funny story

[210FR8DOG]

maybe not too funny, but I'm bored.

I landed at ABC airport the other day and went in to XYZ flight school to wait on my courier since the school had the windows facing where my plane was parked about 100 feet away.

As I walk in the front door, and it hadn't even had time to close yet, I see Mr. Chief Instructor for XYZ flight school with his full-on airline uniform. (This bugs the crap out of me) and I can actually see his chest bow out as he asks me,"may I help you?" in his best 777 Captains voice. I instantly feel the arrogance radiating from this fool. Well, he didn't have much to say to me as I tried to make small talk anyway, because the only other people in the room we're two other instructors who were very intent on their game of catch with the big rubber ball, (honestly)!! And I guess he wasn't impressed with my summertime 'dog uniform of shorts, tennis shoes, and golf shirt. (couldn't possibly be a pilot dressed like that!!!)

I guess he didn't see where I came from because he asked me (impatiently) when my plane was coming in to pick me up. I told him, "That's my Baron right there and I'm waiting on my courier with bank work"

As soon as I said that his jaw dropped a little and he quit talking. He then stated (in a more humble Cessna Captain tone) that he was thinking of maybe doing some 135 flying if he got tired of instructing. This was followed by several questions on my company, twin time, pay, etc. and I noticed his chest wasn't poking out like before.

I guess the point is, if there is one, don't judge a book by it's cover, or lack of one!! I fly because I love to fly. Not to get some arrogant attitude like I'm better than anyone. I laughed at this moron all the way home.

Jeff

 

[avbug]

I dunno, Jeff. I find that I get better motel rates by telling them I'm anything but a pilot. I recall going with a certain ancient but feared individual years ago to a motel, where they asked him what is qualification was for the discount. He asked about federal workers, and was quoted a price. Then he found out that it was much better for a truck driver. He told them he was a truck driver.

When they asked what kind, he said "belly dump." (We were in tankers).

Who are these folks talking to? Does it really matter? Pride to the wind, I'm no different than a bum on the street. I don't deserve any more respect, and that bum deserves no less respect than me. Pilots in general are an arrogant lot, and it's not a good thing. It's endemic to the pilot population at large.

I guess flight instructors have an image to uphold, too.

 

[ms6073]

I laughed at this moron all the way home.

He did not know you from any other guy on the ramp and made what would seem a natural assumption for an instructor at a flight school. Seems to me the guy was simply trying to do his job so why do you consider him to be a moron!

 

[LAXSaabdude]

Re: Re: funny story

He did not know you from any other guy on the ramp and made what would seem a natural assumption for an instructor at a flight school. Seems to me the guy was simply trying to do his job so why do you consider him to be a moron!

It was his attitude. The guy was clearly a low-time starting CFI, and thought he could impress a "newbie" with his uniform and attitude, only to find out that the "newbie" was actually farther along in his career track than he was.

LAXSaabdude

 

[ms6073]

Re: Re: Re: funny story

It was his attitude.

Um, wasnt that how the chief pilot was percieved by the original poster? Maybe he did not have any choice about the uniform? During my last year in the service, I decided to use accrued leave to finish my CFI/II at Flight Safety in Vero Beach. While I was there, every student and every person on staff had to wear the FSI uniform - even a Navy SEAL who was learning to fly on Uncle Sam's nickle!

 

[LAXSaabdude]

Re: Re: Re: Re: funny story

Um, wasnt that how the chief pilot was percieved by the original poster? Maybe he did not have any choice about the uniform?

It wasn't just the uniform, it was the whole demeanor. His attitude did a complete 180 when he learned FR8DOGs reason for being there. I've seen it myself. I try to keep very low key when I am around GA, but it's kind of fun to watch some hotshot private or commercial pilot's reaction when I tell them that I am a Part 121 captain.

LAXSaabdude

 

[Vladimir Lenin]

InBefore that CFI chap posts here

 

[210FR8DOG]

attitude

LAX understands perfectly what I was getting at, it was the attitude and yes it did turn 180 in about 10 seconds. A cargo, charter, or airline pilot is not necessarily better than a chief instructor, but neither is that chief instructor better than others wishing to learn to fly.

 

[Lrjtcaptain]

Kinda reminds me of a story i heard once from a friend at college who was instructing up in maryland. Anyways, one of ACA's line captains and I think he is or was chief pilot on the DOJET walked into the FBO up in Maryland to talk to someone. Anyways, the new instructor ran up to him and was like hey man want an intro ride? do you want to take lessons. Dave was like, maybe next time. Even though he is probably some 7000TT ATP guy.

If i were in that situation with that dip**CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** instructor, i would have let him give his speech, waited for the courier, then said see you later, and get in my baron and leave.

