It must have been good then.....

Sprint100

Well-Known Member
I remember being interviewed for a charter gig(non-pilot position) and the interviewer noted that pilots don't hang around the airport like they used to. She rambled about how guys would be looking to hop a flight somewhere or just learn and share with other pilots.
My dream is to have aviation back at that level. Only having pure, sincere pilots in the skies. People that truly love flying whether its a Seminole or CitationJet. Pilots being well respected social figures and not just another occupation.
That won't bring all the candy and fluff back to the industry, like most perceive it to be, but at least an airport would be like a holy ground LOL.
 
It's not just pilots that have lost their social "status." Doctors and lawyers and really all the top professions have become "just another job" to a lot of folks. Just look at how many doctors get sued.

And I'd argue it all started with Watergate ... after that we as a nation lost our trust in our government and as a byproduct any authority figure.

Not that that's an entirely bad thing, however.
 
I think that part of the problem is that there aren't very many more sincere FBO's anymore. Of course, we have "Super-Mega-Jet", with 5 million served daily...as long as you buy 200 gallons, they'll treat you well!! You know, I've been told that "Loitering isn't allowed here, you'll have to leave...."!! What kind of crap is that?? (I really hope that it's because they didn't want me loitering, and not because I was in a deep-southern city....). I like to be an optimist!!! But you're right! The days of going to the airport just to be there are comming to an end!!!
 
Hear, hear.
The traditions of aviaiton are slowly dwindling away, and thats a tragedy. If only there were something we could do about it...
 
Let's riot, that'll fix everything.

After that we'll have a peace protest.

Then we'll protest the protest.

Ah yes...I can see it all taking shape now (all said in a Mr.Burns voice).

Cheers


John Herreshoff
 
Eeexcellent!

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[ QUOTE ]
Let's riot, that'll fix everything.

After that we'll have a peace protest.

Then we'll protest the protest.

Ah yes...I can see it all taking shape now (all said in a Mr.Burns voice).



[/ QUOTE ]

Just to keep up with the times make sure it's a violent peace protest LOL.
 
Times are always changing and unfortunately there is nothing one can do about it. Who knows how the pilot profession will be regarded as in 30 years? Maybe things are changing for the better?
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The times really have changed... compare the era of the war in Iraq to WWII... people served back then and they were proud to serve. People didn't have threat levels based on the friggin' rainbow; they just went out and worked (hard). People really respected the authority of the government. They trusted their elected representitives. They didn't have fundamentalist terrorists or a crisis in the middle east. They didn't have hidden sleeper cells. They had what was considered a clearly defined good and evil. Life was simple... what has changed? It seems as though while time goes on, the would becomes a progressively more volitile place with mere sporadic bursts of economic and social boom undercut by recession. This is a frightening trend. A study was condicted in the past two years which said that most people in Europe and the Middle East hate us because we are Americans. Something has to change on this planet, because we must refuse to let this go on.
And now I will shut up....
 
Sorry to hear about your "loitering" problem mtsu, it must have hurt your feelings. I like to airport rat when I put around, and luckily haven't had any bad vibes. Mostly other pilots sharing that open common bond of ours. That's the best.

And John H, excellent on the great Mr. Burns funny comments. Ah yes, and then we'll kill ourselves, no wait, SIMPSON come in here now!! (spoken in Mr. Burns voice)

And yes, pilots don't seem to be held in such asteem nowadays as they were. Some of it may be to the media and reporting of pilot doings as drinking at the bar etc.
 
MTSU - you're welcomed at TPF any day.

That's one of the things I love about the FBO I fly out of - they encourage folks to come out - sit out on the benches and just watch planes, talk about planes.... whatever.

I haven't experienced the lack of enthusiasm at any of the FBO's that I've been to, but most certainly, the days of going out to any MAJOR airport and just sitting on a deck, in the terminal or on top of a parking garage - and just watching planes takeoff and land - are LONG gone.

That has a lot to do with security concerns - real or imagined.

The world she is a changin'.
 
Ehh, I don't think about it too much. I just consider the fact that if it wasn't for change and progress, we all wouldn't be chatting right now about how much change sucks.

I think about the 40's and 50's era of flying, and I really think it was truly romantic back then. The "Golden Age." However, I also think even with all the problems this age is pretty damn good.
 
My opinion on the matter is this:

It's expensive to be a pilot nowadays. Back then (and now sometimes) a pilot learned to fly by knowing someone. But now between medicals, rental costs, liability etc. it's just not possible to learn to fly like that anymore.

Airports are still holy ground to me. I love going to them, and I mourn the fact that I can't go to CLE anymore just to watch the planes. I was fortunate enough to be able to share that joy with my wife before 9/11.

I do go to BKL at lunch sometimes just to hang out and watch the pattern.

The good news is that if you read what people think of the TSA etc. some of that may be coming back.

In the end, I think the big problem (with doctors and lawyers as well) is that we're all too damn busy just trying to make it. Our world is too expensive and we've been told (sub-consciously) that if we don't buy, buy, buy we've failed in life. So people trade happiness for "success", and as we've seen with Enron etc. people are willing to sell their souls for money. It's not right, and it's definately not healthy. When do people get to do what they want? When they retire? Personally I don't want to be getting around to living for myself at 65!

Perhaps what is happening to the economy right now is a good thing. Slowly people will start to learn to do with less, and maybe they'll realize that money truly isn't everything. And maybe then people will have more time to do what they want...like hang out at airports etc.

Sorry about the rambling.

Cheers.

Naunga
 
Ahh the world has always been a crazy place, it will always be a crazy place. You can't stick a couple trillon people in a contained environment and not expect for weird stuff to happen.

As far as violence goes I'd argue we're (as a wolrd) far less violent then in centuries past. The dark ages, the Crusades, Colonialism the list goes on and on. On the whole I think the nations of this world are finally starting to realize we're all in this boat together (for the most part) and are starting to play a little more nicely with one another. There are always exceptions to that but the fact that we fought a "cold wat" for 50 years lends strength to the argument we're all a little more calmer.

'Course now that I've said that the world will probably degenerate into one gigantic fist fight ...
 
Maybe it's just me, but I'm glad that NOTHING is the way that it was in the 50's or 60's....can you imagine that??
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Ditto and Kudos!!!!!!! If things were like they were in 50's and 60's this forum would have about 25% of the members it has now. To top that off, 50% of them wouldn't even be a pilot of some sort LOL.
 
They may have let me wash planes then....but the cockpit? Not impossible, but pretty unimaginable. Oh, I could tell you some stories about my flying days in North Carolina....and a few of the cities in Tennessee....
 
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