Why so many think of pilots this way?

[Alaskaairlines]

Hello guys!

I have a question to the guys who actually would know nore than a, a future airline pilot!

I have heard lots of peoples opinions about pilots, some are positive, and lots are skeptic and have negative remarks!

Most think pilots are very corrupt (possibly some are), they engage in negative activities, think they hit on every FA that comes into sight and so on....

Why is this so? I don't agree with the majority of the feedback the normal civilian gives, go figure!

Also, post anything you have heard people, who have totally no idea what they are talking about, say.

 

[Hubie]

Re: Why so many think of pilots this way

Most think pilots are very corrupt (possibly some are), they engage in negative activities, think they hit on every FA that comes into sight and so on....

Corrupt? Negative behavior?

This I gotta here about…

Possibly flame bait but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt…

 

[Skank]

Corrupt? What opportunity exactly do we have for corruption? Maybe we skim a little of the fuel from every flight to sell on the black market? Or we charge an illicit toll to each passenger? Or do we perhaps, replace our new tires with old retreads, and resell the new ones?
Please, enlighten us on any other scams we've been missing out on.

 

[CRJ puppy]

Well honestly, I make a killing stealing those little snack packets and then reselling them at bars to drunks at night. I think I netted $30,000 last yr. (very little overhead as I already have room in my flight bag to smuggle them out). Almost got caught going through security one time as all the foil from the cheese cracker baggies looked suspect when my bag was scanned...

Had no idea the passengers were suspicious, but maybe it's those drunks when they sober up the next day with the wrappers in their pockets and the foul snack taste in their mouths...

 

[Swass]

Flame Bait City

 

[Timebuilder]

Most think pilots are very corrupt (possibly some are), they engage in negative activities, think they hit on every FA that comes into sight and so on....

I think that what you are referring to is moral corruption, from the standpoint of the general public.

Some of this is firmly laid at the feet of Hollywood. The Captain is, or has been, having an affair with the innocent (?) young (back in the 70's) flight attendant (stewardess), and he is in the process of a bitter divorce with his wife of ten years. The FA is pregnant, and he is encouraging her to have an abortion.

Sound like a familiar movie? It is so cliche'd it ends up in parodies. Unfortunately, the divorce rate among pilots is even higher than the skyrocketing rate for the rest of America. Being away from home with attractive women (not necessarily the cabin crew) is a temptation that some guys find irresistable.

The neighbors see a man (still a majority) that lives well, has a nice expensive home and car, and isn't home a lot. They hear his kids compalin that he isn't around when his kids visit their own kids. His wife confides with other wives that she suspects he is seeing someone on the side, etc. Eventually, she says that he "ran off" with a younger woman.

All of this adds up to a suspicion about the moral foundation of ALL pilots, and their commitment to their families. You and I know that this generalization often isn't true, and that you and I don't fit this profile, particularly those of us who don't hold a line these days at a major airline. No nice house or car these days for many of us.

Also, post anything you have heard people, who have totally no idea what they are talking about, say.

I hope this fills that bill.

 

[LJDRVR]

How does the old saw go?

A pilot want 3 things in life:

To make as much money as his family thinks he does,
To get as much time off as his neighbors thinks he has,
And to get as much ____ as his wife thinks he's getting.

And he wants it all retroactively!

Cheers,

 

[120% Torque]

I think Timebuilder pretty much hit the nail on the head. People tend to mostly remember the negative and Hollywood usually characterizes pilots as cocky, selfish guys that have a weakness for being disshonest and cheating. It also doesn't help to have books like "The Pilots Wife" being discussed in round table discussions like Oprahs book club (ok I was flipping throught the channels and caught part of this episode). By the end of this particular discussion and after all the women admitted to knowing a cheating pilot that lived down the street I swear they were going to round up a few pilots to burn at the stake! Total nonsense but lets face it people will believe just about anything these days and pilots are an easy target.

 

[Alaskaairlines]

Hello guys!

I am not the one who's saying this, but the one who's getting all sorts of unneeded "advice" from the general public. So I came here to see what you have to say about it.

Timebuilder posted exactly what I was talking about, thankfully most people aren't thinking the way they used to, and most know that pilots are a very professional group!

What else?

 

[flyhard]

I think that pilots are held to such a high standard that the general public thinks we cannot make mistakes. The thing they fail to realize is that we are human.

I will say this. If you checked the reputation of doctors, lawyers, and other professionals, I think you would find that pilots would come out ahead everytime. Just my opinion, of course I am a little bias.