Journey of a hobby flier in the Asian context.

priAviate Team
May 17
4 min read

the emotional connection

Pilot stands confidently beside a small white aircraft on a runway. Text: "Journey of a Hobby Flier in Asian Context." Mood is aspirational.

The journey of a hobby flier usually starts with an aspiration to become a commercial pilot. The obvious reason is exposure to airline pilots during traveling in childhood days. Since at that stage we are not aware of flying options, the only way we find is to become an airline pilot. As we move up the teenage, rational decisions are made and interest for aviation is overtaken by more viable career choices and academic interest. However, flying is not a profession per se, it is love of lifetime. A love that we keep close and preserve it, nurture it and wait for a right time to realize this love and do something tangible about it. While exposure is surely more in western world with countries of north America, Europe and Oceania. Asian countries are now catching up on more emotional form of aviation in addition to commercial aviation. Not all childhood hobby fliers are able to manifest their dream. We will discuss about it later in this Blog.

| flying is not a profession per se, it is love of lifetime |

| Rational Phase

As adolescence transitions into adulthood, rational thinking naturally begins to dominate. Parents and surrounding people influence us to consider a more futuristic options of that time. This result in becoming more competitive and join a race towards a career. Flying is not always a viable professional career, or I would say not a viable career for everyone. Also, commercial aviation is volatile that gets impacted with changing financial landscape of the world. Airline shutdowns, higher fuel prices, tough market conditions and the like. This makes it difficult to ascertain a stable career in this field, specifically as a pilot as investment stakes are high.

With professional courses followed by a job or family businesses, reward you with remuneration or I would say a handsome remuneration, the love for aviation become more like a forgotten love. Enjoying the empowered life with social outcomes keep this phase for a good amount of time.

| Responsibility Phase

As rational phase makes you empowered and a responsible human being who takes care of associated duties and self-sustained, responsibility phase kicks in. Start of a family and/or new projects at work to go next level and standout among peers is the choice of most of us. This phase is loaded with aspirations, efforts and calculations. The phase may last for few years or may be over a decade till the time; we find something missing in our life or simply a hole in life. Some may call this midlife crisis when you have more or less everything you desired for, still there is a missing piece feeling. Some of us may realize that a love for aviation is somewhere parked for long time and may be its time to make an effort to live this.

| Exploration Phase

Realisation naturally leads to exploration where we mine on possibilities to live the Aviation love. This stage is not always easy to navigate, particularly within the Asian context. I would say not many are able to cross this successfully. Reason for giving up is lack of conducive ecosystem giving the experience you desire or deserve. There are multiple reasons for lacking ecosystems.

Stringent regulatory: present regulatory bodies lack vision for hobby flying requirements. They make regulations for commercial airlines and somewhere that remains their definition of aviation. When it comes to general aviation, their focus again sticks to turboprop & private jets. The learn to fly as a hobby is left to same flight school ecosystem that is busy making airline pilots.
Flight school mindset: The flight schools main business remains with training for commercial pilots and their mindset is made according to that. It's not that private pilots are not made at all. However, the number is miniscule as the ecosystem pushback aspirants.

priAviate is working in this space to make your journey to live aviation into an enriching & fulfilling experience. We do not entertain everyone; we exist for aspiring hobby fliers who wish to take this step to meet their love of life.

| priAviate exist for aspiring hobby fliers |

| Realization of Life above ground

Those who are able to initiate the private pilot journey gets a rebirth with enhanced perception and fulfilment. New friends are made who share the same feeling of teenage craving. The experience is enriched beyond flying with a new community and phase of life. While initial days dual flying with instructor is beautiful, solo flying is like finding a new me. A Euphoria feeling that blend excitement, fulfilment and accomplishment alongside coordinated meditation. priAviate welcome those who are in pursuit of this feeling.

| Solo Flying is like finding a New Me |

Somewhere someday you will realize after commencement of private pilot flying that it was blessing in disguise that you didn’t opt to marry aviation rather kept it as lifetime love. That doesn’t fade or evaporate, it flourishes with time and make you feel alive every time you are at airfield.