gr8jab
Contributor
Recreational diving is pretty easy, and requires only a rudimentary understanding of the physics and technology, and some average physical skills for swimming.
Flying has three distinct components, all of which require much more than rudimentary skills and learning:
1. Physical manipulation of the controls: It takes considerable practice and instruction to develop the skills and coordination to properly control an aircraft, especially during takeoff and landing (and aerobatics, if that's your thing).
2. Solid mechanical understanding: There is lots of studying about forces, vectors, drag, lift, and such. Add that to a detailed examination of internal combustion engine operation, behaviors and pitfalls. And this knowledge is not perfunctory, but rather essential to being a pilot.
3. Rules, procedures, paperwork, and more rules: Between the two inch thick FAR (Federal Aviation Regulations), containing every little rule the FAA can dream and the equally oppressive AIM (Airman Information Manual) which describes in detail how do anything, your PADI training will feel like kindergarten. Add to that the hours needed to understand and decode aviation maps, weather reports, and flight plan acronyms. Do you like government bureaucracies? If so, you'll love being a pilot. Here's an example: Acronyms and Abbreviations
All this is said with tongue in cheek, but it's also true.
If you want to learn to fly because you crave a feeling of flying, get a sailplane, hang-glider, para-glider, or maybe an ultralight.
Flying has three distinct components, all of which require much more than rudimentary skills and learning:
1. Physical manipulation of the controls: It takes considerable practice and instruction to develop the skills and coordination to properly control an aircraft, especially during takeoff and landing (and aerobatics, if that's your thing).
2. Solid mechanical understanding: There is lots of studying about forces, vectors, drag, lift, and such. Add that to a detailed examination of internal combustion engine operation, behaviors and pitfalls. And this knowledge is not perfunctory, but rather essential to being a pilot.
3. Rules, procedures, paperwork, and more rules: Between the two inch thick FAR (Federal Aviation Regulations), containing every little rule the FAA can dream and the equally oppressive AIM (Airman Information Manual) which describes in detail how do anything, your PADI training will feel like kindergarten. Add to that the hours needed to understand and decode aviation maps, weather reports, and flight plan acronyms. Do you like government bureaucracies? If so, you'll love being a pilot. Here's an example: Acronyms and Abbreviations
All this is said with tongue in cheek, but it's also true.
If you want to learn to fly because you crave a feeling of flying, get a sailplane, hang-glider, para-glider, or maybe an ultralight.