The aviation addiction disease

[SVA1181 56]

Hello,

 

I was 6 years old when I visited the airport (OLBA) for the first time, before that, it was very rare to see an aircraft in Beirut skies due to the civil war during that period. Anyway, the first one I saw was an MEA 707, and it was like magic, without any introductions, the disease spread in my blood!

 

Till this very specific moment, the addiction remains with the same intensity, therefore, I would like to know the scientific opinion of any psychiatric regarding this addiction.

 

I know that we are a rare breed here on planet earth, hundreds of millions like cars, diving, fishing, hunting, a lot of very common hobbies, but this one (aviation) is rare, i guess we will not exceed 2 millions, all over the world. So the question is why? Is it a hobby, or it is really an addiction?

 

I will throw some questions to the forum members, and let me know what is your answer:

 

1. How this addiction started and since when?

2. Your reaction when you see or hear an aircraft?

3. How many hours you spend on aviation related activities per week?

4. What if we don't have any simulation program, what you will do then? Do you imagine that the addiction will decrease?

5. Where do you classify your aviation hobby in comparison with your other hobbies?

 

Let me know your answers, and I will be glad to have a scientific clarification.

[shamrockflyer 647]

1. How this addiction started and since when?

2. Your reaction when you see or hear an aircraft?

3. How many hours you spend on aviation related activities per week?

4. What if we don't have any simulation program, what you will do then? Do you imagine that the addiction will decrease?

5. Where do you classify your aviation hobby in comparison with your other hobbies?

 

 

1. For me, my love for aviation, it started when I was a kid. Back in the day I would go out most weekends with my dad and spend the day at Manchester Airport plane spotting. There were quite a few rarity's sometimes, I remember when I first saw the Antonov 124. She sure was big! Also, the whole thrill of flying, It isn't the same as it used to be for obvious reasons,I remember as a kid going into the flight deck during pre-flight and after flights, now-a-days its pretty much impossible to get in. Its good to look back on those memories.

 

2. My reaction when I see or hear an aircraft: excitement, always love hearing the start-up of those engines, the sound of the aircraft powering up on takeoff. It just sends shivers down my spine.

 

3. I can't give a rough estimate, but I would say 10-12 hours a week on aviation related things. May be more.

 

4. I don't think its exactly an addiction. An addiction is when your constantly doing something and can't get enough of it. Ok, some of you may well be addicted to your simulator(s) but to me its just a hobby, I do spend more time than average on FSX when devs release new candy for us to eat.

 

5. I would classify my aviation hobby as the top one.

 

My cousin used to work out in Shannon Aerospace maintaining aircraft, he got me a pass one day to go around the hangar with him, it was an awesome experience not many can do. The hangar was pretty full at the time, there was an Austrian 767 in there, went on-board a German Wings A319, completely stripped of all its content, cabin was empty. I sat in the cockpit on a stool ^_^. There was also an SAS MD80 stripped.

[SVA1181 56]

1. For me, my love for aviation, it started when I was a kid. Back in the day I would go out most weekends with my dad and spend the day at Manchester Airport plane spotting. .

Same thing, I forgot to mention, that I used to ask my father for a trip to the airport each weekend, while most kids used to enjoy the lunapark at this age, for me the joy was in the airport. I still remember the first school trip to the airport as well, happy memories...

[FloG 148]

 

 

1. How this addiction started and since when?

For me, it was actually a very sad and traigc event, the AF447 accident, that had me interested in aviation, and that's when I got my first Flight Simulator, FS9, which I soonly replaced by FSX.

 

 

 

2. Your reaction when you see or hear an aircraft?

Two different reactions: Either annoyed when I hear the Bundesheer Eurofighters' thunder over my house, they're just too low there, or I think "How I'd love to be abroad that plane!", mainly when I visit my family on weekends, and I see the planes on final to LOWW.

 

 

 

3. How many hours you spend on aviation related activities per week?

Counting Avsim and simming together, probably 10 to 20 hours, but mainly more time on Avsim than really flying, because it's too time consuming, when I have to study for exams.

 

 

 

4. What if we don't have any simulation program, what you will do then? Do you imagine that the addiction will decrease?

I think I'd try to replace it with something else, but still aviation related - for example, I already enjoy books about flying, especially about the life of Bush Pilots.

 

 

 

5. Where do you classify your aviation hobby in comparison with your other hobbies?

I'd say it's somewhere in my top 5, but definitely not my #1 hobby,  because most people here think of Flight Simmers as nerds, and hence I'd always spend my simming time alone.