said you don't have the passion of flying anymore so why keep dumping money into it. At least w/ sailing, you can take the whole family & you'll save money, too.
 
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