a writes:

I don't know any real life pilot who denies enjoying the visceral
sensations of flight: those are not felt in a desk chair.

I know airline pilots and some other pilots who enjoy mainly the precision and
procedures of flying. For example, they feel a strong sense of accomplishment
when breaking out of the clouds after a long flight in zero visibility to
discover the runway perfectly aligned in front of them. The physical
sensations are irrelevant; what is relevant is that they successfully flew
perfectly from departure to arrival without ever once being able to look out
the window.

Other airline pilots seem to get great satisfaction from being reliable in
their jobs as they transport people to and fro. For them, the greatest
compliment from a passenger would be that he forgot he was in an airplane.

Not everyone wants a roller-coaster ride.

This isn't limited to airplanes, either. I like precision and perfection in
both flying and driving. A nice side effect of this is that it makes me very
safe at both activities.