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I pretty much grew up in the right seat of small airplanes. My dad was the pilot in the family. Even back then (1950s & 1960s) I didn't care for all the restrictions. Start up your airplane, get on the radio and ask for permission to taxi. Taxi to the runway, change radio frequencies and ask permission to take off. Get in the air, change frequencies again and yak with the folks at departure control. Lot's of "controlling" going on there.
Another aspect I saw as negative was how expensive it was to own, maintain, and fly a small airplane, these days it would be even more outrageous.
About 10 years ago my dad did something really stupid and crashed his plane on takeoff. He never has understood why I was not interested in helping him fix it up as it stood to be a part of my inheritance. Well, truth is, he had no business flying at his age and, this is the bigger part, I don't want the damn thing! About two years ago he finally got around to selling the pieces of it and I'm glad it's gone from the family.
My passion as far as transportation goes is motorcycles, something he doesn't understand. (Reason why is when he was young he did something really stupid with a motorcycle and got hurt badly.) I get just as much enjoyment and satisfaction arriving safely at my destination at the end of a 500 mile day ride on my motorcycle as I ever got in an airplane.
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