Space pilot: an introduction to amateur flight simulation

摘要

Life in twenty-first-century societies is complex, interdependent and changeable. Taking this consideration as its starting point, this article examines how spatial analysis comprehends this fluidity. With the theoretical emphasis on Henri Lefebvre, I look to examine how the classic triadic model of lived, conceived and perceived space can be updated to include those areas of space whereby society is in a state of flux, manifested by the apparently indiscernible switches between a variety of spaces. The constant movement and habitation of a multitude of spaces, I call “trans-space”. Expanding upon this, the article argues that a revision of Lefebvre's typology should include “digital” and “enchanted” space to allow for a more nuanced comprehension of how space interrelates. This model is then applied to the ethnographic study of an amateur flight simulator, showing how individuals transfer between spaces, how spaces act when they are brought together and how they simultaneously complement and resist one another.