Hobbies are incredibly fun and can add a lot of value to a person’s life. It’s no wonder that people love investing time in their interests and want to become better at them. Some folks even turn their hobbies into jobs, but for most people, that isn’t the case.

A woman tried explaining that to her husband, but he could not accept that spending hours on his leisurely pursuit did not make him an expert. He reached out to netizens, thinking they’d back him up, only to be put in his place.

More info: Reddit

Husband thinks that his simulated flying hobby can match up to a real pilot’s knowledge, is shocked and mad when wife disagrees with him

Image credits: Kristopher Allison (not the actual photo)

The poster said that he and his wife had been together for 5 years and never had any problems but that her recent actions made him reconsider the “health” of their relationship

Image credits: ThisIsEngineering (not the actual photo)

The problem arose when his wife introduced him to her coworker as a food chain manager, even though the poster wanted to be known as a pilot because of his hobby

Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)

The husband told netizens that he was a passionate aviation enthusiast who had never flown a plane but had invested countless hours and dollars into his hobby

Image credits: Olavi Anttila (not the actual photo)

The man considered himself adept or more knowledgeable than the average pilot, so he was angry that his wife refused to acknowledge his skills

Image credits: Substantial_Wheel999

This issue caused a big argument between the couple, and the wife had to sleep on the couch because her husband felt disrespected by her behavior

The Original Poster (OP) is obviously very passionate about his hobby. He shared that he studied flight textbooks, built an A330 setup, spent over 500 hours using flight simulator gear, and invested thousands of dollars into his interest. All of those experiences made him believe that he had better skills and knowledge than an average pilot.

To learn more about hobbyists who use simulators or RCs, Bored Panda contacted Two Brothers Radio Control (TBRC). TBRC is a source for in-depth reviews on flying model aircrafts, what to expect when buying a new aircraft, and tutorials on how to fly RC planes.

TBRC explained that “flying full-scale versus model-scale isn’t terribly different. It’s actually easier to fly full-scale since you’re in the aircraft itself and have a whole suite of instruments to work with, plus you can see where the trees and other obstacles are from the cockpit. Flying line of sight with a transmitter is significantly more difficult, and requires knowing how to orient your aircraft from the ground in any direction it happens to be flying in.”

“Simulator practice is not too different from flying full-scale aircrafts. Every airliner pilot has gone through quite a bit of flight simulator training as part of their ongoing education, though the kind of simulators used for training full-scale pilots is significantly more complex and far more immersive than your average hobbyist’s equipment in their home office,” TBRC shared.

Pilots also state that flight simulators are useful for giving people an immersive experience of flying a plane. These devices can mimic weather patterns, turbulence, crosswinds, and other phenomena. They’re also a great way to enhance one’s skills and build confidence.

The only problem is that a simulator is not a substitute for practical knowledge. Experts say that although the visual and auditory experiences are highly realistic, the physical sensations often fall short. That’s why pilots need to get Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval before logging certain flight simulator hours as part of training.

According to Flight Training Central, “controls in many simulators are light and typically not adjustable, nor do they change as aerodynamic forces change. And landings? Simulators are not good for teaching landings. There’s many reasons for this, including control feedback, sight picture, sound, etc.” So the OP was way off base when he tried comparing his virtual experience to what a real pilot does.

Image credits: Timur Weber (not the actual photo)

The man took such offense to his wife, saying that he was a fast food chain manager instead of a pilot, that he threw a tantrum when they were going home. He explained that he was insecure about his job and liked being introduced based on his hobby. But his wife stood her ground and told him that he didn’t deserve that professional title.

Even when it comes to resumes, it isn’t common to count a hobby as professional experience. Career coaches explain that private hobbies may help a person develop some skills relevant to a particular job, but they cannot be considered proper work experience. So, it’s baffling why the poster thought that his hobby somehow made him an expert pilot.

Many netizens were shocked when the OP said that just because he didn’t have the title or an overpriced piece of paper, it didn’t mean that he wasn’t qualified. But that’s exactly what it means. Plus, he had never even flown a real plane! We think if he spent as much time getting an actual pilot’s credentials as he did using flight simulators, he’d have nothing to worry about.

Many folks’ lives would probably improve if they could become experts as easily as this guy believed it could be done. If all of the angry and confused comments from Redditors aren’t enough to give the poster a reality check, hopefully, he’ll meet a real pilot who will help him get his head out of the clouds.

If logging 500+ hours into a hobby makes you an expert, what are you an expert at?

Many folks hoped the man was trolling because they couldn’t believe that anyone was so delusional

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