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August 5th, 2007, 17:33
| #1 |
| Junior Member  Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: JFK
Posts: 214
  |  Questions you get sick of answering I always enjoy the topics about dumb passengers, or silly questions your non-pilot friends/family ask you. So I'm going to start one up again. So what are some things passengers or other people have asked you? Of course, us young guys always get the "are you old enough to fly?" Or that I must have perfect vision. And the most annoying one, does the CA ever let you land or do you just navigate? Because thats what a co-pilot does...navigates and talks on the radios, right? I imagine myself sitting at a big table with charts and plotters out telling the CA where to go... So what about you?
__________________ http://homepage.mac.com/christow |
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August 5th, 2007, 17:52
| #2 |
| Agent Smith  | Re: Questions you get sick of answering "Hey you John? He's a pilot for American." "John who? What's his last name" "I don't know, but uhh, he was in the navy"
__________________ Doug Taylor http://76school.flyblog.com (old!) http://30west.flyblog.com (updated 11/28) |
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August 5th, 2007, 17:54
| #3 |
| Old Skool  Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: USA
Posts: 1,715
| Re: Questions you get sick of answering Honestly, I don't get sick of answering questions, and I don't believe in stupid questions. I view every question as a way to open a person's eyes to what a pilot's life is like. That's pretty much always a good thing for us. But then again, I'm talkative and I enjoy teaching, so I'm probably not the best guy for input on this thread... |
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August 5th, 2007, 17:54
| #4 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Somewhere in FL
Posts: 334
| Re: Questions you get sick of answering I've been asked the usual stupid questions several times... I just do my best to not look annoyed and answer the questions in a way they'll like. But the comment that really bothers me is when guys (it is almost always males) say "well, I've got a family so I can't do stuff like flying airplanes". I am insulted by it, as it implies that I am some sort of daredevil, out there pushing risks. These same people are almost always totally closed to any sort of conversation about the risks involved, which just frustrates me more. I've learned just to give a fake laugh and move on to the next subject. I should also clairify - I also love to answer questions about aviation. I just don't like the irritating ones (so, when are you going to be a commercial pilot?, etc.). I'm a flight instructor, so I'm already a commercial pilot!! |
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August 5th, 2007, 18:19
| #5 |
| Old Skool  Join Date: May 2003 Location: In the O-zone
Posts: 5,807
 | Re: Questions you get sick of answering In front of the Beech 1900 (FO) Pax: "Is this thing safe?" Me: "I dunno lady this is my first day!" (smiling) Pax: "Oh no I HATE these little planes" Me: "Sheesh lady it's the biggest thing I've ever flown" Pax: (Look of horror) Pax: "Why do you have these old prop planes? Why not get some new jets?" Me: "Buddy that Boeing you just got off is older than me. This plane is only 5 yrs old."
__________________ "You know you're winning an argument with a liberal when they start calling you names" (insert any political group you want and stop calling me names) johntenney.com johntenneyracing.com Myspace |
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August 5th, 2007, 18:36
| #6 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Multiple
Posts: 1,002
| Re: Questions you get sick of answering Have you got your commerical pilot license yet? Get that every time I go to the family gathering. Guess teaching and flying corportate and freight isn't a real pilot job.
__________________ OIL=Satans Energy Drink! |
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August 5th, 2007, 18:50
| #7 | |
| Old Skool  Join Date: May 2006 Location: Florida
Posts: 1,912
| Re: Questions you get sick of answering I know it's not airline related but.... young kids love to ask me, "Hey, have you ever shot anyone before"?
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August 5th, 2007, 18:59
| #8 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: ATL (Work) / Warner Robins, GA (home)
Posts: 824
| Re: Questions you get sick of answering Not tired of answering them yet at all, but here are the two best ones I've gotten, from a wife and her husband... Wife: Those planes sure come in low when they land... Me: Yes, ma'am... that's where we keep the runway. Husband (after chuckling at my previous answer): But couldn't they come in higher and then just come in really steep at the end? Me: Sure. Once.
__________________ The above text is the opinion of the author only, not of AirTran, my wife, my mom, my next door neighbor, or anybody else. |
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August 5th, 2007, 19:15
| #9 | |
| Old Skool  Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: KPHX, KFFZ, KIWA
Posts: 18,793
 | Re: Questions you get sick of answering Quote:
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August 5th, 2007, 19:37
| #10 | |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Los Angeles, CA (KVNY)
Posts: 366
| Re: Questions you get sick of answering Quote:
haha, awesome response.
