At last, the truth...

It's funny -- you described my life almost perfectly (I.E.: Kids, business,
wife, billion-hour work-weeks, no time) -- yet we fly a couple of times per
week.

How much would you have flown if your wife didn't go up with you?

Jose
--
Quantum Mechanics is like this: God =does= play dice with the universe,
except there's no God, and there's no dice. And maybe there's no universe.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

It's funny -- you described my life almost perfectly (I.E.: Kids,
business, wife, billion-hour work-weeks, no time) -- yet we fly a couple
of times per week.

How much would you have flown if your wife didn't go up with you?

Which begs the question: How can you be married to someone with whom you
can't share the passion for flight?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Which begs the question: How can you be married to someone with whom you
can't share the passion for flight?

This of course reminds me of the oldie... "I had to choose between my
wife and my airplane. Gee, I'm going to miss her."

As to your question, very easily. Did you get married before you
learned to fly? What happens if you get bitten =afterwards=? How
powerful is love? Maybe she'll fly too (it's been known to happen)...

Jose
--
Quantum Mechanics is like this: God =does= play dice with the universe,
except there's no God, and there's no dice. And maybe there's no universe.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:qudMe.253023$x96.6077@attbi_s72...
Which begs the question: How can you be married to someone with whom you
can't share the passion for flight?

Why does it beg the question? Lots of people have spouses who don't share
every one of their passions (including the passion of flying), and they have
long and happy marriages too.

As usual, you continue to make the mistake of thinking that everyone is just
like you, and should live their lives just like you live yours. IMHO, this
is what's wrong with your political outlook, and it's what's wrong with your
opinions about who is or is not a pilot and why.

It's true, there's a lot of similarities from one human being to another.
But there are numerous differences as well, some quite dramatic. And they
are simply differences; not good, not bad, just different.

Pete

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:qudMe.253023$x96.6077@attbi_s72...
How much would you have flown if your wife didn't go up with you?

Which begs the question: How can you be married to someone with whom you
can't share the passion for flight?

WANTED: Looking for a woman with a plane of any age -- woman must be over
18. Please send picture of plane.

"Jay Honeck" wrote:
It's funny -- you described my life almost perfectly (I.E.: Kids,
business, wife, billion-hour work-weeks, no time) -- yet we fly a
couple of times per week.

How much would you have flown if your wife didn't go up with you?

Which begs the question: How can you be married to someone with whom
you can't share the passion for flight?

Light aircraft owner/pilots are very rare birds; those with spouses who
like to fly are vanishingly scarce.

You have hit on a prime reason why more families don't fly: most women
actively dislike the activity. The don''t like the noise, they don't
like the cramped quarters, they don't like wearing headsets, they don't
like all the tech-y stuff, and they resent the large bite it takes out
of discretionary funds. Most of all, it frightens them: they understand
that it is dangerous, and, since any personal gratification they get
from their partner's flying is minimal, their enthusiasm for it is
understandably nil.

Your situation is extremely unusual, Jay. You know this, of course, so
one might almost think you are simply bragging.

--
Dan
C172RG at BFM

On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 03:57:10 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

Which begs the question: How can you be married to someone with whom you
can't share the passion for flight?

My wife becomes, or can become physically ill in several ways when
flying. Is it no surprise flying isn't her favorite thing to do? Yet
she encouraged me to get my license knowing that she would not be able
to participate much. She also hasn't discouraged my efforts at
building an airplane and in return I tried hard not to ignor the
family while building.

But since she really doesn't want to go places in a small airplane and
barely tolerates flying in the big busses, I'm wondering why I'm
building now.

The weather prevents flying on numerous days around here and even when
it's benign, it's often so hazy that flying isn't much fun. Getting
instrument rated is out of the question because it's too expensive and
I would have to rent that much more to stay current, all to fly in
weather that's no fun flying in anyway, or at least no fun for the
passengers.

