On Mon, 15 Aug 2005 12:54:30 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

snipped...

I don't know. But I guess if a pilot is able to "give up" flying *without*
some sort of a life-changing scary experience, then, perhaps, they were
never really that hooked on it in the first place? This is another concept
I cannot understand -- how can someone fly without becoming hooked on the
magic of flight? -- so perhaps I'll never be able to fathom these folks.

Flying is *not* golf, nor boating, nor motorcycling, nor anything else.
Quite simply, there is nothing else like it; so quitting -- for me --
someday, is going to be ugly, and entirely involuntary.

To simply relinquish the ability to fly of my own free will is unthinkable,
and -- since it's hard to B.S. a B.S.-er -- I always search for deeper
reasons when someone tells me they quit flying because of "the wife" or "the
job".

Jay, the magic of flight is a very real thing for you (and me, and
most of the participants of this newsgroup). It is not, however, an
absolute truth that transcends all mankind. There are many good
honest folks who's "magic" is found in golf, boating, motorcycling and
scuba diving (which adds the third dimension). Who are we to impose
our "magic" on their lives? Don't get me wrong. I understand your
feelings toward flight. I wanted to fly all of my life but didn't
achieve that goal until I was 50. I golfed, but I quit. The "magic"
wasn't there for me. I ride a motorcycle 10K miles annually, and I
love it. But not as much as flying. Nothing approaches flying... for
me. That being said, I have many friends who will never get an
airplane with me and that's OK. They have other fulfilling activities
in their lives, some of which I have no interest in doing.

I agree that we should do everything that we can to nurture interest
in aviation where ever we find it. To assume that something is wrong
with someone because they don't feel the same way about flying as you
do, and choose not to continue, is not fair to that person.
Rich Russell