A Pilot's Opinion

Lustrum

I made my first foray into the Virtual Flying sub-thread the other day to have a look at what goes on over there, and came across this gem of a post then today:

"I'll tell you a funny story. One day I was flying an A320 from Dublin to Manchester. When I arrived in Manchester I was feeling a but peckish so I ran down to my local Centra. I had a tight schedule made out so with locking up the house etc I didn't have time to change. I got stopped 3 or 4 times by people asking me about being a pilot. I just loved being able to tell people about my passion. So now it's something I do more often, makes for interesting conversations. No need to tell them you fly from home, the flying of the thing is no different so you have every right to call yourself a pilot.

All the best."

For anyone that actually flies a real A320, I was wondering is it really the same? I'm no expert, but I going to go ahead and guess that 25kt crosswinds just aren't the same in your livingroom.

Also, the above quote is the first time I've ever done an actual facepalm, so beloved of those in AH!

Deep Thought

all I can say is..

Priority Right

I would love to see him in the shop someday. I'd be crying with laughter.

cyrusdvirus

oh god.

makes you wonder if he's ever playing a Star trek game does he go around dressed in a uniform for them too!!

squonk

Let's not mention that flight crews have the responsibility of safeguarding their own lives as well as those of their passengers and are highly trained. Stalling a flight sim due to something going wrong doesn't have quite the same consequences of stalling an actual A320 either. All pointing out the obvious of course. People like that need to get out more.

cyrusdvirus

squonk wrote: »

Let's not mention that flight crews have the responsibility of safeguarding their own lives as well as those of their passengers and are highly trained. Stalling a flight sim due to something going wrong doesn't have quite the same consequences of stalling an actual A320 either. All pointing out the obvious of course. People like that need to get out more.

Just not in uniform!!

bluecode

Really I think you're being unfair, when I play Battlefield 3 I wear full miltary rig complete with Kevlar helmet, (€30 Euro off Ebay). For enhanced realism I hide behind the couch during intense combat. You may laugh but you should have seen what I wore when I played Lara Croft.:o

Pilotdude5

Well people wear Man Utd and GAA jerseys all the time and they aren't on the team. Someone wearing a Pilots Uniform wouldn't bother me TBH. Someone pretending to others that they are a real pilot would cross the line though.

ohigg84

Its airlines like Ryanair, that make pilots feel inadequate, they compare them to bus drivers and put them under intense pressure to fly more routes.. Pilots do a great job, peoples lives are dependant on them, they make crucial decisions that can affect peoples lives..

cyrusdvirus

Pilotdude5 wrote: »

Well people wear Man Utd and GAA jerseys all the time and they aren't on the team. Someone wearing a Pilots Uniform wouldn't bother me TBH. Someone pretending to others that they are a real pilot would cross the line though.

What goes on in the privacy of your own home, and what you wear, be it a batman costume as you jump from the top of the wardrobe onto the bed where the girlfriend or wife is dressed as wonder woman, or whatever is of no consequence.

This lunatic actively does it, as goes out in 3d world, wearing his pixel pilot flying leathers......


BTW wearing a pilots uniform while playing on a flight sim is (IMO) a little bit weird too....

Batman jumping onto Wonder Woman falls into the 'strange' area too though... But that might be a strange that i'd like to try someday!!! :D:D

Pilotdude5

gatecrash wrote: »

What goes on in the privacy of your own home, and what you wear, be it a batman costume as you jump from the top of the wardrobe onto the bed where the girlfriend or wife is dressed as wonder woman, or whatever is of no consequence.

This lunatic actively does it, as goes out in 3d world, wearing his pixel pilot flying leathers......


BTW wearing a pilots uniform while playing on a flight sim is (IMO) a little bit weird too....

Batman jumping onto Wonder Woman falls into the 'strange' area too though... But that might be a strange that i'd like to try someday!!! :D:D

Nah people should be allowed wear what they want. If everyone went around wearing the same clothes and the same haircut or whatever the world would be a very boring place indeed!

