# 10 Things 'Real Pilots' Do **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 18, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-things-real-pilots-do/688684 "2014-05-18T19:00:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-things-real-pilots-do/688684/1 "2014-05-18T19:00:41Z")
[10 things “real pilots” do](http://airfactsjournal.com/2014/05/10-things-real-pilots/) > [@](#): > > **7. Real pilots fly the right airplane for their mission, skills and budget.** One of my least favorite phrases in all of aviation is, “I _only_ fly a Cessna 172.” Real pilots don’t care if they are flying a fancy new King Air or a well-loved Skyhawk. Both are excellent airplanes, depending on the mission, and both require real pilots to fly them. Heck, I’d be _ecstatic_ if I ‘only’ had a [Cessna 172](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessna_172)! (Of course a [Schweizer 300](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schweizer_300) would be more fun, if much less practical. 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-things-real-pilots-do/688684/2 "2014-05-19T09:08:58Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > (Of course a [Schweizer 300](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schweizer_300) would be more fun, if much less practical. 😉 ) Also great fun is a [Schweizer 2-32](http://www.seaboardairlines.org/spar/activities/gj07ct.jpg) or even the lowly [Schweizer 2-33](http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/models/aircraft/Schweizer2-33.html)! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-things-real-pilots-do/688684/3 "2014-05-19T22:54:12Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Also great fun is a [Schweizer 2-32](http://www.seaboardairlines.org/spar/activities/gj07ct.jpg) or even the lowly [Schweizer 2-33](http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/models/aircraft/Schweizer2-33.html)! Damn, I used to fly a Schweizer 2-22. Those pics brought back some vivid memories. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-things-real-pilots-do/688684/4 "2014-05-19T23:57:24Z")
a good list. I’ve always tried to push myself a little and it’s paid off in bad situations. I was also specifically taught not to get sucked into technology and that’s paid off in bad situations. I learned to fly and am part owner in the plane I helped build. It’s 150 hp of 2 seater camping fun. Wish I could afford the fuel to fly it. Maybe Oshkosh. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-things-real-pilots-do/688684/5 "2014-05-21T04:34:14Z")
You can do all 10 of those things all the time and still be a menace in the sky. There is so much more to being a good pilot. A real pilot just has a legal license & medical. There are hundreds of saying about airplanes & pilots. Some are cute, funny, right on. Like: The three most useless things in aviation. ( And some will argue about these. ) Altitude above you. Runway behind you. Fuel on the ground. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-things-real-pilots-do/688684/6 "2014-05-21T04:53:21Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > There are hundreds of saying about airplanes & pilots. Some are cute, funny, right on. Step on the ball. Altitude is insurance. There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-things-real-pilots-do/688684/7 "2014-05-21T20:27:47Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > The three most useless things in aviation… > > Fuel on the ground. ‘You never can have too much fuel – unless you’re on fire.’ It’s Airplane Raffle time again. This one’s a '75 C-172. Got three tix last month, and just got three more. The maximum number of tickets to sold is 3,000. So I have at least a chance in 500 (0.2% chance) to win. Unfortunately, I lose when the odds are 50-50. So my chances are actually one in a million. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-things-real-pilots-do/688684/8 "2014-05-21T21:05:20Z")
Do they shit in the woods?