Tina writes:

So it occurs to me that when he's
talking with pilots here whose airplanes drink at least 10 Big Macs an
hour there may be some envy in play.

I can't even imagine how someone would go about drinking a Big Mac.

The real reason for not flying or traveling or being stuck at his
keyboard is likely because he doesn't have the resourses to do
otherwise.

While there are many things I would do if I had more money, travel is not
among them, and even with unlimited money, I'd still spend a lot of time in
front of the computer.

Most people (particularly older people) don't realize that computers are not
an end in themselves, but merely a means. A computer is a tool that opens the
door to all sorts of intellectual activities, just as electricity is a tool
that opens the door to all sorts of activities both physical and intellectual.

No doubt someone fretted over the time spent by people on the telephone when
it was first invented, and somebody probably worried about the degree to which
electricity was used by a few pioneers in the early days ("You wired your
entire home with electricity?? You must be obsessed with it!").

If I did have adequate funds, I'd probably invest in a full-motion simulator,
since I could fly it without a license and it would require no travel.
Getting a real license is exceptionally difficult in my circumstances (money
being only one of several obstacles), and I don't really desire to actually go
anywhere in a plane, I just like flying for its own sake. Also, some of the
aircraft I like best are so large and awkward and expensive to operate that
even with unlimited funds it would still be too much of a pain to fly them for
real.