I don’t know about you but sometimes it is a curse. I get on something curious and it even bugs me in my sleep. I just have to know more... It is like a treasure hunt. :)
As for skills, I don’t know why the old middle ages tradition of only being allowed to “have one trade skill” still lingers. We live in a world where the only thing holding us back from self teaching ourselves many different skills is our own time and effort and many times it is free. You do not have to go to formal school, pay out the nose, and get a paper to get good at something on your own for yourself. Not having paper does not mean you are not allowed to be very good at something you like. Just like learning how to build something for yourself personally instead of buying it is absolutely acceptable and legal despite proprietary claims.
That peer control is pressured onto us by society. “Someday I will take a class and learn more”, Why? Everything you want to know about it is online for free, just dedicate time and research it in depth until you have learned it well. If you are not trying to get hired on somewhere and just doing it for yourself no paper is required at all... There is no law against expanding your own knowledge base and learning multiple skills or being well versed in many different interests...
But I wouldn’t recommend buying an airplane and then try to teach yourself how to fly it... I actually watched a guy with money do that one time. Believe it or not he did teach himself how to fly and lived through it but was busted and grounded for life. So of course there are a few limitations to this concept of self instruction but very few.
But at the same time there is nothing to prevent one from learning everything they can about flight physics and flying if they are interested in flight. It is free prerequisite knowledge towards maybe taking lessons someday and getting a license if you really want to. Making the personal extra effort is already a huge step ahead by understanding what flight is and how aircraft work or even if it is just to understand how the shape of bird wings allow them to glide and soar...
Exactly.
But I wouldn’t recommend buying an airplane and then try to teach yourself how to fly it... I actually watched a guy with money do that one time. Believe it or not he did teach himself how to fly and lived through it but was busted and grounded for life.
All the original pilots learned that way. Of course it is my understanding you can fly "experimental" aircraft without a license so long as it is less that 500 some odd pounds of weight.
There are a lot of kit planes out there that fit these specs and it has been a subject for which I have had some interest for some time. I've actually thought about buying one of these and and flying it.
I have actually gone through the flight training school and I got my paper certificate, but I have never racked up enough flying hours to get my actual license. Back when I was doing it, it was hard to schedule an instructor and a rental at the same time.