Any preconceived notions about aviation/GA?

iWantWings

iWantWings

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I grew up in a place where "general aviation" did not exist; if there was anything that flew, it was either military or commercial. Aviation seemed something totally out of touch and so I had these preconceived notions about pilots and aviation.

First, I was certain that a pilot was someone who was really good at physics, like Newtonian/classical mechanics. Math, I taught, something else that a pilot would have to excell at.

Then there was the health factor: pilots would have to have perfect vision, a "perfect" heart and just in very good physical shape.

And then the only way one would learn to fly was... in the military ;)

All pilots were also skydivers :rofl:

The planes, I taught, would all be "high-tech" with lots of enunciators, indicators, red, green and blue lights...

I also thaught that Pilots, you see, were the coolest people :D

So even though some of those preconceived notions were kind of infantile, I was convinced they were "the truth" for a preeetty long time...
 
Well, ONE thing you thought was absolutely true. Pilots, you see, really are the coolest people. :)
 
I agree. I've not yet met one pilot who I don't view as being the coolest person.
 
iWantWings said:
I grew up in a place where "general aviation" did not exist; if there was anything that flew, it was either military or commercial. Aviation seemed something totally out of touch and so I had these preconceived notions about pilots and aviation.

First, I was certain that a pilot was someone who was really good at physics, like Newtonian/classical mechanics. Math, I taught, something else that a pilot would have to excell at.

Then there was the health factor: pilots would have to have perfect vision, a "perfect" heart and just in very good physical shape.

And then the only way one would learn to fly was... in the military ;)

All pilots were also skydivers :rofl:

The planes, I taught, would all be "high-tech" with lots of enunciators, indicators, red, green and blue lights...

I also thaught that Pilots, you see, were the coolest people :D

So even though some of those preconceived notions were kind of infantile, I was convinced they were "the truth" for a preeetty long time...
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That's actually the majority of the world. Where is this of which you speak?
 
And women cannot fly planes. Even Amelia was really only a passenger.
 
Threefingeredjack said:
Well..if you want to learn to fly correctly...... :stirpot: :happydance:
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Tweet! Foul! Hey, the aircraft has been mostly re-usable after every one of my landings. Can everyone trained in the military honestly claim the same?

I rest my case...
 
Military guys are great!

...at putting ordinance on station. Flying IMC, dealing with CRM, understanding the necessity of profit, living with a budget, understanding they can't afford a new King Air, and realizing 1,200 hours isn't that much...well, not so much.
 
Clark1961 said:
Tweet! Foul! Hey, the aircraft has been mostly re-usable after every one of my landings. Can everyone trained in the military honestly claim the same?

I rest my case...
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Yes for me. Although I got my PPL in high school, but I didn't realize that I really didn't know jack about flying till much further into my mil career. So which am I a product of? I'm not sure, but Clark- they have all been reusable (so far). :)
 
Captain said:
Military guys are great!

...at putting ordinance on station. Flying IMC, dealing with CRM, understanding the necessity of profit, living with a budget, understanding they can't afford a new King Air, and realizing 1,200 hours isn't that much...well, not so much.
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So which part of that isn't true? I think we get all of that except the profit thing. At least that's the only one I'm not super familiar with, however there is a lot in mil flying that is similar to balancing profit margin.
 
Captain said:
Military guys are great!

...at putting ordinance on station. Never done it. :dunno:

Flying IMC, REALLY? You sure you want to go there?? :D

dealing with CRM, Oh, you mean like holding a hover over a boat in the dark with no discernible horizon and maneuvering specific numbers of feet by verbal command from the guy running the hoist in back??? :D

realizing 1,200 hours isn't that much. Well it isn't is it???
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:rofl:
 
Threefingeredjack said:
:rofl:
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When you respond inside my quote it doesn't leave much to quote.


I'd say the military has many different types of flying and my laundry list is drawn from across the full spectrum. Fighter jocks are typically weak at CRM and IMC, heavy guys struggle with efficiency, reserve with currency, ect. As to 1,200 being a lot of time, ever notice those 'Total time modification' tables airlines use so y'all can compete for the job?

I'm not bashing the military. I'm not. But let's be honest here.

I was recently talking to a reserve pilot in an FBO. He was asking about the industry and casually dropped that he was getting out soon. He said he was planning on buying a plane of his own. "Not one of those 'single prop jobs'" he proclaimed. "I'll get at least a twin...like a King Air".

I informed him I could GIVE him a King Air and he couldn't afford to own it.
 
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EvilEagle said:
Yes for me. Although I got my PPL in high school, but I didn't realize that I really didn't know jack about flying till much further into my mil career. So which am I a product of? I'm not sure, but Clark- they have all been reusable (so far). :)
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ya got me beat...I'm in the mostly re-useable category. I had a broken nose gear structure once. I think it was caused by ground handling but can't prove it so I got to pay for it.
 
Captain said:
When you respond inside my quote it doesn't leave much to quote.
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My bad. I haven't figured out how to parse the quotes yet.

I know nothing about commercial transport flying or the challenges you guys face. ( no chocolates on the pillow at the DoubleTree, a loose thread on the epaulette, etc. :D) The CRM point when applied to single seaters is valid I would suppose, but can't speak to that specifically. Not sure what you mean by "efficiency" when speaking about "heavy guys". But I never flew anything considered as "heavy" as the 130H was max gross at 175k. I do know for a fact that the mindset is totally different, and a lot of guys I flew with had no business sense whatsoever.

As far as the "King Air guy" goes.....my face reddens as I recall getting hot and bothered over a MU-2 until I began to run the numbers. :D
 
iWantWings said:
I grew up in a place where "general aviation" did not exist; if there was anything that flew, it was either military or commercial.
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When I was growing up I knew GA existed but I only thought of it as something people did for recreation. I never imagined making a living at it.
 
Captain said:
I'd say the military has many different types of flying and my laundry list is drawn from across the full spectrum. Fighter jocks are typically weak at CRM and IMC, heavy guys struggle with efficiency, reserve with currency, ect. As to 1,200 being a lot of time, ever notice those 'Total time modification' tables airlines use so y'all can compete for the job?

I'm not bashing the military. I'm not. But let's be honest here.
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Those are some pretty bold generalizations there. Tell me I'm a weak ifr pilot when I'm a mile behind the boat on a black night at 440' without fuel for another pass, and my existence depends on finding an on and on start when I do break out......no room for not being 100% on the numbers right there. And as for CRM, yeah agreed that I don't know what to do with another crew member in my jet, but you had better bet we exercise CRM during emergencies between aircraft....ie one guy is a book reader/general SA builder while the other guy flies the aircraft. Not so different from what the crewed guys do, even if it takes place on the radio.

Lol at the reservist guy wanting a king air though.....I hope he is a surgeon in his day job or something :)
 
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