Opinions & A-Holes; Everybody's got one

BarryCooper

BarryCooper

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Feb 16, 2015
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Raymond MS
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BarryCooper
My first lesson was March 16. I now have 44 hrs, all requirements are met, I'm just practicing for the check ride July 1st. I have worked hard for the last 3 months putting my wife at ease. She has finally warmed to idea over the last few weeks.

Today some a-hole in her office told her "statistics are that your husband will have a catastrophic accident before he gets to 1000 hrs."

WTH? Now I'm back at square one!
 
Your problem is bigger then what some random guy said.
 
My girl would have told that person where to stick their worthless opinion.

Also I had well under 1000hrs before I first engine failure, didn't even scratch the plane though.
 
BarryCooper said:
My first lesson was March 16. I now have 44 hrs, all requirements are met, I'm just practicing for the check ride July 1st. I have worked hard for the last 3 months putting my wife at ease. She has finally warmed to idea over the last few weeks.

Today some a-hole in her office told her "statistics are that your husband will have a catastrophic accident before he gets to 1000 hrs."

WTH? Now I'm back at square one!
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Tell your wife her co worker is an idiot and show her the real statistics. The best way to calm her is to keep on flying and keep on coming home. After you have your ride, go fly someplace cool that she would like and ask her if she wants to come. If not, go anyway and come home and tell her how neat it was. Never pressure her to come flying. Make her want to come along, and never get into a fight over her not coming.
 
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Explain to her that it will take you 20 years to get that many hours and you will die from something way stupider before you ever get that far.

My wife pretty much looks at it like every day I make it through is a gift at this point.
 
Exactly!

All my close calls have been doing normal dumb stuff, people almost hitting me in the car, tripping, etc

For all the flying, skydiving, sailing, motorcycle, etc stuff I do, I know how I'm going to die, and it ain't going to be that interesting.
 
I really wonder why women tend to be so concerned about flying and usually show so little interest in it!?
Most girlfriends / wifes are not even willing to tag along with their partners...
 
1200+ hours and no incidents or accidents. My biggest worry is how to continue paying for my aviation hobby in the face of rising costs and deteriorating economy.
 
German guy said:
I really wonder why women tend to be so concerned about flying and usually show so little interest in it!?
Most girlfriends / wifes are not even willing to tag along with their partners...
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My ex was terrified of heights, if I flew between the trees and climbed for fences, she was fine to come along. Her dad was an AF test pilot and retired from Dpuglas as TP on the C-17 and understood the reality when I explained it to her that we were safer at 7500', but no dice, she would still be crying by then.:dunno:
 
German guy said:
I really wonder why women tend to be so concerned about flying and usually show so little interest in it!?
Most girlfriends / wifes are not even willing to tag along with their partners...
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I just celebrated my 30th annivesary, married to my favorite co-pilot. :)

A word of advice that will make your life MUCH more enjoyable: Don't settle for women who won't fly with you. :no:
 
@Jay Honeck
Good for you Sir, and congrats!
Very wise words indeed.
~happy flying
neilki
 
ClimbnSink said:
Your problem is bigger then what some random guy said.
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This.

James331 said:
My girl would have told that person where to stick their worthless opinion.
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Yup - that's the real problem. Your wife either trusts you or she doesn't. And if she trusts someone else more than she trusts you, that - to me - would be the real issue, and it doesn't have anything to do with aviation.

SixPapaCharlie said:
Explain to her that it will take you 20 years to get that many hours and you will die from something way stupider before you ever get that far.
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:lol: Exactly!
 
Ask him to cite the specific statistics.

Follow up with "Statistics say you most likely have an STD"
 
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Are guys really silly enough to try and persuade women with statistics? Besides true numbers are meaningless compared to this guy's problem that random coworker has more credibility then him.
 
Women only believe what they want too. Statistics are used to reinforce their beliefs. If they are against flying from the start,you will have a hard time changing their mind. Good luck.
 
ClimbnSink said:
Are guys really silly enough to try and persuade women with statistics? Besides true numbers are meaningless compared to this guy's problem that random coworker has more credibility then him.
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That would be my issue. I probably start my response with "So you're telling me that you're taking questionable information from a random coworker over someone who is trained and training in the very act, has a vested interested in the safety of the flights, and someone you are supposed to trust beyond everyone else?"
 
I think mine would go along the lines of "do you trust a stranger more than your spouse and best friend?" If the answer is yes, I think I'd give some curt directions as to the location and use of the front door.

Mrs. Steingar was always really cool with it though, and was always happy to fly with me to fun destinations.
 
Guys it's not a trust issue. Mama has been hesitant because she is afraid it's gonna be like getting on the roller coaster at Disney. Every time I fly, I share with her what we/I did, she knows we practice emergencies every flight, she is confident that I know what I'm doing. I fly every other day.

I was telling her about yesterday's "unusual attitudes" lesson and how crazy that was, when she said "so&so said statistically you will have a castrophic accident before you get to 1000 hrs". All I'm saying is this jerk has now inserted into her mind that she may end up a widow some day. Why would anyone do that?

