Non pilot friends and crash articles.

Rgbeard

Rgbeard

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rgbeard
Maybe it's just me, but I thought I'd ask.

When a (new friend, distant friend, co-worker, other) discovers that I'm a pilot, what begins with a percentage of these is sudden influx of emails or text messages from news sites with links to every aviation incident that they happen across.

I'm trying to figure out this behaviour. Normally, I'd just send a message back, something to the effect of: "Thanks for keeping me advised. Why are you telling me this?" But I'm trying to be a little more sensitive, and less of a d**k. (quite unlike me).

Do they think somehow the experimental that bit the dust at the Lake Wobegone dirt strip, or the twin Cessna that's suddenly-single has anything to do with me? Is their article their way to "teach me something", or just point out how "I'm up for certain death if I continue my ill-advised flying"?

I guess with a dozen instances, there are a dozen answers, but I think we can more narrow this to just a few categories. I don't expect anyone here to answer for the behaviour of my friends.

I wondered what other people's experiences are with regard to this.
 
Never had any friends do that. But then, I don’t have any friends, my parents moved when I was “attending” basic training and never told me where, (still don’t know) and my wife asks me in the morning “who the hell are you”.
 
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I get it every time there’s a crash around here. I suppose the reason is that most people don’t know more than 1 or 2 pilots out of their friend base (we’re a rare breed), so when they hear about an accident, they automatically assume it might be you. I don’t really mind though, at least I know people give a dang about me.
 
i haven’t experienced that although i, like others, have posted crash information here. if you would rather be true to your nature you could start sending them clippings of automobile accidents.

at one time my BIL would send us what seemed to be random newspaper clippings...things he thought we ought to know. the wife seemed to understand clippings reporting on the price of pigs in omaha but i always wanted to cut up the sunday paper and send it to him. that was my d***head side showing. i resisted the urge.
 
I'm one of those non-pilot folks (avionics student and father of a 22-year old First Officer for a regional) who follows safety-related articles, and shares them with both pilot and non-pilot friends in the industry. We "analyze" the situation, and discuss what must have happened and how it can possibly be avoided in the future.
That's just MY story, and if someone expressed an interest in being left out of the discussion, that would be honored.
 
I think you need to pick new friends. Flying very rarely comes up with my non-pilot friends. They forget that I even am a pilot, which is what I prefer.

My other passion is bow hunting. I don't talk about bow hunting with most of my pilot non hunting friends either.

I like to keep my worlds apart.
 
I don't get messages from non aviation related friends or aviation relate friends. Then again most folks don't know how to get ahold of me...:rolleyes:
 
Imagine the crap one gets for riding a motorcycle...
 
Nordic Dave has the answer: "Airplane crashes make news because there are so few of them compared to automobile crashes."

Bob
 
My reply is usually that if they covered every fatal car crash in the country there would be nothing else on TV!
 
When there is a crash at the airport I trained at, my Ex-wife calls to check on me.

I haven't been based at KFWS for years, but I still go there occasionally.

I tell myself she's asking because she cares. Then I ROFL.
 
I tell those sorts that "crash" is a trigger word for me, therefore best they avoid it completely in all communications.

I also tell them "trigger" is a trigger word for me too. That's usually enough to quickly and permanently swing the conversation over to something like the weather.
 
Rgbeard said:
sudden influx of emails or text messages from news sites with links to every aviation incident that they happen across.
Click to expand...

That's it??? They just send you links to stories about crashes?

I get emails about crashes and such, but they are usually accompanied with a message like "The article said something about the cause was xyz, does that sound right?"

If your friends are sending you just links to stories about crashes, I would guess that maybe you told them airplanes never crash and they're trying to point out that you're wrong.

Or you just attract weird friends.
 
donjohnston said:
That's it??? They just send you links to stories about crashes?

I get emails about crashes and such, but they are usually accompanied with a message like "The article said something about the cause was xyz, does that sound right?"

If your friends are sending you just links to stories about crashes, I would guess that maybe you told them airplanes never crash and they're trying to point out that you're wrong.

Or you just attract weird friends.
Click to expand...

These particular ones I’m referring to are actually fringe, anyway, and probably soon to become ex-friends anyway, in all honesty. They don’t follow up with questions or comments. I just counted in earnest and I’m really referring to exactly three people.

I’ve never tried to talk too much about flying to my non-flying friends. These just sniffed it out and began this “helpfulness”.
 
I get that sometimes, but usually they are looking for my opinion on what happened, or if nearby, somebody I may have known. Its usually just a conversation starter. Most of my friends know I watch the accident reports anyway, and may be looking to see if I have additional information than the media or at least something more accurate. For example, "what is a twin single engine airplane?"
 
