How could they be laughing with her if she’s not laughing?
You are one scary broad.
Oh, but wait. You’re a PILOT. That makes you better’n us.
Get over yourself.
No, she’s pissed off because it is a useless measure that points the finger at GA pilots while doing nothing to improve safety.
I said nothing about dropping stuff out of airplanes. I said a Cherokee Six (or Beech Baron or Cessna 210 or any of a number of other GA aircraft) fully loaded with TNT could make a pretty big boom. The fact that these aircraft do not make up the majority of the GA fleet is beside the point. None of them would look out of place at a GA airport or in GA traffic patterns.
Yes, I do - and I’m worth every penny. During my work hours I am quite dedicated. But I play as hard as I work.
First of all, it’s not his plane, or the company’s plane. The company policy absolutely forbids the use of anything but airlines for business purposes, it certainly wouldn’t own a plane. And HE certainly wouldn’t own one!
I rent airplanes on an hourly basis from my local airport - an airport in a different state than my employer is located.
And for me, flying IS a vacation!
Well, yes, there are folks worse off, and I wish everyone had a life as good as mine - if not better. But I still have my gripes.
Oh, do be my guest – there’s room enough for everyone’s ranting and screaming here.
Understood. 
Believe me, I’m always ready for a better opportunity.
Yep, Johnny’s got it right.
Actually, this VP and several other managerial staff at various levels have been cautioned about this issue before. I’m not the only one at work involved in “extreme sports” that entail a certain amount of risk. HR has told these folks that they do NOT have authority over the activities of employees during their off-time, only work time.
So… if I was on a business trip the VP would be within his rights to forbid me from checking out a local airport while I’m on the trip, or flying anything while the company is paying for my transportation, lodginge, etc… but most certainly he has no say when it’s on MY time and MY money.
Heck, I don’t mind it if the non-pilots say something like “Is it OK to fly when it’s this cold?” or “Aren’t those clouds a problem?” or “Is this too much wind?” because those are reasonable questions to ask - very much what I ask myself when I’m checking out the weather before a flight. And I’m happy to explain to the degree the other person wants to hear. Or sometimes just a “I’ve had the training to handle these conditions, and experience with them, and I have complete confidence I can handle them.” is sufficient. I mean, that IS a sign they give a damn about my welfare.
But this guy categorically branded small plane flying as TOO DANGEROUS. To be honest, I do not keep photos of my ultralight and experimental flying at my work space because many people do find that variety of flight disturbing (many of the planes are a seat slung under a wing - no floors, walls, doors, windshields… I’m quite happy sitting in one at 7000 feet, but this is not for everyone, even many pilots, and I try to be sensitive to that). But general aviation in factory-built airplanes should not be generating fear and terror in my co-workers. In fact, most reactions are quite positive.
Precisely. Just as I may speculate on medical matters, I still recognize I do not have the education and training to BE a doctor, diagnose, treat, or make recommendations on medical matters. If someone is sick I don’t play doctor - I tell them to see a doctor.
Likewise, this MD (he is an MD, with multiple certifications beyond that) is in no way qualified to make judgements about the safety of flight, beyond whether or not he chooses to set foot on an airplane in the first place. He is certainly free to speculate, question, wonder, or fear - but not to pass such judgements on behalf of other people. ESPECIALLY not on behalf of a trained and certified pilot in good standing with the Federal agencies that govern such activities.
Yes, it does piss us women off. Just as it pisses off black pilots or Hispanic pilots or handicapped pilots or any other sub-group of pilots who gets dumped on due to the prejudices of non-pilots. Fortunately, we seldom have to deal with this from other pilots (there are a few exceptions), but many of the non-flying public are laboring under bad information or assumptions.
As an example - a gentleman at my airport I’ll call Mr. K was standing about one day, very non-descript in blue jeans and sweatshirt, then climbs into an airplane. A “tourist” exclaims “stop that man! He just got in an airplane!”
Well, we all looked at each other, then back at the tourist and said, “Well, yeah, he OWNS that plane.”
The tourist said “but… but… he’s too short to be a pilot!” (He IS short - about an inch shorter than me, and I’m not very big)
And someone else said “Holy shit - you’re right! Quick, someone call that guy’s boss - Southwest Airlines is going shit their pants when they realize they’ve given a captain’s seat on a 737 to a man too short be flying!”
Indeed. And Human Resources even sides with me (and others) on this.
It may not be sexual chauvanism - there is the fact that some executives view certain activities as inappropriate for those “beneath” a certain level. In other words, it might be OK for a CEO or upper level executive or a doctor to take flying lessons, but not a secretary or a nurse. The fact a subordinate several levels down on the hierarchy is performing an activity that scares the piss out him may also be messing with his mind.
