Captain So n so?

USMCmech

USMCmech

Well-Known Member
I decide to start a new topic instead of hijacking another one.


ATN_Pilot said:
Captain Woerth .... Captain Prater
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Seriously off topic, but what's with the ranks when off the clock?

Is it normal in the 121 world to keep the respective ranks in place when out of the cockpit? Were these guys prior Navy O-6s? I tell everybody I'm a pilot, and if I had wanted to be called a Captain I would have joined the Navy.

I guess technically you can refer to me as Captain Beadle, and I do wear 4 stripes on my monkey suit when I'm working, but I couldn't care less what you call me.
 
USMCmech said:
I decide to start a new topic instead of hijacking another one.




Seriously off topic, but what's with the ranks when off the clock?

Is it normal in the 121 world to keep the respective ranks in place when out of the cockpit? Were these guys prior Navy O-6s? I tell everybody I'm a pilot, and if I had wanted to be called a Captain I would have joined the Navy.

I guess technically you can refer to me as Captain Beadle, and I do wear 4 stripes on my monkey suit when I'm working, but I couldn't care less what you call me.
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I think this courtesy just applies to guys like Prater and others who occupy positions where calling them Captain would be appropriate. Senator Jones or Congressman Smith are other examples of this type courtesy. Normal 121 schmucks like me NEVER use Captain outside the workplace. I am not sure what someone like Captain Kirk or Captain Kangaroo would prefer though ??? Somehow Steve Kangaroo just doesn't have the same ring to it.
 
DV8Pilot said:
Personally I prefer to be referred to as Commodore.
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Since I work with a crew of one, I like to refer to myself as "Scott the Magnificent".


So, it's mainly guys who work in union leadership who are given that curtosey, correct? Not average line pilots, aside from the ocasional ego tripper.
 
calcapt said:
I think this courtesy just applies to guys like Prater and others who occupy positions where calling them Captain would be appropriate. Senator Jones or Congressman Smith are other examples of this type courtesy. Normal 121 schmucks like me NEVER use Captain outside the workplace. I am not sure what someone like Captain Kirk or Captain Kangaroo would prefer though ??? Somehow Steve Kangaroo just doesn't have the same ring to it.
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In most foreign cultures, being the captain still commands so much respect that it's very typical to be referred to as captain at a social gathering.
 
It's primarily a union / airline thing. For example, when voluntering for ALPA I had to deal with Herndon IT a bunch of time and they'd always call me captain, and I'd have t ocorrect them and I was just a regular line pilot. Most volunteers are probably captain. If you were an alpa member and called them they're refer to you as Captain so and so over the phone too, if you were a captain.

If there were some kind of accident or incident you'd also be referred to Captain so and so. You have to realize that the union reps ARE captains. Most of the big wigs are on union leave most of the time, though. (ATN/PCL, eh?)

As far as an airline is concerned if Management calls you captain youre in trouble. For example: Captain Smith please come down to PHX to meet the chief pilot, etc.

It's just a culture thing going all the way back to Pan Am and their clippers.
 
I don't think that it's so strange at work and when dealing with ALPA to be called "Captain." I certainly don't expect or think it's appropriate outside of work...It's funny though, walking to my car I usually get from a guy on the street or a random cabbie "What's happenin' cappy!"
 
Rampers love to call everyone with a uniform and epaulets "captain." Even FAs.

When I was in indoc for another position with my company a few years ago, the pilots were told that the at-the-time chief pilot would be stopping by, and that he should be called "captain" out of respect. Yea, I respect the chief pilot, but I didnt join the damn military.
 
Had an FO call me CA a while back. I started laughing. I had a FA that called me captain teh whole trip. I started calling her "flight attendent."
 
calcapt said:
Normal 121 schmucks like me NEVER use Captain outside the workplace.
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You'd think, but we've got a real winner over here who has Captain BlahBlah written on all his checks, and I listened to him call his vet once from the crewroom and say "This is Captain BlahBlah... I'm calling to check on Fluffy".

DV8Pilot said:
Personally I prefer to be referred to as Commodore.
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Ask Bumblebee about that.

kellwolf said:
Had an FO call me CA a while back. I started laughing. I had a FA that called me captain teh whole trip. I started calling her "flight attendent."
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On a similar note, I was grabbing a Delta 737 jumpseat from CVG to SFO the other day and kept calling the Captain "sir". He told me I'd better stop or I was going to get booted from the plane.
 
BobDDuck said:
On a similar note, I was grabbing a Delta 737 jumpseat from CVG to SFO the other day and kept calling the Captain "sir". He told me I'd better stop or I was going to get booted from the plane.
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When I was a CFI most of my students were doing the initial flight screening program from the naval academy. I included that in my first briefing lesson "do not cal me sir...I'm only a year or two older than you at the most."

It was a hard habit for them to get out of.
 
Screaming_Emu said:
When I was a CFI most of my students were doing the initial flight screening program from the naval academy. I included that in my first briefing lesson "do not cal me sir...I'm only a year or two older than you at the most."

It was a hard habit for them to get out of.
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Same here. I did the IFS program too.

Some were straight out of TBS so they just couldnt figure out how to call me by my first name. One guy even called me flight instructor Rob.

You had to be careful though because if you let them get too relaxed, they go back to base and get into trouble when they forget to flip the switch back on.
 
I knew a couple of guys that had "Captain" on their checks back when I was a freshman at Southernjets.

I think it was more common back in the day though.
 
I'm a captain....

...most of the time when I go to to starbucks here in the ATL airport. Instead of asking my name to write on my cup they just call me captain. Still haven't seen the increase in my paychecks though.
 
The beauty of just calling yourself a "pilot" is that most people automatically assume you're a captain, otherwise you would've said "co-pilot" (you know, one of those people who can't fly and are just there to polish the "pilot's" shoes for him).
 
Alchemy said:
The beauty of just calling yourself a "pilot" is that most people automatically assume you're a captain, otherwise you would've said "co-pilot" (you know, one of those people who can't fly and are just there to polish the "pilot's" shoes for him).
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When I tell people Im a pilot, which is rare because I really hate telling people. They normally still ask if I actually fly the plane, like its some amazing feat that this idiot could do it.
 
I certainly don't call any Captain "Captain" when (s)he's not at work.

In fact, if I call a Captain "Captain", (s)he's being mocked. I'll call ya Skipper at work, but that's it.

I don't give a damn if you're the President of the space union, I'm not gonna be calling you "Captain" because you like it.

It's kinda stupid!
 
mtsu_av8er said:
I certainly don't call any Captain "Captain" when (s)he's not at work.

In fact, if I call a Captain "Captain", (s)he's being mocked. I'll call ya Skipper at work, but that's it.

I don't give a damn if you're the President of the space union, I'm not gonna be calling you "Captain" because you like it.

It's kinda stupid!
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Amen. I know one or two people that like to be called "captain" at work. They would be on my "no fly" list if I were an FO. The FA never quite got it, the FO that called me "captain" got it the first time I said "Thank you, First Officer."
 
darrenf said:
[OFFTOPIC]

Spira, is that you in your avatar????

[/OFFTOPIC]
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Hahah, nah. It is one of the only 2 barred pictures I could find that hadn't already been used as an avatar by Kingairer :p


plus the batleth symbolizes my philosophy of the darwinian job search I'm conducting.


If I can't figure out the captain of a flight I'm trying to get in the jump on's name I'll either call him/her Captain or Sir/Ma'am when I'm asking permission to ride... well I DID, I dont anymore being unemployed
 
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