Looking for a Depressed Pilot

markb5900 said:
I dont' know Nick. I can't predict the future.

BUT, this guy asked for some pilots to COMMENT on the NEW FAA decision. and got nothing but flamed for TRYING to get the truth about a story. Whether he will write it that way, none of us will know, but IMHO at least he TRIED to get an honest reaction to the FAA.
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Mark, you know as well as I do that the story would be turned into a "OMG! Depressed pilots fly airplanes. Your children are targets!"

The press is not to be trusted. Not in politics, not in aviation, not with anything that we honestly care about.
 
SkyHog said:
Mark, you know as well as I do that the story would be turned into a "OMG! Depressed pilots fly airplanes. Your children are targets!"

The press is not to be trusted. Not in politics, not in aviation, not with anything that we honestly care about.
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I DON'T know that Nick!
If it was just another story, I would say yes. But THIS guy took the time to search out comments from pilots. SO, let's cut him just LITTLE slack.
 
Dave Siciliano said:
I treat reporters like anyone else: long time relationship where I know them through more than just occasional interviews--they get one set of information. Just introduced themselves on a web board and want to know about controversial stuff with no relationship--see the white space below my name.

Best,

Dave
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But Dave its still good practice to direct him to good sources such as Bruce or AOPA.
 
Once burned, twice shy. A zillion times burned,....

Does anyone really expect a positive spin to come out of the story line??

"Pilots are taking anti-depressants against FAA guidance, and this reporter is thrilled. Film at 11."

What on earth would possess a reporter to do a story criticizing the FAA's stance on anti-depressants?? That's not going to sell papers, or get people to tune in. The only story America wants to hear is that the FAA isn't tough enough.

Unknown reporter logs onto website. "Hey, anyone here violating FAA rules? I'd love to talk to you."

What do you expect, hugs, kisses and flowers????????????/
 
Anyone notice the person who posted this has not come back on the board? Deadline probably made a neat whooshing sound as it flew by....
 
Heck, I'll talk to the guy.

I'm constantly depressed. Every time I write another check for something on the airplane, I get even more depressed.
:D
 
markb5900 said:
On an open forum as this. No, not the place to "expose" yourself.
BUT, a reporter found "our" board and has asked for help in reporting the TRUTH.
Beating up the media, IMHO is not correct in this thread. It APPEARS this reporter is trying to do the right thing.
Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

PS. Suggesting Doc Bruce was about 200% the right thing to do.
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I sent the guy a PM. I'm sure it's waaaayy past deadline.
 
I am less worried about pilots taking antidepression drugs than I am about the guy in the car next to me. At least pilots are [mostly] smart enough to ground themselves when taking medicines. Drivers, on the other hand, think driving is a right. Impaired by drugs or alcohol means nothing to them.
 
markb5900 said:
I dont' know Nick. I can't predict the future.

BUT, this guy asked for some pilots to COMMENT on the NEW FAA decision. and got nothing but flamed for TRYING to get the truth about a story. Whether he will write it that way, none of us will know, but IMHO at least he TRIED to get an honest reaction to the FAA.
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No, he asked for a pilot who was previously breaking the rules to incriminate himself.

He wasn't asking for opinions from other pilots.
 
markb5900 said:
Not all web boards flame someone for asking a question.
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I'm glad you recognize that people get flamed on web boards.
There was no reasonable expectation that he wouldn't get
flames in response. btw - note that he wasn't flamed for "asking
a question."

If he applied any common sense, he probably expected some flames
but also expected that there was a reasonable chance he'd get some
pointers as well. Which is what happened.
 
The majority of pilots on SSRI antidepressants do not usually mix alcohol with them and go fly...
Sure wish I could say the same about the nutcases coming at me on the road every single day...

denny-o
 
TMetzinger said:
No, he asked for a pilot who was previously breaking the rules to incriminate himself.

He wasn't asking for opinions from other pilots.
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To be fair:

I'd love to speak with a pilot who's currently taking anti-depressants or has in the past and how they feel about the policy change.
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That says to me that he wants one of the following:

A pilot who is taking anti-depressants and is or is not flying
A pilot who has taken anti-depressants in the past and is or is not flying

Now only one of those is strictly verboten. So while he could've been looking for someone violating, he could've easily been looking for someone who may have been excluded and is finally being allowed to return to the skies, or utilize medication that will increase their quality of life.

Jus sayin. :)
 
silver-eagle said:
I am less worried about pilots taking antidepression drugs than I am about the guy in the car next to me. At least pilots are [mostly] smart enough to ground themselves when taking medicines. Drivers, on the other hand, think driving is a right. Impaired by drugs or alcohol means nothing to them.
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Even rights are prohibited from being exercised so as to endanger others in most circuimstances, with the classic example being shouting "fire" in a crowded theater.
 