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August 5th, 2007, 19:39
| #11 |
| Old Skool  Join Date: May 2006 Location: Virginia is for Lovers, yacht chasing on the weekends
Posts: 1,790
| Re: Questions you get sick of answering Friends: "So I heard you got a new job, you flying airliners now?" Me: "No, its a corporate job. I'm the co-pilot on a Learjet owned by a private company" Friends: "So, you fly around rich people?" Me: "Yeah, if thats the way you want to look at it. Or you could look at it like they do; as a tool and business strategy to allow them to get from meeting to meeting over large distances in the shortest amount of time." Friends: "So when are you going to get to fly the airliners?"  Why does just about everyone outside of aviation think that "flying an airliner" is the holy grail of aviation? PS...to the homeboy that was complaining about corporate jets flying into Teterboro a while back...it sure was a pretty approach the other day. |
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August 5th, 2007, 19:41
| #12 | |
| Senior Member  Join Date: May 2006 Location: If it isn't ORL, I'm not happy :(
Posts: 612
| Re: Questions you get sick of answering Quote:
__________________ -Chuck Norris once roundhouse kicked someone so hard that his foot broke the speed of light, went back in time, and killed Amelia Earhart while she was flying over the Pacific Ocean. | |
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August 5th, 2007, 19:44
| #13 |
| Old Skool  Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Trollbane
Posts: 1,553
| Re: Questions you get sick of answering Tired of stupid questions? Try being an immigrant.  Anyhow, speaking of aviation related stupid questions, when I had to renew my medical for the first time I honestly didn't really know that I was supposed to get the white one, instead I had the doctor doing the exam on me who was doing that for the first time as well, so nobody caught it and I ended up with a yellow student pilot medical certificate. That wasn't a big deal, they let me fly with it at my fbo, but one time I ended up talking to some girl who happen to be an assistant to a local medical examiner at the fbo and I asked the assistant whether I can change it to white certificate and how. I told her I'm a private pilot and it's just the wrong color certificate that was issued to me. She kept asking me if I soloed, I said yes I am a private pilot. She said I have to have the yellow one unless I soloed. I kept saying I'm a private pilot, she just didn't seem to get it. Anyway, I just quit trying to explain it to her and just changed the subject. Obviously not all medical assistants know what the hell they're doing. One more stupid question: One guy at work, who knows I'm a private pilot recently asked me if I can take off and land the airplane all by myself. What do you answer to that? "uh...duh!"
__________________ Private pilot, instrument Embry-Riddle Alumnus USN Active http://forums.jetcareers.com/changin...nfessions.html |
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August 5th, 2007, 19:58
| #14 | |
| Old Skool Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Trollbane
Posts: 1,553
| Re: Questions you get sick of answering Quote:
__________________ Private pilot, instrument Embry-Riddle Alumnus USN Active http://forums.jetcareers.com/changin...nfessions.html | |
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August 5th, 2007, 20:19
| #15 |
| Old Skool Join Date: May 2003 Location: In the O-zone
Posts: 5,807
| Re: Questions you get sick of answering I don't shine props
__________________ "You know you're winning an argument with a liberal when they start calling you names" (insert any political group you want and stop calling me names) johntenney.com johntenneyracing.com Myspace |
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August 5th, 2007, 20:24
| #16 |
| Moderator  Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: The Looney Bin
Posts: 9,042
| Re: Questions you get sick of answering "What lake is that?" <While over the Atlantic Ocean between NY & MIA> Yes, I've heard that more than once.
