Are some pilots and aviation enthusiasts one-trick ponies?

[dell30rb]

My main interests are the three F's you should rent. So far I have managed to only rent airplanes. I did recently buy a project Albemarle that's going to cut into flying time.

I also enjoy duck hunting.


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[silver-eagle]

I fly for fun. Most of my friends and acquaintances know this. If they want a ride, they need only ask. If they ask about flying, I'm more than happy to talk about it but I'm diverse enough to talk about enough other things, like my friends craft or the other ones who shoot, ride motorcycles, or drive sports cars. Well, except for any kind of crafts, I do that too.
It does seem though, airports attract hangar flying as do flyings or breakfasts.

 

[Everskyward]

The idea that managers are needed is based in the industrial revolution's concept that individuals are like cogs in a machine and the assembly line needs supervisors.

Specialists are usually good at their own specialty but don't necessarily know much about someone else's specialty. You need managers who see the big picture. That's not to say that all managers are good at it, in fact few are. Many are promoted because they were good at being specialists and still can't see very far past their own specialty.

 

[jfrye01]

I don't bring up flying unless someone else does. Then, I feel embarrassed talking about it. FWIW, I have severe social anxiety, so maybe that's a part of it. I often tag along when my dad goes to events with his millionaire oil company buddies, and of course, being a broke college kid, I never fit in. Almost all of them know I'm a pilot, and they love to ask me all kinds of questions about it. If they don't know I'm a pilot, my dad makes sure to shoehorn it into a conversation. Most embarrassingly was the time I met Tony Stewart, who is an acquaintance of my dad's. My dad immediately says "this is my son Jacob, and he's a pilot." Cue the flying questions. I felt awkward because I was the one who should've been asking Tony about racing...Always embarrassed to talk flying. lol

 

[jonnyjetprop]

I don't bring up flying airliners with people. I don't even like being identified as an airline pilot when I'm riding in back.

I don't talk GA unless someone asks. When I'm flying GA, I don't bring up my day job either. If someone asks, I'll tell them.

It's just not impressive to most people that I'm a pilot. I'm OK with that.

 

[Jimmy cooper]

Airline pilots at one time were looking very good. Pressed uniforms, shoes polished to the max, etc. mostly now they look like hicks. Sloppy haircuts, uniforms lousy and shoes worn and scuffed. Many many back then were ex military and looked squared away. Back then many did not make a lot of money but probably had more pride.

 

[denverpilot]

How about ringing up the boss when you know something is not right? Then getting fired for it. This happened quite a bit during the economic meltdown starting in 2007. Wall Street decided to privatize profits and socialize losses. No one has been found guilty.( slap on the wrist fines don't count) This has to change as does sending millions of jobs overseas, cutting back on R&D, absurd salarys for lousy managers, etc. etc. fuld at Lehman bros. A classic example.

I've seen plenty of cases where internal whistleblowers were ignored. Only a handful of firings of same. Got examples of it being "widespread"?

I agree with your assessment to a point but there was also cluelessness going on. Especially on the part of the regulators. Much of the "banking crisis" was really an insurance crisis.

In really simple terms you had government make it necessary for banks to loan to deadbeats who didn't deserve the loans in the first place, banks who did and insured for their losses, all with a tiny number of insurers.

Calling that all "Wall Street" is a bit much. A few streets in Washington D.C. were most assuredly involved. Paved with gold via kickbacks at elections, even.

All systems have flaws. But I've met those engineers who blame a systemic problem on a particular piece and refused to look at the system as a whole. They usually have the title "Jr. Engineer".

 

[denverpilot]

The resources on the micro scale aren't the problem, it's the resources on the macro scale that are the issue, food, energy, and the most critical, fresh water. These processes need to be combined for efficiency, the energy and fresh water, or we will not have the capability of producing enough fresh water for the consumption and agriculture required for 9billion people to exist. At that point your oil change will be irrelevant.

Which will all happen at the micro level first at significant personal financial risk. Grab some friends and get the investor pool started.

 

[WakeNCAgent]

I'm sure the one trick pony monicker applies to many. As the old saying goes, "How do you know there's a pilot in the room? They'll tell you!" I try not to bring it up because it always leaves you answering questions and isn't conducive to a balanced dialogue, in most situations. I don't personally care if there are one trick ponies, however. While I'm glad I don't fall into that category, I don't judge people for it either. I'm just happy there are others that share that interest and that's all that matters; especially when they post videos on YouTube for me to enjoy.

 

[skynewbie]

I scuba dive, race cars and sail besides aviation. More people want to go sailing than flying and I'm starting a sailing club to split costs and make sailing easier since it takes a few people to help lighten the workload. Funny same thing more folks outside of GA rather get excited by fancy cars, motorcycles or boats. But you can buy a cheap tail dragger or simple plane like a C150 for the cost of a new Harley bike and have more fun.

 

[denverpilot]

But you can buy a cheap tail dragger or simple plane like a C150 for the cost of a new Harley bike and have more fun.

Not if you include training costs.

 

[Everskyward]

My dad immediately says "this is my son Jacob, and he's a pilot." Cue the flying questions.

