Our "friends" at USA Today

[JohnR]

Don't worry, David slew Goliath.

 

[CowboyPilot]

Don't worry, David slew Goliath.

Older I get, the more of an anarchist I become.

I tell the anti-gunners, "What the hell do I care what YOU think? I'm the one with the guns and who knows how to use them."

I tell the green wackos who hate boats and anything else that goes on the water, "What the hell do I care what YOU think? I'm the one with the boats--how you gonna come get me if you don't have a boat?"

And if it comes down to a General Aviation Luxury Tax (GALT), I'll end up telling "them," "What the hell do I care what YOU try to impose? I'll be the one running under the scud, flying from cotton patch to farm pasture and converting my airplanes to autogas. So kiss my ass!"

Just getting old and cranky, I reckon. Tired of this foolishness.

Regards.

-JD

 

[N7702Y]

Cowboy -- you stud! Good on you, mate!


Let's face it. The majority of journalists no nothing about that which they write. One day, Corey Lyttle, the next, a sale at Penney's. All they know is what they know. These days, sadly, personal opinion can be accepted as fact. The notion of "unbiased" reporting is ludicrous.

Most reporters know nothing of general aviation, other than that they are "little planes" that "didn't file a flight plan." The reporters don't have any idea what a flight plan is, merely that since one wasn't filed, it must mean the pilots did something wrong.

Personally, I think Phil Boyer can talk until his face is blue, but 600,000 pilots out of 300,000,000 is a drop in the bucket.

We have an uphill battle, my friends.

I think we (GA, however you define us) have more assets than we know. The fortune 500 companies are the ones that are really being targeted here. It is their Gulfstreams and Challengers and Falcons that will have the really big cost increase.

The airlines are making lots of noise to get their point across. The big guys at P&G or GE don't work that way on an issue like this one (although they do have Ed Bolen as a front man). They prefer to just say, out on the golf course or over lunch, "you know Senator, I really want to support your next campaign. By they way, I don't think this privatization thing is such a good idea. You agree, don't you?"

Besides that (and this is coming from a life long Republican), for the next two years, any proposal from the administration that isn't absolutely pure mom and apple pie is going to get hammered on Capital Hill just for general principal.

Jay

 

[Chache]

I'm not offended at all about being called an amateur pilot. That's what I am. I don't get paid to fly, so I'm not a professional. Ergo, I'm an amateur. From Dictionary.com:
1. a person who engages in a study, sport, or other activity for pleasure rather than for financial benefit or professional reasons. Compare professional

Many of the people on this board are amateur pilots. The rest are professional pilots. Many of the amateur pilots are better pilots than many of the professional pilots.


It has nothing to do with skill, just your paycheck.

Umm, Chris,
It has more meaning than just the first instance.....

• 1.following an occupation as a means of livelihood or for gain:

Perhaps you should reread your link,
before you profess your last statement...

None of the following items mention getting paid..

• *3), "appropriate to a profession"
• * 4), "engaged in one of the learned professions"
• *10), "a person who belongs to one of the professions, esp. one of the learned professions."

Is not flying, not a learned profession? See "Profess"

• *12), "an expert player, as of golf or tennis, serving as a teacher"

Ever show a buddy something you've learned?? You served as a teacher

• and *13), "a person who is expert at his or her work:"

Have you never heard of Cockpit Resource Management, and Pilot "WORKLOAD"?
Could the unlearned layman do your piloting job?

• To "profess" is:
• to lay claim to ;
• having declared publicly;
• to declare openly; announce or affirm;
• to avow or acknowledge;
• to declare oneself skilled or expert in;
• To practice as a profession or claim knowledge of

By definition, you have professed to being an amateur pilot.
Therefore you are a professional amateur, pilot.

 

[cwyckham]

Umm, Chris,
It has more meaning than just the first instance.....

• 1.following an occupation as a means of livelihood or for gain:

Perhaps you should reread your link,
before you profess your last statement...

None of the following items mention getting paid..

• *3), "appropriate to a profession"
• * 4), "engaged in one of the learned professions"
• *10), "a person who belongs to one of the professions, esp. one of the learned professions."

Is not flying, not a learned profession? See "Profess"

• *12), "an expert player, as of golf or tennis, serving as a teacher"

Ever show a buddy something you've learned?? You served as a teacher

• and *13), "a person who is expert at his or her work:"

Have you never heard of Cockpit Resource Management, and Pilot "WORKLOAD"?
Could the unlearned layman do your piloting job?

• To "profess" is:
• to lay claim to ;
• having declared publicly;
• to declare openly; announce or affirm;
• to avow or acknowledge;
• to declare oneself skilled or expert in;
• To practice as a profession or claim knowledge of

By definition, you have professed to being an amateur pilot.
Therefore you are a professional amateur, pilot.

I really don't understand why you guys are getting your panties in a bunch over this.

The english language is messy. Many words have multiple meanings. However, they don't have all the meanings at the same time. The correct meaning is taken from context. For example, I can think of at least three very distinct meanings for the word '*****'. Which meaning I choose in any given instance is given by the context.

In this particular context, it was clear to me that the author meant "unpaid" pilot. The word was used correctly, and I don't think any negative connotations were implied. No offense was meant, and I didn't see any reason why I would take any offense. If you guys all want to get in a tizzy about it, fill your boots.

Chris

 

[Chache]

I really don't understand why you guys are getting your panties in a bunch over this.


Chris

Nah! No bunched panties....Just messin with your head, for giggles....

Don't take it seriously


And umm.... oh yeah, the three distinct meanings... are interchangable

Someone weak in the knees... is a - - - - -
to be effiminate is to be a - - - - -
A timid animal is a - - - - -

Therefore.... a weak knee'd, timid animal, is effeminate!


.