Its more fun that way. Cause then they feel really stupid.

 

[PacoPollo]

Hey dont make fun of the poor CFI. He is a C-172 well qualified CAPT. wearing uniform to impress anyone...

 

[cessna_driver2]

Kinda reminds me of a story i heard once from a friend at college who was instructing up in maryland. Anyways, one of ACA's line captains and I think he is or was chief pilot on the DOJET walked into the FBO up in Maryland to talk to someone. Anyways, the new instructor ran up to him and was like hey man want an intro ride? do you want to take lessons. Dave was like, maybe next time. Even though he is probably some 7000TT ATP guy.

If i were in that situation with that dip**CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** instructor, i would have let him give his speech, waited for the courier, then said see you later, and get in my baron and leave.

Its more fun that way. Cause then they feel really stupid.

Rumor has it that Bob Hoover did something similar. But he went along with the ride and just scared the snott out of the instuctor.

 

[dsee8driver]

My cheap story...

I went with my wife to a Dave & Busters in FLL a few months ago. Having grown up with computers as an avid Flight Simulator fan from the very old Atari800 to Microsoft FS2002 PRO I went straight for a AirlinePilot simulator where you had to fly a "777". The line was somewhat long, 6 guys in front of me so I chitchated with my wife and held a drink while waiting. I was talking about aviation when the guy that was in the sim gets out and comes to the back of the line. He was really excited cause the sim rated him as an excellent pilot. He started to go on on how realistic it is and how well he did. Since the "sim" had a screen above so everyone can see what was going on. He started to explain the different phases and techniques to get through it. I have never been one to brag and I was just there for a good time with the wife away from kids so I listened to his walkthrough of what the current guy was doing. This guy was soo funny. He went through the whole explanation about using rudder on engine outs and why and how to apply the pressure and complained about not having a trim knob, etc. So as the guy in the sim finished his ride I asked him if he was a pilot and he said he had just gotten his private. I never said anything about myself and just listened to his play by play calling and tips for my big turn. 15 minutes later and another Jack & Coke it was my turn. I got in and did farely well, got through all the phases and was rated a 777 Capt. I felt bad for my wife who stayed behind. As we were leaving the guy rushed in to the sim, patted my back and didnt say a word. I went to find my wife laughin as I approached her. I asked whats wrong, she said she could not believe the look on the guy's face. After talking all through my session explaining to her what I did right and how much of a "natural" I was he asked her what I did for a living. When she said DC8 pilot for ATI the guy felt bad and tried to apologize for all the braggin and talking and just walked away. Anyway I thought it was pretty funny! Maybe it was the Jack and Coke.

 

[avbug]

While I was on a trip today, I thought about this thread. Ironic, I thought. I do several different types of work, including charter. When I take a charter flight, it's with a company that doesn't do epaulets, or ties. I will end up in a pilot lounge somewhere, alongside furloughed guys doing the fractional thing, corporate pilots, other charters, etc.

It always amuses me to see how these folks look down their noses at me when I don't walk in wearing the gold and glitter.

When I show up in the summer, in jeans and a t-shirt, I get treated like trash. They call us "tanker trash," as a salute to the irony of it...but the very sort of folks who would be offended at the attitude of the instructor in the first scenario, are the same ones who will look down their noses at me...and treat me like garbage.

I could take two minutes wonder about the look on their face when they find out...but I couldn't really care less. I'm tanker trash. I know it. And I'm proud of it.

A few years ago on a day off during the summer I went on a one-day river trip with the president of a company involved in that line of work He and I took the trip together, for his birthday. One of the women on our boat asked what we did, and he tried to explain it to her. He is the president of one of the largest companies in that line of work. She asked him if he hoped to fly commercially one day. He told her he did fly commercially. Oh, she said. But don't you hope to be able to fly as an airline pilot some day?

He looked embarassed. He wasn't sure how to say it, so he stammered out the first thing that came to mind, very apologetically. "That...would be...a..." he paused, "step down."

I almost fell out of the boat, laughing so hard.

 

[dsee8driver]

most people have no idea

Avbug,
I'm surprised at the amount of people who ask me when will I be a commercial pilot. Lots of folks think passenger flying is the only commercial flying. I often get asked if I'm building time before I can fly passengers. I always say the good ol' boxes dont biatch" line. But it's amazing!

 

[avbug]

A few years ago we were sitting at WJF, fox field in Lancaster, CA. We went to the cafe for a bite to eat, and got a dispatch. By the time we got back to the airport, an gentleman had attached the loading line to the airplane and was pumping retardant on board. I stopped him, and pointed out that the wrong tank was filling, and the airplane was just about a nat's breath away from falling on it's posterior.

He wanted to know who I was. Me? I'm the pilot.