As pointed out earlier - being a pilot isn’t HUGELY remarkable, lots of people have done it, and it’s well within the capability of the average human being if they desire to do it. Most folks don’t. That’s OK. For those who do - it IS an accomplishment, just as it would be an accomplishment to learn a new language, learn to play an instrument, learn to paint, earn a college degree, run a marathon… Something to be proud of regardless of how many others have lead the way.
So… would this person tell someone not to train for a marathon? Don’t bother to learn to play the piano? “Don’t paint - they contain toxic chemicals! You’ll strain your eyes! People will think you’re eccentric! I can’t do it - neither can you!” THAT’s how it comes across.
Or maybe he’s a male chauvinist pig, disguising his bigotry with “concern”. I don’t interact with him enough to really be sure on this. God knows, the Loop has been a tense place to be this week and that ALWAYS brings out the worst in people - witness my exceedingly pissy/bitchy opening to this thread.
[sub]:: note to self ::
Broomstick cannot recognize humor if it isn’t accompanied by a fucking billboard stating it is so …
Good to know.[/sub]
Dr. Lao has it.
Although I’ve been flying in the Chicago area since 1995 I’ve never had a desire to fly over the Loop. After working there 5 days a week for 18 years when the weekend comes I want to be anywhere BUT there.
Frankly, damn few pilots have ever had much desire to slalom through the skyscrapers because there isn’t much room and the air currents are just too damn weird for comfort most of the time. Circle at a distance, yes, but not actually fly among them. When that IS called for - during construction, for instance, on top of the tallest skyscrapers or news reporting - it’s done by helicoptors, which are far far better suited to the conditions there. I’ve tried it a few times on MS Flight Simulator with the realism turned up and … well, it’s not fun and frequently not possible. This has nothing to do with me wanting to cruise over downtown Chicago.
It’s fear mongering. It’s disinformation. It’s telling people this will keep them safe and it won’t. It’s LIE told by the Mayor for his own political gain. And it’s a fucking insult.
Unlike my driver’s license, which is not valid abroad, my pilot’s license is good anywhere in the world. I have the legal authority to fly into O’Hare or LAX or Heathrow or any other huge busy airport, should I so desire (and I don’t - {{{shudder}}} - but I could) - but I can’t be trusted to conduct myself properly over the City of Chicago?
Yes, I can see a valid reason for restricting flights over DC (although I’m not happy about it) or NYC over the WTC site or keeping out of military missle testing areas and so forth… but this… this is ridiculous. Except make GA pilots look like dangerous lunatics and terrorists. It makes as much sense as shutting down all the Interstates to prevent drunk driving. Actually, it makes even less sense.
COULD a small plane be used for terrorism? Yes, it could… I can think of several ways to do so. But with only one exception (which I will not detail here, but has NOTHING to do with skyscrapers or buildings of any size) a car or truck is FAR more efficient, able to deliver more mayhem, and certainly easier to obtain, use, and less arousing of suspicion than an aircraft. The 9/11 hijackers were pilots, and they rented small airplanes, yet rather than rent a GA plane which they could load without going through security they went through the considerable risk and trouble to hijack 757’s and 767’s. Hell, the type of plane favored by Mohammed Atta for his own flying rents for about $80 an hour - much cheaper than an airline ticket in most cases. AND easier to fly. Maybe that should tell us something… but God forbid we do anything other than bail out the airline industry and piss on the GA pilots who did nothing and are no more a threat - nay, probably LESS a threat - than a man driving down I-94 at the wheel of a gasoline tanker.
Pilots are handy scapegoats - we’re rich (ha! Certainly not after paying for our airplanes!), arrogant, egotistical, selfish (should spend that money on the poor - not ourselves, right?), and need to be taken down a peg or two, right? Shown that we’re no better than anyone else, right? Flying is noisy, it wastes gas, it… well, you get the idea.
It’s bullshit.
And THAT’s why I object to the TFR. It’s bullshit.
If there’s a valid threat - FINE, let’s do something. But do something constructive. Not just a useless gesture to make ignorant, phobic people feel better but remain just as vulnerable. AND annoy the piss out of law-abiding citizens.
Or maybe you aren’t as funny as you think you are.
:wally
Nah. I think I nailed it the first time.
Because, I swear, if you honestly couldn’t recognize the fact that I wasn’t being serious in my first post in this thread, then not only are you utterly humorless, your as dumb as box full of hammers too.
Naw… you’re just an asshole. Who likes to jab people who are upset and pissed off then retreat with a “just kidding” when they get ticked off. And, oh yes, call them stupid.
To quote William Shatner - “Double-dumb ass on you!” Neener neener neener.
If you find me so unpleasent, and you aren’t enjoying yourself, why do you return here?