I can relate to that. When I was younger I had relatives who would introduce me as if "the pilot" was a suffix to my name which I found embarassing. But I was young then, now that I'm old I don't get embarrassed by much.

 

[kayoh190]

I was a software developer in my former life, so I still nerd out on occasion and do some coding - usually on equipment that hasn't been supported in decades. I try to get out to the beach or on my mountain bike when I can too. Anything on the water or up in the mountains makes me happy.

For reasons already stated above, I don't mention the flying thing too often. Especially the airline bit - then I get to hear about every bad airline experience the other person has had. My wife is in the business too, so the biggest struggle is to avoid talking shop with her too much.

 

[ateamer]

Airline pilots at one time were looking very good. Pressed uniforms, shoes polished to the max, etc. mostly now they look like hicks. Sloppy haircuts, uniforms lousy and shoes worn and scuffed. Many many back then were ex military and looked squared away. Back then many did not make a lot of money but probably had more pride.

They crashed more often. I'll take the flight that has a better chance of getting there in one piece regardless of if they shined their shoes.

 

[jonnyjetprop]

They crashed more often. I'll take the flight that has a better chance of getting there in one piece regardless of if they shined their shoes.

I think their uniforms were pressed and shoes shined because the airlines used to pay for dry cleaning, pressing, and shining shoes. Most old time pilots that I flew with were the cheapest guys in the room.

Rob pensions, cut pay by 50% or more, and treat employees like they are disposable and see what you get.

Yes, the old guys crashed more too. Some of it due to technology and some due to attitude.

 

[Henning]

I think their uniforms were pressed and shoes shined because the airlines used to pay for dry cleaning, pressing, and shining shoes. Most old time pilots that I flew with were the cheapest guys in the room.

Rob pensions, cut pay by 50% or more, and treat employees like they are disposable and see what you get.

Yes, the old guys crashed more too. Some of it due to technology and some due to attitude.

Exactly, it used to be when you went through the hotel airline uniforms would hang on the door knob with the shoes right there too. I haven't seen that in a long time.

 

[jfrye01]

I never talk about it unless someone asks.

Typical questions asked:

"how big of an airplane can you fly?"

"Can you fly a jet?"

"how much would it cost for you to fly me to Hawaii?"

Hahaha! Glad I'm not the only one this happens to. I always get asked "How much would it cost to fly to Vegas?" or "How much would it cost to fly to (insert some other impractical destination for a 172)?"
Then they're always disappointed by how long it would take to get there...
"IT WOULD TAKE 8 HOURS TO GET TO VEGAS?? I CAN GET THERE IN TWO HOURS ON SOUTHWEST!!" Well, go fly Southwest then, and stop asking me stupid questions .

 

[Kaniki]

Explaining my day job either makes people's eyes glaze over or renders me too intimidating to talk to, so I try to avoid it where possible. So I talk about my hobbies. Flying. Shooting. Designing and making stuff. Travel. Mostly, we end up talking about the travel.

But people don't expect a woman to have hobbies like "flying" and "shooting," so I seem to avoid the stereotyping y'all are describing.

 

[Jimmy cooper]

They crashed more often. I'll take the flight that has a better chance of getting there in one piece regardless of if they shined their shoes.

Wise a$$ answer and wrong. Before jets were big, many pilots did not make big dough and flew things like Connie's ( with engines that were nightmares, Martin 404s, DC3s, ) on and on. They did not have the nav aids we now enjoy but they were for the most part military trained which was very good for it got rid of a lot of whiners and nut cases early on. The passengers usually dressed quite well and so did the pilots. ( a buddy started with eastern for 365 bucks a month and one uniform, former P2V pilot in navy. ) today the passengers dress like bums and a lot of pilots seem to follow suit. It's a miracle that there were not more accidents in past years considering the aircraft used, the nav aids etc. today a wimp has to have a gps, ipad, to go 50 miles VFR to get a hamburger in a cub. The advent of jet engines over recips and gps changed everything. Much safer.

 

[overdrive148]

I never talk about it unless someone asks.

Typical questions asked:

"how big of an airplane can you fly?"

"Can you fly a jet?"

"how much would it cost for you to fly me to Hawaii?"

And then they tell me it's too expensive and it'd take too long to get anywhere. Faster than a car!

 

[jordane93]

I never talk about it unless someone asks.

Typical questions asked:

"how big of an airplane can you fly?"

"Can you fly a jet?"

"how much would it cost for you to fly me to Hawaii?"

I get the first two questions also. It typically goes, how long have you've flown? What's the farthest you've flown? So this means you can fly a 747?

 

[gismo]

Not if you include training costs.

Not to mention that you should be comparing the cost of a new trainer with a new Harley or used in both markets.

 

[gismo]

Would you consider a person a "one trick pony" if they took up hobbies one at a time but stayed focused on their hobby du jour? I've known more than a few people who got seriously into aviation then dropped out to do something else. Some switched hobbies like that several times.

 

[Jimmy cooper]

Any E Scows out there? see if you can get a ride on one! lots of fun!