Your Hobby—That Great “Little Freedom”

The world of hobbies is endless, and flying is the best thing for me. So—living right in the approach path of the Dübendorf airfield—I’d always prefer the rich sound and sleek flight profile of a couple of F/A-18 squadrons to the robotic Muppet Show of all the Madonnas in the world. Well, everyone has a different idea of what a “hobby” is. When it comes to careers and work, it’s much clearer what’s meant by the term. Hobbies aren’t usually cheap. Depending on the situation, they can be made more expensive or less expensive. Building things yourself isn’t always cheaper. High-tech—even where simpler options exist—but still. Stripping the tail rotor off your expensive helicopter twenty times can soon add up to the cost of a beautiful gas turbine jet. When spoiled kids fly their planes to pieces doing nothing but nonsense and keep getting them replaced, it’s their own fault—I mean the parents’. The hobby is just a “little freedom.” Your social circle, your family, your wallet, and your professional commitments all play a role. If you fly model aircraft on the grounds of a model flying club, you’ll have to learn to live with additional influences and restrictions. If you turn your model flying hobby into a sport and compete in contests, you have even less autonomy: You submit unconditionally to the prevailing conventions—as laid out in the rules. It gets even worse: You also have to accept decisions made by officials whom you believe are complete idiots. Because even in so-called elite sports, opinions diverge diametrically: While some judge the weather to be “flyable,” others think they’re crazy—after all, we’re just pursuing a hobby! My conclusion: You try to fit your hobby into your life in such a way that, for you personally, the definition of “hobby” strikes a balance between social obligations and a “little freedom.” I wish you the best of luck with this and the strength to never give up.

With warm regards
, Your Editor
Emil Ch. Giezendanner