I've got a little over 1,000 hours in both gliders and light GA.

Soaring was for the challenge and the camaraderie- first staying up (and
talking about it), then going somewhere (and talking about it), then
going somewhere fast (and talking about)... and landing in unexpected
locations (and talking about it).

Sailplane racing is a peak experience - like sailing in 3D.

Light plane flying has been a traveling experience. Living with your
plane means the car often never leaves the driveway for several weekends
at a time. Even with a relatively slow plane, we can go at least twice
as fast as a car to almost any destination 1+ flight hour away. Few
destinations are aviation related. The southeastern US has become our
playground and extended neighborhood.

But having a destination and a desired schedule is also a great
challenge. That led to an IFR ticket and a fair amount of use. Trying
to get there, when you want, despite the weather, is very satisfying and
humbling.

And now I have about 900 hours of building time on an RV10. Another
great challenge. Try it if you can.

Tony wrote:
I've checked my log book, and it looks like almost all of my flights
are XC of one sort or another. That is, the airplane is pretty much
used the way I use my car. It's a convenient way to make a trip that's
a few hundred to a thousand miles long. Not all of the trips are
necessary (just as not all of the car trips I make are necessary,
either). Very few flight legs terminate at the same airport as where
the flight started.

If you're a fairly experienced pilot -- say 300 plus hours -- what is
your usage profile like?

My sense, and it could be very wrong, is that we use GA as a tool:
there's no doubt we like flying, and probably like me you're happy to
be flying, but you have other things to do when you land. For instance,
a typical non-business flight for me to Nantucket Island (off Cape
Cod, MA, USA) and that brings back memories of cobblestone streets and
flowers in gardens behind fences, rather than the CAVU conditions of
the flight. It might bring back different memories if required an
approach to minimums in fog, but that would be the exception.

I expect glider pilots will have a different take -- as best I can
tell, that tribe makes no excuses, they fly for the sole pleasure of
flying.