So perhaps the sport ticket is the way to go, at least for me anyway.
I'd like to finish the homebuilt, but the cost of finishing it is
beginning to look daunting.

Corky Scott

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:qudMe.253023$x96.6077@attbi_s72...
Which begs the question: How can you be married to someone with whom you
can't share the passion for flight?

Because if you marry the right person, you don't HAVE to have similar
interests to get along. One reason I love my wife so much is that she
supports my love of flying despite the fact that it's not her "thing".

Also, there are marriages where guys relish activities that don't include
the wife or family. It is their territory and a place to escape to. Golf
comes to mind...Did you ever see the episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond"
where Deborah wants to do more things with Ray? "We don't do anything
together", she would say. So she suggested that she take up golf so that
they could play together. Ray was too scared to tell her the truth, that
this was his "territorial escape", so he went along with it. They are at
each other's throats when they reach the clubhouse. It's hilarious!

I have to say that I have really enjoyed reading this thread. In another
thread I expressed my ambivalence toward aviation because of how it doesn't
seem to be as family friendly as other pursuits. I have been struggling with
this tug between my family and flying and it has been good to hear others
expressing similar struggles with flying.

Flying is a complex, demanding, expensive avocation. As such, it's bound to
have severe attrition due to these factors. My personal account: I am now
just getting back into flying after about a 6 month hiatus. My father died
in March and I am the executor of his will. Flying was not the thing to be
doing during this time. I am just getting to the point where it has appeal
again because while I was grieving and settling family issues and talking
with lawyers and digging through the house that my parents built and arguing
with my brother and grieving some more, the thought of doing something
demanding to relax didn't seem right.

People's lives will change and sometimes aviation doesn't fit anymore. It
can be sad for us pilots to watch this happen from the outside, but we have
to remember that it's THEIR decision and it's best for THEM. Who are we to
judge their feelings about aviation and their reasons for giving it up?
There are times when being judgemental is required, but in my opinion, this
isn't one of them.

I have a friend who got severely lost during a cross country during his
training. Scared him to death and he quit once he got back on the ground. He
emails me pictures of planes all the time. He goes to air shows more than I
do. For him, aviation is very interesting, but not something he wants to DO.
He is the exception I would guess, the person who left flying for one,
singular reason. I suspect that for most folks, aviation dies a slow death,
suffocated by outside circumstances.

How to keep people in the fold? Get to 'em early. Take kids flying if they
want to. Let kids get into the cockpit and make noises. I think that there
is a aura around lots of airports that keeps people away, especially the
young ones. We need to be casual and accomodating about our flying so that
it's not so threatening or unapproachable.

-Trent
PP-ASEL

Jay Honeck wrote:
Which begs the question: How can you be married to someone with whom you
can't share the passion for flight?

Opposites attract, perhaps... Grace recognizes the fact that I'm an
adrenaline junkie and is willing to indulge me in it as long as she
doesn't have to participate... Thus, my 4-seat aircraft usually has 3
seats unoccupied... Oh well, at least that means I don't have to stop
ever hour to two because of certain passengers who have bladder
capacities of a thimble... All in all, our relationship is definitely
not the Ozzie & Harriet type of one... The things that she likes to do,
I hate... The things that I like to do, she hates... I think that since
she couldn't find "Mr. Right", she decided to settle for "Mr. He'll
Do"...

Jay Honeck wrote:

It's funny -- you described my life almost perfectly (I.E.: Kids,
business, wife, billion-hour work-weeks, no time) -- yet we fly a couple
of times per week.

How much would you have flown if your wife didn't go up with you?


Which begs the question: How can you be married to someone with whom you
can't share the passion for flight?

Fortunately, I was motorcycling, flying and shooting before I was
married. Some folks get married before getting hooked on flying. I
don't think that you would seriously suggest that someone get divorced
simply because their spouse doesn't share their newly acquired thrill.


Matt