__________________ PPL SEL 100-ish hours TT Former American Airlines F/A (12 months) Former Simmons/Eagle F/A (6 years) Former Eagle ground school instructor (1 year) Former Eagle IOE instructor (3 years) |
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August 5th, 2007, 20:26
| #17 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Posts: 709
| Re: Questions you get sick of answering "Do you ever want to fly for the commercial airlines?" "Did you have to have your instrument and multi-eng rating to be hired by UPS?" This was actually asked by a Flt attendant  "My son is working on his flt instructor rating at ERAU, should he first go fly for UPS before becoming a flt instructor?" "After you gain enough experience working at UPS are you planning to apply at one of the MAJOR airlines"? "Do you guys do loop-dee-loops since you don't carry people?" "Huh, my friend says freight pilots aren't as good as pilots who fly passengers. Is that true?" "My son just got his commercial rating, do you think UPS will hire him now or should he just go ahead and apply at one of the major airlines?" "Hey, I heard FedEx and UPS are going to merge and they're going to call it FedUp"...Whew, that was funny the first 1,000,000 times I heard it! "UPS has airplanes (followed by the RCA dog look)?!?"  |
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August 5th, 2007, 20:28
| #18 | |
| Old Skool Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Trollbane
Posts: 1,553
| Re: Questions you get sick of answering Quote:
__________________ Private pilot, instrument Embry-Riddle Alumnus USN Active http://forums.jetcareers.com/changin...nfessions.html | |
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August 5th, 2007, 20:32
| #19 |
| Junior Member  Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: FL
Posts: 33
|  Re: Questions you get sick of answering well im still in flight school...so from the Cessna/Piper side of things...these are always nice Person:can it go in reverse?? also the look of horror on their face when you tell them that you can open the window... O_O (and of course the classic) Person:what do you do?? Me:i am in flight school Person: oh wow how far into it are you?? Me:well i have my private, my instrument rating...and im working on my Multi now Person:thats so cool...so when do you they let you be a pilot?? ... have you flown the plane yet?? -Jon
__________________ O'Hare TRACON Transmission*: "You're gonna have to key the mic. I can't see you when you nod your head." |
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August 5th, 2007, 21:26
| #20 |
| Old Skool  Join Date: May 2003 Location: Portland, Orygun
Posts: 1,638
| Re: Questions you get sick of answering so do you get to go up by yourself yet? no i'm only a flight instructor! |
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August 5th, 2007, 21:27
| #21 |
| Junior Member  Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 78
| Re: Questions you get sick of answering I will add to the "when will you be a commercial pilot". I know it's just people not knowing about the industry but it really has started annoying me. Um hello I just flew you on a scheduled flight from point a to point b is that not commercial. I fly a 30 seat airplane you'd hope the pilots were commercial pilots. Also I hate getting the question being an FO. Are you going to be a pilot soon? Are they going to give you your licence soon? Come on man! Those two I get all the time and they drive me nuts. The "are you old enough to fly" I don't mind. I'd much rather that than people thinking I am old. |
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August 5th, 2007, 22:02
| #22 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Long Island NY
Posts: 507
| Re: Questions you get sick of answering I have two that really stick out in my mind, but there not really questions. One was as we were getting off the airplane as soon as I stepped out this lady starts yelling and cursing at me that they haven't taken the valet checked bags of. She was really in my face, saying she had a tight connection which I can understand. But mean while an hour and a half later I see her wandering around the terminal. Must have been a real tight connection. The other was when I was going through security this old lady comes through behind me and while I am in uniform mind you asks me "Why don't you have to take off your shoes"? I told her that I'm a crew member. She than tells me " Well thats a real hold in the system". yea lady I only fly the airplane, I'm gonna smuggle in a shoe bomb. |
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August 5th, 2007, 22:08
| #23 |
| Junior Member  Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Nowhere
Posts: 173
| Re: Questions you get sick of answering I got this last time I went home: "So when are they going to let you start flying?" "Umm... I'm a commercial pilot." "Oh... so does that mean you've started flying already?" |
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August 5th, 2007, 22:50
| #24 |
| Junior Member  Join Date: May 2007 Location: Earth
Posts: 119
| Re: Questions you get sick of answering I get annoyed with the "usual commercial pilot" questions I have read here. I get tired of the questions about whether i can fly a "big jet." or "so can you fly by your self yet?" "Uhh, did that years ago..." I have one set of friends that get on my "aviation oriented nerves" endlessly. They live in Florida, and are horrified of flying. My friends wife is convinced that "airplanes fall out of the sky." and I try and tell her, but she doesn't buy into it, which I take as a threat, because I feel that it questions my authority on these issues... I try and rationalize with her and the end all response is "then why do they crash?" Its pointless.... *sigh* On the flight instructor end. I get sick of the following: "Why can't I just put it in my GPS?" "Who needs that NDB, VOR, ADF, OBS, stuff when I have a GPS?" "Why do I need to know how to talk to the tower? I will never use it." |
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August 5th, 2007, 22:54
| #25 |
| Old Skool  Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Vegas
Posts: 2,014
| Re: Questions you get sick of answering It used to go: "What kind of pilot are you?" "Um...Commercial pilot, and instrument too!" [Just to make it fun] "So do they let you go by yourself yet?" "With my eyes closed!" People get it a lot quicker now that I just say: "I fly skydivers." but they still ask if I jump out too, so I tell them: "Nah, we like to reuse the plane."
__________________ And she calls from the doorway "Stolen water is sweet, so lets drink it in the darkness if you know what I mean" |
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