TMetzinger said:
The reporters are generally good folks. The editors/producers who "adjust" the story in the edit bay to match their slant are the real villains.
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Maybe so. However, just yesterday I was enthralled and dumbfounded to watch an on-air dialog between two local (Los Angeles) reporters sitting at their newsdesk trying to determine just what the Richter scale is and if it has anything to do with, um, earthquakes. (This in the wake of the earthquake in Mexicali.)

They never did get even close to a real answer even though they had a Cal Tech geophysics professor on the line. My experience is journalists are dumber than dirt and should be avoided at all costs.
 
Richard said:
My experience is journalists are dumber than dirt and should be avoided at all costs.
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on-air "personalities" are not journalists.
 
TMetzinger said:
The reporters are generally good folks. The editors/producers who "adjust" the story in the edit bay to match their slant are the real villains.
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Agreed.
The problem is that the end effect is the same even if the middle man is a good guy.

Everskyward said:
But no one's been burned by that individual, at least to my knowledge.
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Scenario:
One individual from a group walks up and punches you in the face without warning or justification.
One hit is just a random point.
Another individual from the same group walks up and punches you in the face.
Two hits is a line.
Three hits is an trend.
Four is a pattern.
738 hits in a row is a deliberate established agenda.

Do you now blindly trust #739 who is from the same group of individuals as the previous 738 to be nice to you? Or do you expect another bloody nose?

I'm way too trusting most of the time however when it comes to the media and aviation for at least the last 30 years and probably much longer, I'm putting on a hockey mask and picking up my own concrete filled steel pipe. There are a few good ones on the extremely rare occasion. On the whole though, they established the ground rules. They have to prove their reliability before I'll trust them. Fair's fair.
 
fgcason said:
I'm way too trusting most of the time however when it comes to the media and aviation for at least the last 30 years and probably much longer, I'm putting on a hockey mask and picking up my own concrete filled steel pipe. There are a few good ones on the extremely rare occasion. On the whole though, they established the ground rules. They have to prove their reliability before I'll trust them. Fair's fair.
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I'll agree that the media is out to sell papers, or get listeners in this instance, but I have also heard a fair amount of positive GA stories. I guess I don't generally feel persecuted. On the other hand I have no interest in personally talking to the media because I have no desire to see my name in print.
 
Everskyward said:
I'll agree that the media is out to sell papers, or get listeners in this instance, but I have also heard a fair amount of positive GA stories.
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I've heard quite a few good aviation news stories too. I'm not saying there aren't any. I am saying that when they're not out for touchy feely happy cheery, they're usually out looking for trouble and will twist things until they get what they're after.

For every good 30 second news story I've seen, there have been hours of the sky is falling media attention on dozens of bad things.
 
To find a depressed pilot, call any after they have received their annual insurance renewal invoice <g>

Best,

Dave
 
Dave Siciliano said:
To find a depressed pilot, call any after they have received their annual insurance renewal invoice <g>

Best,

Dave
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I'm almost (key word almost) looking forward to this year's insurance. I'm expecting it to be significantly lower than last year.

Now, after I got the compressions on my left engine at the last 100-hour? Yeah, I think that's an appropriate cause of depression. :)
 
A leading cause of pilot depression;
can be poor compression;
It really gets one's attention;
'Specially in the middle of a great recession.

At least it's within one's comprehension
Seems it may lower their future pension!

If one must make a confession;
It may be from maintenance inattention;
So it needs to spend a session
with a mechanic for his inspection.

Though it may sound like a regression;
It may help the mechanic's pension!

Best,

Dave
 
:rofl: Dave, as always, well played.
 
You mean you're not up for a little rhyming yourself? We can get some hot starts and backfires for the background beat. *crankcrankcrankcrank* *BOOM BOOM* Maybe that'd work better for techno.
 
ktrh - Houston
Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Do you know what medications your pilot is taking? Tuesday on Houston"s Morning News we looked at a recent reversal in FAA rules that allow commercial pilots to take prescriptions for depression. We spoke to Former FAA Investigator and Criminal Defense Attorney Joseph Guntheinz and Dr. Bob Ireland a Consultant in Military Aerospace Psychiatry...

The podcast can be found here.


( http://www.ktrh.com/cc-common/podcast/single_podcast.html?podcast=newscasts_b.xml )
 
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The guy had a minor point about the amnesty, but clearly showed he was an idiot on the medical issues.
 
Bob Noel said:
on-air "personalities" are not journalists.
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I won't argue that point however it seems to be a case of semantics. My point, no matter what they call themselves is that "they" in general are perceived as stumble bums. And that perception is derived laregly from how they've consistently demonstrated their incapacity to A) present an accurate story and B) apparently care little to take responsibility to ascertain the truth or make simply do the basic research to support an objective story.

The perception that planes fall out of the sky when they "stall" is a case in point. Remember when stories educated and informed rather than drop a sound bite bomb on the listening audience?
 
The last time a news story informed me was when Paul Harvey was still giving me the "rest of the story". Sigh.
 
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