God yes - one moron relative calls my wife for each "small plane crash". And I'm safetied out - ADM, ORM, CRM. . .90% of it is a crock, just new names for what most of us with IQs above room temp were already doing. In SEL GA, keep fuel in the tanks, weather in limits, and the AOA somewhere below about 17 degrees, and live forever
 
Sundancer said:
God yes - one moron relative calls my wife for each "small plane crash". And I'm safetied out - ADM, ORM, CRM. . .90% of it is a crock, just new names for what most of us with IQs above room temp were already doing. In SEL GA, keep fuel in the tanks, weather in limits, and the AOA somewhere below about 17 degrees, and live forever
Click to expand...

What’s the point of the moron’s actions? That’s kind my question here. Do you have any idea?
 
To tell my wife a plane crashed, if she hadn't heard yet. And to ask if it was me, if my wife happend to have heard already. Or maybe just some mindless reflex.
 
When my friends found out I was quitting racing and going flying they were shocked.

You mean you are actually going to do something safe for a change.??

And when there was a crash in Alaska, my mom would call and ask me what happened. She quit calling when I said they didn't survive.
 
I have no idea on the motivation, but at least in my life, they tired of it eventually. That, or they just stopped caring about me (motorcyclist for 23 years, pilot for 15).

I remember it being a mix of 'Look how dangerous!' paranoia/'protection,' and some genuine curiosity/interest in what I thought might have gone wrong.
 
Women ask what happened to JFK Jr. Some men too, but almost always women.
 
I get the same thing at work. A few of my coworkers literally call me “Crash”. That’s my nickname. Although the guy who invented that name for me likes airplanes and works with the Commemorative Air Force and some other Army helicopter thing (they fly a Cobra?).
 
Stephen Shore said:
I think you need to pick new friends. Flying very rarely comes up with my non-pilot friends. They forget that I even am a pilot, which is what I prefer.
Click to expand...

Bingo! I don't volunteer that I'm a pilot or a motorcyclist, I just don't talk about that stuff. And yes, if you do, you'll hear all kinds of "Uncle Fred" stories...

...Uncle Fred died when he crashed his Cessna 15 years ago...
...Uncle Fred lost his leg when he had to "lay 'er down"...

Yada yada yada...
 
Bill Jennings said:
Bingo! I don't volunteer that I'm a pilot or a motorcyclist, I just don't talk about that stuff. And yes, if you do, you'll hear all kinds of "Uncle Fred" stories...

...Uncle Fred died when he crashed his Cessna 15 years ago...
...Uncle Fred lost his leg when he had to "lay 'er down"...

Yada yada yada...
Click to expand...

Lol...lay er on down Billy! I want that knee draggin'.
 
Don't drag on the street, but I do get it leaned over sometimes...

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Some of my friends can't avoid messaging me when their airline (doesn't have to be mine) loses a piece of luggage - let alone when a plane crashes.
 
My airplane was involved in a fatality accident 5 weeks ago....for four days the news plastered my name as the registered owner and did not list the crash victims as they had not been released due to extenuating circumstances. Most assumed it was me and my wife or daughter who is also a pilot. I even received flowers at the office for my staff with condolences...finally had to put out a group text and email to stop the mess...un like anything I could imagine.
 
Rgbeard said:
Maybe it's just me, but I thought I'd ask.

When a (new friend, distant friend, co-worker, other) discovers that I'm a pilot, what begins with a percentage of these is sudden influx of emails or text messages from news sites with links to every aviation incident that they happen across.

I'm trying to figure out this behaviour. Normally, I'd just send a message back, something to the effect of: "Thanks for keeping me advised. Why are you telling me this?" But I'm trying to be a little more sensitive, and less of a d**k. (quite unlike me).

Do they think somehow the experimental that bit the dust at the Lake Wobegone dirt strip, or the twin Cessna that's suddenly-single has anything to do with me? Is their article their way to "teach me something", or just point out how "I'm up for certain death if I continue my ill-advised flying"?

I guess with a dozen instances, there are a dozen answers, but I think we can more narrow this to just a few categories. I don't expect anyone here to answer for the behaviour of my friends.

I wondered what other people's experiences are with regard to this.
Click to expand...

Send them emails about every single motor vehicle accident in the news, there are plenty to work with. Did you see 20 people were killed this weekend in a limo crash?

Remember the dump truck driver who was high and ran over 9 motorcycles at a stop light in Arizona?

There were two people killed in Omaha this year when a cement truck literally tipped over onto their car as they were going around a corner, the truck was going too fast and it flipped onto the car driving next to it.
 
Yeah, they’ll bring it up. I figure just looking for my perspective on it. Same as I would bring up that big three alarm fire last night to a fireman. Funny one though was my daughter in laws grandmother. Wife and I were going to Cartagena, Columbia a few years ago. She says don’t let anyone find out you’re a pilot, they’ll kidnap you and make you fly drugs. She was serious
 
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