I'll take her to her favorite B&B for a little introductory trip (40 min flight). I believe she will be all-in when we fly to the beach in 1:40 vs the 4:30 drive. flying will open up so many more opportunities for trips. She will be fine.
 
BarryCooper said:
I was telling her about yesterday's "unusual attitudes" lesson and how crazy that was, when she said "so&so said statistically you will have a castrophic accident before you get to 1000 hrs". All I'm saying is this jerk has now inserted into her mind that she may end up a widow some day. Why would anyone do that?
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Watched the evening news lately? That should answer the question...

(seriously, though, I'm not making fun of the situation. The folks that say that kind of thing are the same kind that look at people getting married and say "chances are you'll be divorced in 5 years".
 
wsuffa said:
(seriously, though, I'm not making fun of the situation. The folks that say that kind of thing are the same kind that look at people getting married and say "chances are you'll be divorced in 5 years".
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Exactly!
 
Buy a motorcycle you will hear worse. Get any more safety comments summon your inner Tom Cruise and go maverick. 'That's right baby I am dangerous.' If she doesn't get in line after that divorce her.
 
As other have said mate, your problems sound a lot deeper than bogus statistics.
 
Just do your thing, she'll respect it or she'll leave, ether way it's a good outcome. Never, ever, change or someone, it's a short term fix that never ends well.
 
James331 said:
Just do your thing, she'll respect it or she'll leave, ether way it's a good outcome. Never, ever, change or someone, it's a short term fix that never ends well.
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It's not that black or white. She might not like it but that doesn't mean she will leave. My wife would prefer that I not fly. And there are things I wish she didn't do. That's life. We're happily married even so.
 
narchee said:
It's not that black or white. She might not like it but that doesn't mean she will leave. My wife would prefer that I not fly. And there are things I wish she didn't do. That's life. We're happily married even so.
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Absolutely. We've been married 31 years. No marriage counseling needed.
 
narchee said:
It's not that black or white. She might not like it but that doesn't mean she will leave. My wife would prefer that I not fly. And there are things I wish she didn't do. That's life. We're happily married even so.
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Yep, my ex never said anything about my flying, and I was a working pilot as well as a commuting one. But then, she knew I was a pilot and had a plane when I met her. She wasn't afraid of flying though, she was afraid of heights.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Explain to her that it will take you 20 years to get that many hours and you will die from something way stupider before you ever get that far.

My wife pretty much looks at it like every day I make it through is a gift at this point.
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Says the guy who throws plugged-in extension cords into the hot tub! :yikes:
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Explain to her that it will take you 20 years to get that many hours and you will die from something way stupider before you ever get that far.

My wife pretty much looks at it like every day I make it through is a gift at this point.
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Or she's hoping for the insurance money... :rofl::rofl:
 
Someone posted a while back that as far as engine failures go, if you reach 40,000 hours, you'll of had a 1 in 6 chance of having one. I forgot how that was arrived at but I remember it being credible. Some people will have one at 500 hours, some will never have one.

Don't fly into bad weather, don't fly around mountains, don't fly in Alaska, and manage your fuel properly and your chances of having a "catastrophic incident" are substantially reduced compared to the overall stats on accidents.

Flying is only as dangerous as a motorcycle if you allow it to be. We have so many options to mitigate risk.
 
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It isn't about the risk, if your woman won't get into a plane with you she simply isn't into you anymore.
 
Henning said:
Yep, my ex never said anything about my flying, and I was a working pilot as well as a commuting one. But then, she knew I was a pilot and had a plane when I met her. She wasn't afraid of flying though, she was afraid of heights.
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That's kind of a distinction without a difference. Most people that are afraid of flying don't have a fear of speed, or birds, or gas-powered vehicles, or rivets, or propellers...they are afraid of the heights involved. :yesnod:
 
bullwinkle said:
That's kind of a distinction without a difference. Most people that are afraid of flying don't have a fear of speed, or birds, or gas-powered vehicles, or rivets, or propellers...they are afraid of the heights involved. :yesnod:
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Not quite, she was perfectly content to fly with me as long as I flew at spray plane altitude, no worries then. :dunno:
 
German guy said:
I really wonder why women tend to be so concerned about flying and usually show so little interest in it!?
Most girlfriends / wifes are not even willing to tag along with their partners...
Click to expand...

I have seen women that like to fly, some that will do it relunctantly, and some that think it is the most dangerous activity in the world. The latter are very vocal aobut it.
 
bullwinkle said:
That's kind of a distinction without a difference. Most people that are afraid of flying don't have a fear of speed, or birds, or gas-powered vehicles, or rivets, or propellers...they are afraid of the heights involved. :yesnod:
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I'm extremely scared of heights. I can't climb a step ladder and look down.
That said, flying doesn't bother me at all.
 
Kritchlow said:
I'm extremely scared of heights. I can't climb a step ladder and look down.
That said, flying doesn't bother me at all.
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Statistically, most pilots are afraid of heights.

I'm not too bad (I'm good to about 3 stories on a ladder, 10 stories in a building) but I am terrified in 100+ story buildings, or hiking in the Grand Canyon. I made it about a mile before turning back.

I then went and flew over the canyon for 2 solid hours, no problemo. And I've flown past Chicago buildings many times, without a thought. Go figure.
 
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