Public perception of pilots...

///AMG said:
Father in law asked me the other day if I have to take my airplane off auto-pilot to land. Suffice to say that the general public thinks we basically press a button before takeoff, and un-press it after landing. He sounded genuinely confused when I told him that I rarely use pilot relief modes aside from long cross country transits after I get to cruise altitude.
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I have pilots react with shock all the time that I'm flying single pilot IFR cross country with no autopilot or GPS. No offense to the guys on the board, but it seems like the military guys are the most shocked. Of course, I usually only see students, so maybe that has something to do with it.
 
msmspilot said:
I have pilots react with shock all the time that I'm flying single pilot IFR cross country with no autopilot or GPS. No offense to the guys on the board, but it seems like the military guys are the most shocked. Of course, I usually only see students, so maybe that has something to do with it.
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Not shocked. Many of us do the exact same thing
<----- single pilot single seat IFR jet dude who doesn't have an ILS, VOR, or a legal GPS.... :)
 
msmspilot said:
OMG!!!! How does the plane even leave the ground!!!?!?!??! :)
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I think the public thinks everyone has a g1000. And specifically to the military, I think folks think our stuff is a lot fancier than it really is. Most pilots in general are baffled when I tell them we are tacan only as far as approaches are concerned.
 
msmspilot said:
I have pilots react with shock all the time that I'm flying single pilot IFR cross country with no autopilot or GPS. No offense to the guys on the board, but it seems like the military guys are the most shocked. Of course, I usually only see students, so maybe that has something to do with it.
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Where's your automation now?

0387501.jpg
 
I can't believe ESPN would put out something like that about pilots. It really makes the general publi...........whoops gotta run! CSR is coming out with the fresh Otis Spunkmeyers!
 
msmspilot said:
I have pilots react with shock all the time that I'm flying single pilot IFR cross country with no autopilot or GPS. No offense to the guys on the board, but it seems like the military guys are the most shocked. Of course, I usually only see students, so maybe that has something to do with it.
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Which "military guys"? If it's students, as you say, then they indeed have an extremely limited understanding of, and exposure to, aviation in general.

My bet is that there are plenty of winged guys who would think that, though, as well.

I can't speak for the USN, but there is a big segment of the USAF "heavy" population that are pretty heavily reliant on GPS and autopilot starting at 400' AGL after takeoff and until just prior to the VDP on the approach. My bet is that they're the ones who would be shocked.

To any fighter or bomber dude, what you're talking about would be called "standard".
 
///AMG said:
I think the public thinks everyone has a g1000. And specifically to the military, I think folks think our stuff is a lot fancier than it really is. Most pilots in general are baffled when I tell them we are tacan only as far as approaches are concerned.
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You get an HLS. Also known as PAR. :biggrin: Far better than the ILS, as far as I'm concerned.
 
GX said:
You get an HLS. Also known as PAR. :biggrin: Far better than the ILS, as far as I'm concerned.
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Yeah all good and well when you don't need to divert to a field with no PAR. It is what it is, and we as a culture have worked around it. But yes, I'd take a *good* PAR controller over ILS any day, but not all are created equal.
 
///AMG said:
Yeah all good and well when you don't need to divert to a field with no PAR. It is what it is, and we as a culture have worked around it. But yes, I'd take a *good* PAR controller over ILS any day, but not all are created equal.
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Is this really still the case in the Navy—approaches TACAN only except ASR/PAR? I know that Point Mugu NAWS (NTD) had the first ILS-at-a-Navy Base installed because there was, in a word, "no freaking way" the United States Air Force (not unjustifiably) would let some E-3 PAR controller talk Air Force 1 down when President Reagan wanted to come to Simi Valley for a visit.
 
Autothrust Blue said:
Is this really still the case in the Navy—approaches TACAN only except ASR/PAR? I know that Point Mugu NAWS (NTD) had the first ILS-at-a-Navy Base installed because there was, in a word, "no freaking way" the United States Air Force (not unjustifiably) would let some E-3 PAR controller talk Air Force 1 down when President Reagan wanted to come to Simi Valley for a visit.
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There are a few NAS's that have ACLS or ICLS. For those that aren't aware, we have a system called ICLS that is used at the boat, which exactly replicates a civilian ILS, aside from the fact that it is a different system and our gear is not compatible with civilian ILS. ACLS is a different thing, but is another form of precision approach guidance. But yes, Oceana included, there a couple bases where you can use the boat ILS. They aren't exactly the highest priority though, so it is not uncommon to see them inop or down for mx. For reference, I've used the ACLS at NTU exactly once at the controller's request, and both of us in the flight had to break out our in flight guides to figure out wth the D/L freq was at our home field. So not commonly used from what I've seen here so far.

Some other communities have civilian ILS now. I believe the Prowler just got it, and the P-3 and helo crowd have had it for a while. Not sure why the Hornet and otherwise jet/tacair community has such an aversion to adding it, but it is what it is.
 
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