Questions/Comments you receive (from non-pilots) about Flying/General Aviation

I got grilled pretty heavily on JFK Jr. when I showed up in my plane at our Boston-area family reunion a couple of weeks after his crash.
 
For a while I tried to pretend that it was my good looks that caused the thumbs-up and waves, but the mirror has convinced me otherwise.

AggieMike88 said:
I think for you, it would be, "how long does it take to polish your entire airplane?"


I frequently share the story you told me three years ago when I got my first ride in your 180. How when it was a "normal" paint job, no one gave you a second glance. Now, with it all polished aluminum, every one takes a sec to look and nealy always gives you a wave.
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flyingron said:
I got grilled pretty heavily on JFK Jr. when I showed up in my plane at our Boston-area family reunion a couple of weeks after his crash.
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I got a small planes are dangerous lecture the other day. The lecturer used JFK as a sad example "there was even a dog on board".
 
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dell30rb said:
I got a small planes are dangerous lecture the other day. The lecturer used JFK as a sad example "there was even a dog on board".
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I get some of that too. I pointed out to my wife that we rarely hear about traffic accidents unless they involve fatalities AND happen in our city, or are particularly horrific or unusual (like car vs. house). We won't ever hear about a car crash in NJ, for example, that kills several people from both vehicles. But it's likely you'll hear about every airplane crash, regardless of where they happen. Why? Because highway fatalities are so common they aren't newsworthy. It's pretty rare (by comparison) for a plane to go down, though. Plus there's the fact that TV news producers know that freaking people out sells commercial time, and it's easy to freak people out about things of which they know absolutely nothing.
 
DaleB said:
I get some of that too....and it's easy to freak people out about things of which they know absolutely nothing.
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In this case I resisted the urge to get into detail about the JFK crash, or get into any details really, its not worth the conversation sometimes. Just smile and thank them for their concern..

Those who seem to care about having a conversation or have questions for me on the subject i'm happy to tell them about, and explain accident statistics, and offer some insight.

Fortunately I have many friends who feel comfortable flying with me, they have all seen the time and effort i've put into flying. I tell em that the PP flying accident rate is somewhere between motorcycling and boating, and that 80-90 percent of accidents are pilot error, most of those caused by a lack of training, currency or weather knowledge and decision making. I make a point to stay sharp and above average in these areas and to me, flying is no more dangerous than driving.

My girlfriend, non-pilot as can be (she won't touch the controls, too scared) who has flown 40-50 hours with me recently said "i see what you mean about the bozos out there screwing up the small plane accident statistics" Even though she won't fly the plane, she knows enough about flying to recognize on her own when someone is plainly incompetent or doing something boneheaded or dangerous...
 
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DaleB said:
(We) rarely hear about traffic accidents unless they involve fatalities AND happen in our city, or are particularly horrific or unusual (like car vs. house)... But it's likely you'll hear about every airplane crash, regardless of where they happen.
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Some time ago, I read a piece called "If the media reported about cars the way they report about airplanes". It went something like this:


Near Fatal Incident on I 95

A driver and his family of four had a big scare last night on I 95, when their Chevrolet Cavalier private use vehicle almost missed its exit. "It was a close call", said the driver, who was glad to have come out unscathed.

45 year old Joe Doe from Anytown, New York, his wife Jane, and their children Jack (9) and Jill (7) were travelling north near Elsewhere, NJ. According to eyewitnesses, everything seemed normal. However, the driver almost missed his intended exit. He managed only at the last moment to give a direction signal, change from the center across the right lane to the exit, and slow down to a safe speed. "Any closer, and I would have had to hit the brakes", commented a truck driver following nearby in the right lane.

Joe Doe has been driving cars since he was 16 years old. He has several thousand hours of driving experience and holds a valid drivers' license. His wife Jane, who was riding in the right seat, is similarly qualified.

The Chevrolet Cavalier is a common vehicle for private drivers. It has been in production for decades. Industry experts say the single-engine model has seen considerable improvements over time, including the addition of important safety features, such as seat belts, airbags, and anti-lock brakes. While it is unclear if the Does' vehicle had the most recent safety equipment, maintenance and inspection records indicate that the vehicle had undergone an oil change less than 2000 miles ago. Changing the oil is a normal procedure, according to car mechanics.

Public safety experts note that at the time of the incident, the vehicle was carrying several gallons of gasoline, a toxic and highly explosive substance.



No wonder we get some funny questions!
 
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"Can you just go anywhere?? Don't you have to call ahead or something?"

"What do you wear when you fly?" :rofl:
 
DaleB said:
I get some of that too. I pointed out to my wife that we rarely hear about traffic accidents unless they involve fatalities AND happen in our city, or are particularly horrific or unusual (like car vs. house). We won't ever hear about a car crash in NJ, for example, that kills several people from both vehicles. But it's likely you'll hear about every airplane crash, regardless of where they happen. Why? Because highway fatalities are so common they aren't newsworthy. It's pretty rare (by comparison) for a plane to go down, though. Plus there's the fact that TV news producers know that freaking people out sells commercial time, and it's easy to freak people out about things of which they know absolutely nothing.
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Unfortunately, comparing general aviation safety to driving is decidedly unfavorable to GA, because the per-mile fatal accident rate appears to be about five times what it is for driving. :(

http://www.meretrix.com/~harry/flying/notes/safetyvsdriving.html

The good news is that a high percentage of GA accidents are caused by pilots doing dumb stuff, so it is theoretically possible to greatly improve your personal odds by adopting a practice of conservative decision-making.
 
Henning said:
"Are there any airports with whorehouses around here?"
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I always wondered about Sioux City. The Government used to advertise for them: in the pre-METAR days, really bad weather went on the wires as SUX C0X0F.

