Well, why don't we? Besides the engineering and regulatory difficulties involved with everyone being able to get in their cars and fly to Whole Foods (can you imagine that parking lot?), there is also a damned steep learning curve in learning how to safely operate within the laws of aerodynamics and keep the FAA happy.
The Superior Pilot
The truth is, nearly anyone can fly an airplane with a couple hours of practice. Tooling around in good weather is easy once you figure out what the controls do. It's so basic that even cheeky teenagers can figure it out on the go. But flying around in good weather is the equivalent of driving around an empty parking lot. Just as being a good driver requires much more than just knowing which pedal does what, the ability to perform basic maneuvers is only a starting point toward becoming a good pilot. The lion's share of piloting lays in knowledge, experience, and especially, good judgement.
My wife's dedication in my logbook sums it up nicely --
"The superior pilot uses his superior judgement to avoid situations that would require his superior skill."
Hitting the Books
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| That's just for starters. |
I'm no stranger to self-motivated study. I earned a college degree (Dean's list every semester), I've taught myself the basics of foreign languages, the basics of calculus, orbital mechanics, engine mechanics, and amplifier design and repair. Learning to fly is by FAR the most involved and consistently challenging endeavor I've attempted. When I get my home after an intense lesson, I'm so overwhelmed with new information that I can barely keep my eyes open.
Weather, navigation, engine management, emergency procedures, FAA regulations, radio protocol, pre-flight, checklists, more regulations, more aeronautics, more radio protocol, checklists, keep your eyes on the attitude indicator dammit, head in the game, is it too cloudy to fly?, the runway is heading 280 and the wind is 230 at 15, is that too much of a crosswind component? Acronyms. Mnemonics. What was that noise? ah, nothing. heading, dipshit. She said 340, not 345. Traffic at 10 o'clock level Piper Cherokee, looking....we have traffic no factor. Checklists. ok call NorCal approach, wait where are we? Who are we? What am I doing? This is not my beautiful house... More acronyms. More checklists. Head to Mormon temple then the coliseum for right downwind on 28R. Enter the pattern 1000' feet agl. Watch your airspeed, watch the mixture, watch that idiot who's bounced halfway down your runway and will probably need a go-around. 757JD you are number two for landing behind the Citation eight miles out on final, caution wake turbulence, I will call your base. Watch your speed and pitch. Sinking, add a bit more power. Did I run that checklist? Oh well too late now. Landed and parked. Breathe.
Most people are so lousy at splitting their attention between driving a car and talking on a phone that laws have been passed to prevent it. Flying an airplane requires a pilot to split their attention between three or four things at a time. It's exhausting. Can you imagine if that idiot who cut you off on the freeway because they were too busy texting was instead attempting to fly 3,000 pounds of aluminum at 150mph, while texting?
Weather, navigation, engine management, emergency procedures, FAA regulations, radio protocol, pre-flight, checklists, more regulations, more aeronautics, more radio protocol, checklists, keep your eyes on the attitude indicator dammit, head in the game, is it too cloudy to fly?, the runway is heading 280 and the wind is 230 at 15, is that too much of a crosswind component? Acronyms. Mnemonics. What was that noise? ah, nothing. heading, dipshit. She said 340, not 345. Traffic at 10 o'clock level Piper Cherokee, looking....we have traffic no factor. Checklists. ok call NorCal approach, wait where are we? Who are we? What am I doing? This is not my beautiful house... More acronyms. More checklists. Head to Mormon temple then the coliseum for right downwind on 28R. Enter the pattern 1000' feet agl. Watch your airspeed, watch the mixture, watch that idiot who's bounced halfway down your runway and will probably need a go-around. 757JD you are number two for landing behind the Citation eight miles out on final, caution wake turbulence, I will call your base. Watch your speed and pitch. Sinking, add a bit more power. Did I run that checklist? Oh well too late now. Landed and parked. Breathe.
Most people are so lousy at splitting their attention between driving a car and talking on a phone that laws have been passed to prevent it. Flying an airplane requires a pilot to split their attention between three or four things at a time. It's exhausting. Can you imagine if that idiot who cut you off on the freeway because they were too busy texting was instead attempting to fly 3,000 pounds of aluminum at 150mph, while texting?
Do you still want your flying car?
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