Flying vs. Sailing

[DRFerron]

Are the two really that similar? I mean, with the obvious difference that if I fall out of my boat I have a fighting chance of survival.

But I see several posts where the introduction starts out "I used to fly, gas is too expensive, now I want to sail." I get the similarity between how the wind powers a sail and a wing, etc. but beyond that, do those who fly really find the same satisfaction from sailing? Or, are you just settling until gas prices stabilize?

Just curious.

[sailak]

For the most part, yes I get as much out of sailing as I did flying.

I had always said that once I got to old and slow to fly I would buy a sailboat....the Feds made the decision for me.

I used the airplane to go places I couldn't get by other means.... now I do that with the boat.

A smoking 8 knot reach has about the same "hair on fire" rating as rolling the airplane upside down so things work out fairly well.

[jerryrlitton]

What Dale said except I still fly. sail when I can and find them very similar.

Jerry

[rwy36]

Although I'm currently in the "used-to-fly" category, I have both flown and sailed on and off for several years (fortunately, I'm still sailing). Here's a couple of the comparisons I've noted along the way (although not all are specific to just sailing, but also boating in general):

1) Groundspeed vs. SOG: effects of wind on planes vs. effects of wind and currents on boats are in difference magnitudes and use the same calculations
2) Landing airplanes vs. docking boats: lots of similarities, especially the "crosswind" landing/docking scenarios
3) Air turbulence vs. water turbulence: either will provide a bumpy ride for the respective voyagers
4) Air vs. sea navigation: the time/distance scales are different, but the calculations are the same (with GPS being the Great Equalizer most recently).

Although I was never rated in gliders, it would seem that case might offer a more direct comparisons to sailing in some ways.

Take care,

Bill

[DRFerron]

Thanks for your replies. From this forum and others, I sometimes get the impression that pilots who are no longer able (for whatever reason) to fly will "settle" for sailing as if sailing is equivalent to power walking when one can no longer do the 800M hurdles or something.

I'm glad I'm wrong.

[TQA]

I used to fly hang gliders pretty seriously and found high performance dinghy sailing/wind surfing to have some crossover. I flew pretty intensively in my 30s went cruising for 7 years in my 40s, flew sporadically to my mid 50s and now liveaboard in retirement in my 60s.

I would love to have a foiler Moth to tinker with but suspect that a beach cat might be more practical. However perhaps a kite surfer..........???

Oh yes had I ever fallen out of my hang glider I would have found out if my chute worked.

[MikeWhy]

They're not at all the same. The views enroute are considerably different. Single engine land is appropriate for exploring the continent's interior, but crossing large bodies of water is the province of blue water cruisers. They are somewhat similar in that you can reach, and spend time in out of the way places, places you might not otherwise see or experience. Mostly, I think think they're comparable only in the price of the toys.

[sailak]

Originally Posted by rwy36

4) Air vs. sea navigation: the time/distance scales are different, but the calculations are the same (with GPS being the Great Equalizer most recently).

Nice thing is at 6 knots you don't get quite as lost as you do at 180 knots

[jimrafford]

Bill is right on w/ the glider comparison. I have a lot of hours in both a glider and a hang glider and you go thru the same thought processes as sailing. Except for the standing on a platform on the edge of a cliff w/ a big wing on you back and running off it thing.
Jim

[DRFerron]

Originally Posted by MikeWhy

They're not at all the same. The views enroute are considerably different. Single engine land is appropriate for exploring the continent's interior, but crossing large bodies of water is the province of blue water cruisers. They are somewhat similar in that you can reach, and spend time in out of the way places, places you might not otherwise see or experience. Mostly, I think think they're comparable only in the price of the toys.

I realize that one can sail where one may not be able to fly and vice versa, what I was thinking about when I asked the question was more along the lines of whether pilots have a perception of sailing as being less of a challenge than flying.