-Skip :rofl:
 
GeierFlyer said:
Some time ago, I read a piece called "If the media reported about cars the way they report about airplanes". It went something like this:
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Thank you for posting that "article" I posted it to facebook. Wasn't sure if it was too wordy but it took it.
 
"There was a little plane that crashed last month"

"Where can you fly?"

After showing a picture of the panel ... "Do you know what all those do?". She was talking about the "knobs and buttons".

Her: "Can you fly me to Vegas".
Me: "Yes, it'll take about 10 hours and we'll have to stop a couple of times."

"I would be too scared to fly in a little plane. We flew in a little plane last month and we were scared". [they were referring to a dash-8!]
 
I was surprised by how many people asked me this question when I first started my training: "Why?"

I couldn't believe how many people couldn't (or were unwilling to) comprehend how unbelievably cool it is to be able to lift off into the clouds - well, 500 feet below them, for me - of your own accord.

I know some are genuinely afraid to fly, and I respect that. It's also ridiculously expensive to do... but a few looked at me like I'd just told them I planned to move to a cave in Afghanistan...

Truthfully, it took me a little bit of time to figure the "why" of it myself. (I also realized I wasn't hanging out with the right kind of people.) I finally ended up with this - so when I sit and watch planes at the local airport, I can look up at them, smile, and think "I get to do that."
 
For me, most frequent theme is the amazement that , at most airports to which I fly, there is no control tower!

I ask them who they ask for permission to leave their driveway... ;-)
 
How much does it cost?

followed by

How do you afford that?

How come you don't fly a jet instead? :rolleyes:
 
I find that my non-pilot friends who know about my owning a C150, have only a "polite" interest in my desire to fly. They, in general, have few or no questions. It is something totally outside of their sphere of interest. Cost of flying came up from time to time; to their surprise my C150 costs far less that the new car they are driving. The idea that you can fly without being in contact with ATC if you choose is alien to them. So, I have no burning desire to talk GA with them and that is just fine with them I think.
 
Tonight.

"We're flying to Arkansas next week."

"Yeah but I didn't think you meant you fly yourself!"
 
Oh and that was followed with,

"Oh I'm sure you're a great pilot but I don't trust those little planes!"

My answer with a smile...

"I don't trust those little cars either. I think everyone should ride busses. They're much more reliable."

:)
 
I told my girlfriend last night that I don't know if I really want to work for the airlines, and she goes, "But I thought you wanted to be a commercial pilot!"
 
GeierFlyer said:
Some time ago, I read a piece called "If the media reported about cars the way they report about airplanes". It went something like this:


Near Fatal Incident on I 95

A driver and his family of four had a big scare last night on I 95, when their Chevrolet Cavalier private use vehicle almost missed its exit. "It was a close call", said the driver, who was glad to have come out unscathed.

45 year old Joe Doe from Anytown, New York, his wife Jane, and their children Jack (9) and Jill (7) were travelling north near Elsewhere, NJ. According to eyewitnesses, everything seemed normal. However, the driver almost missed his intended exit. He managed only at the last moment to give a direction signal, change from the center across the right lane to the exit, and slow down to a safe speed. "Any closer, and I would have had to hit the brakes", commented a truck driver following nearby in the right lane.

Joe Doe has been driving cars since he was 16 years old. He has several thousand hours of driving experience and holds a valid drivers' license. His wife Jane, who was riding in the right seat, is similarly qualified.

The Chevrolet Cavalier is a common vehicle for private drivers. It has been in production for decades. Industry experts say the single-engine model has seen considerable improvements over time, including the addition of important safety features, such as seat belts, airbags, and anti-lock brakes. While it is unclear if the Does' vehicle had the most recent safety equipment, maintenance and inspection records indicate that the vehicle had undergone an oil change less than 2000 miles ago. Changing the oil is a normal procedure, according to car mechanics.

Public safety experts note that at the time of the incident, the vehicle was carrying several gallons of gasoline, a toxic and highly explosive substance.



No wonder we get some funny questions!
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The above lacks one important - nay - VITAL piece of information known by all to cause crashes with its lack:

No driving plan was filed.
 
I have a co-worker who asks me, whenever he sees me, what we did last weekend. I usually tell of going somewhere 100+ miles away (Pittsburg, Nantucket, etc) for lunch or a safety seminar or both. Last week he said, "Look, if you ever need a passenger, I'm there for you."
 
The repeat questions that drives me kinda crazy revolve around the John F. Kennedy, Jr. plane crash and of course the media's crash of the week.

It's really bad for all GA when a celebrity mucks it up in a small plane.
 
kontiki said:
It's really bad for all GA when a celebrity mucks it up in a small plane.
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Yes, they are always quick to bring up JFK Jr., John Denver, Brook Berringer (if you're in Nebraska at least) and even Buddy Holly.

If I've got the time and feel like responding, I'll say that, yeah, I read those NTSB reports in detail and learned some very good things NOT to do... like flying into crap weather, or trying to figure stuff out about a new airplane while flying it.
 
What is their obsession with having to call somebody to get permission to fly or land somewhere?

Why don't the consider all the highway deaths to famous people that far outnumber aircraft deaths of famous people?
 
Stevie Ray Vaughn died in a chopper crash, they aren't safe, that's why I fly fixed-wing.

:D
 
DaleB said:
Yes, they are always quick to bring up JFK Jr., John Denver, Brook Berringer (if you're in Nebraska at least) and even Buddy Holly.
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The Berringer accident was one of the first things my grandmother (who lived near 48th and Grover) mentioned when I told her I was taking up flying. At the time, she seemed reassured I was flying "bigger" planes (C172s) but she didn't like when, a few years later, I changed over to LSA.
 
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