Who says I’m not enjoying myself?
I didn’t find you unpleasant at all, untill you revealed yourself as an unpleasent little shit.
I’m not reatreating from anything. You didn’t like my little lightheartedness and turned into me attacking a poor tortured soul. See a fucking psychiatrist if you’re that fragile.
Fucking weenie.
you all suck, fuck.
Let’s see, you’ve called me a dickhead, utterly humorless, dumb as a box of hammers, an unpleasent little shit, and a weenie. Oh, excuse me, that was a fucking weenie, wasn’t it?
Now who’s being the unpleasent little shit, Jack Batty?
Got news for you - I wasn’t put here on this earth to stroke your ego, amuse you, or please you, or anything of the sort. I’m not interested in the fact you don’t like my conduct - if you think I’m being that horrifically unreasonable go bitch to a mod, maybe they’ll spank me for it on your behalf.
I also find it sort of interesting that a significant portion of the insults you hurled at me involve male genitalia, which I happen to lack entirely. I’m not sure what you may or may not be implying about that, it just strikes me as either very peculiar or very unimaginative.
If you are waiting for some sort of apology you will not get it.
Are you being a troll?
Or just annoying?
Life is not a popularity contest, and neither are my rants. It distresses me not at all that you do not approve of me, or like me, or whatever - you are hardly the first and will not be the last.
I could not give less of a shit what your purpose is.
And I’m not going to go running to a mod, because this is the Pit, which is pretty much the place to flame posters who are fuck-nuggets, i.e. - you.
I didn’t start this shit storm. It was you. I’m just calling them like I see them.
For fuck sake broomstick, Read his post again. He did not belittle anything you said in the OP, he just made a joke about your username and the topic, nothing relating to the content.
I’m beginning to think those who accused you of flying a broomstick were almost right, because I’m sure there is some sort of stick in proximity to your ass.
Broomie dear, your boss is the asshole, not Jack Batty. Don’t let your anger with him become misdirected toward the undeserving.
Did you say anything to the guy when he told you not to fly? I agree with you, he’s got some explaining to do!
I think Broomstick was understandably upset by her boss’s attitude. Jack Batty came in and made a joke, not knowing how pissed off she really was. Broomstick, still pissed off, misunderstood his intent. Jack Batty fires back, since he’s not involved in the situation.
Frankly it all sounds like a misunderstanding.
Broomstick: Please accept that Jack Batty was just trying to be funny, and that he became angry when you didn’t see the joke.
Jack Batty: Please understand that jokes are sometimes not appropriate. (And in my life I’ve had personal experience in saying the wrong thing at the wrong time!) We all have our sore spots, and badgering isn’t helping. The correct response would have been, “I’m sorry, Broomstick. It was only a joke.” instead of “That’s the spirit!”
The thread has broken down into a pissing contest brought about by misunderstandings, high emotions, and a refusal on the part of both participants to see the other’s position.
Come on. Shake hands, you two!
Three issues have been brought up here relative to my post.
One is about comparative building-bashing abilities of small planes v. trucks. Since I didn’t raise the question of building-bashing, I honestly don’t give a flip about that. Relative to my comments, it’s a straw man. Burn it.
The second is about small planes v. commercial-size jetliners with respect to building-bashing. Ditto.
The issue I did raise was that of small planes as a means of dispersing biological or chemical agents. Broomstick has, in effect, said that only crop-dusters can be used in this manner with any effectiveness.
What, it would be impossible to outfit a Cessna with a tank of chemicals and a hose or pipe with a sprayer that released the nasty stuff back of the tail somewhere, so that the stuff dispersed as it drifted earthward?
I realize I’m no expert on small planes, but I find this hard to believe.
I also regard the “pointing the finger at GA” issue to be another red herring. Nobody thinks the typical GA pilot is a terrorist. But 9/11 has forced us to consider what generally benign technologies could be used as instruments of terror. How that amounts to ‘finger-pointing’ is quite beyond me.
You could take out the right seat of a 172 and take off the door and roll a drum of nastiness onto an unsuspecting crowd. You could mount a machine gun in it if you wanted to. But any vehicle can be made into a weapon. It’s a matter of likelihood.
It amounts to “finger pointing” because terrorist attacks have been made using commercial jets and rental trucks. And yet, no one has proposed banning commercial jets or rental trucks. People have proposed banning General Aviation aircraft even though the only “terrorist” attacks have been by a misguided teen who only managed to kill himself and cause some minor damage to a building, and a suicidal pilot who tried to hit the White House a few years ago and missed. When people point to commercial jets and conclude that GA aircraft must be banned, and ignore rental trucks altogether, then I think that that amounts to “finger-pointing”.