You're the pilot??

Yeah, sorry. Chuck Yeager couldn't make it and Rich Little couldn't be here to impersonate one...so all they could get was me. Who did you think I was?

I saw you scrubbing it earlier. I thought you were the guy who cleaned the airplane.

I am.

Oh...(that familiar conciliatory look, like when someone thinks they've met someone famous and the look that says, oh, it's just you ).

Not a stitch of clothing that isn't soiled by 60 weight oil...and durn proud of it...have to be. Can't afford any more.

 

[slickmagneto]

I was in FLL at the local Honda motorcycle dealer with my buddy who is a pilot but also a Semi-Pro bike racer. He was talking to the salesman when another guy walked up and started listening to the sales pitch. When the salesman says that the bike will do 140 mph stock the other guy starts shaking his head"no".
The salesman says "something wrong?"
The other guy says "not fast enough!"
The salesman says "you're a professional racer too?"
The other guy says "No dude. I'm a LEARJET PILOT."

 

[JJG]

No wonder so many flight schools are going down the toilet with the attitude of pilots on this board. It sounds like the instructor in the post was just doing his job by displaying that although the school flew small planes, they were professional. Most of the busy instructors I worked with were also good salesmen. How else can you attract and keep students? My question is why did you go into the flight school in the first place? Was it to feel superior to everyone else? Why didn't you try helping this guy? Tell him that you are a pilot for a charter company and they may be looking fo some people or something along those lines. Check your attitude because you never know when it will backfire on you. BTW it might be nice to dress like a slob but one day you may run into someone at an FBO who looking for someone to fly right seat in a Lear or Falcon. Think he will give you a second look? Try long pants, some leather shoes and maybe a buttondown shirt, it wouldn't kill you. Unless you want to be stuck in a Baron for the rest of your life.

 

[100LL... Again!]

When I used to get that "do you want to be an airline pilot' question as a regional pilot, my stock answer was:

"They haven't made me an offer yet that I would seriously consider."

You should see the looks that gets.

The beauty is that it is true depending on houw you look at it. And it absolutely ENDS all the dumb 'when are you going to be a real pilot' crap.



As far as the original post, I've seen enough of those kind of CFIs before. THey want to strut their stuff in frony of anyone they can.
Quite funny.

Do you honestly believe that this post would have been written if the CFI in question politely approached the freight guy and said 'can I help you'. 210FR8DOG's post did not sound like he was looking for a reason to pick on this guy.

 

[WrightAvia]

This thread hits an important topic?

How people feel about their particular job and how people percieve your particular job in aviation...that is the question that I ask of thee...

I have to wear the van heusen shirt, navy blue slacks, tie and black shoes and I fly little boxes in white, purple and orange cessna caravan.

When I tell people I fly cargo they get that "ewwww" look on their faces like they just found out their daughter is dating the garbage collector or a UPS delivery driver. "when do you get promoted to flying PEOPLE?" usually comes up next.

I don't have anything to prove to anybody...much less them people that don't even realize that my job adds tons to the human condition on a daily basis. Internet shopping and JUST IN TIME parts inventory=JOB SECURITY! So who cares what PEOPLE think!

I keep my shoes shined and act professional on the job and I don't have to stick my chest out.

Here's the one that's funny. My little caravan is tucked away in the local airlines hanger all day...so in the afternoon when I go into work, I have to go into the GA part of the county terminal. A corporate or private jet happens to be in front of the building and just as I walk in the door to head for the weathermation/pilots lounge...I bump into JET KID. JET KID eyeballs me up in down and gets this absentee look on his face as he escorts his passengers out to the jet to help them board and to give JET KID enough time to find his RIGHT seat in the plane.

I then get past all that and bump into JET SR. as he is coming outside and we say HI, like it's no big dealio. I gotta wonder...JET KID doesn't know if I was a commuter pilot or the bartender on love boat, but he gets that fish faced look thing going on when we bumped into each other by the door. Is that his secret fantasy to not have to carry the plane owners poodle around and hand out umbrellas to the passengers after landing and to be doing a REAL job like flying an airliner. Or is it his dismay that some dude that looks mid to late thirties is possibly, maybe still flying for the COMMUTERS...that is bothering him. (the only commuter that flies out of the field in this example is red Saab 340's)

I think it's not only CFI's...it's all pilots. It's the grass is greener is on the other side syndrome. And the non flying public will never even have the foggiest notion as to what the hell is really going on...as will some pilots.

Jet? Turbo Prop? Antonov 2? who gives a rats ass!!! You have to be happy doing what you are doing or it's all for naught.

 

[100LL... Again!]

JET KID also may not have had his hand on anything but the gear handle and the xmit button. And maybe one other thing...