I still get the odd "get a haircut" remark and sniggers. And not from 14 year old idiots either, its from adults with an education.:rolleyes:

But telling people you're a pilot when you're not is wrong.

coylemj

Wouldn't dream of connecting up the joystick and kicking off X-Plane unless I was in full uniform..

Lustrum

Well I've been making my own sandwiches for years, I've no idea why Guibaulds won't hire me!

I've no problem if people want to wear pilots shirts when playing flight sim, but to suggest it's even remotely close to actually flying is ludicrous

Nforce

He's made some pretty other "interesting" comments too.

I'm a big fan of Microsoft Flight Sim. Back a few years ago I bought the TrackIR system in order to enhance the realism in the virtual cockpit by allowing proper full axis viewing.
Anyhow..doorbell rings..I pause the sim,make my way to the front door and answer it to a very perplexed (and a rather attractive) woman seeking directions. It was at this point that I realised that I still had this on my head..





Was mortified.:(:D

Cessna_Pilot

I think it's pathetic.
We had a guy pop in to the flight deck recently on a turnaround, in uniform, flight case and all. Only about 23 I'd say. Anyway he was telling us he wanted to be a pilot, to which I replied but why are you wearing a uniform if you're only a wannabe.
He replied "I am a pilot already on flight sim so I probably know as much as you guys, and now that I notice it a lot of your switches are in the wrong position"

He was politely asked to get off.

As he walked away I heard an almighty thump beneath the side window, and there he was saluting and giving us the thumbs up while proudly looking around him hoping people were watching. (Ideal candidate for ptc )

CharlieOscar

So what if he pretends he is a pilot. Maybe in his mind he is, and maybe such as in the quote he is attempting to live as a pilot.

Do you not all recall the film (which I believe was based on a true story) of "Catch Me if You Can". He wasn't a real pilot either, but passed as one.

I really dont understand why anyone would have an issue with this guy. I think fair play to him, and if people think he is a pilot, then that's their misjudgement not his.

Zyox

"Show us your licence there".

Good luck now.

Gurgle

ohigg84 wrote: »

Ithey compare them to bus drivers and put them under intense pressure to fly more routes.. Pilots do a great job, peoples lives are dependant on them, they make crucial decisions that can affect peoples lives..

So how is the job different to bus driver?

(Other than traffic obviously, I bet bus drivers would love to turn out of the depot onto the road and flick the 'autopilot' switch.)

Shamrock231

Gurgle wrote: »

So how is the job different to bus driver?

(Other than traffic obviously, I bet bus drivers would love to turn out of the depot onto the road and flick the 'autopilot' switch.)

If a bus driver drives 10 miles too slow or 10 miles too fast he won't crash.
If a bus driver has snow on top of his vehicle he won't crash.
If a bus driver has a fire on his bus, he pulls over and evacuates, he isn't 120mins from the nearest pullover site.
If a buses engine fails, he pulls over, he doesn't glide at 200kmph and hope that the field he lands in isn't soft.
If a bus driver is in fog or cloud, he can slow down as much as he likes.

Want me to keep on going?

jmayo

Lustrum wrote: »

I made my first foray into the Virtual Flying sub-thread the other day to have a look at what goes on over there, and came across this gem of a post then today:

"I'll tell you a funny story. One day I was flying an A320 from Dublin to Manchester. When I arrived in Manchester I was feeling a but peckish so I ran down to my local Centra. I had a tight schedule made out so with locking up the house etc I didn't have time to change. I got stopped 3 or 4 times by people asking me about being a pilot. I just loved being able to tell people about my passion. So now it's something I do more often, makes for interesting conversations. No need to tell them you fly from home, the flying of the thing is no different so you have every right to call yourself a pilot.

All the best."

For anyone that actually flies a real A320, I was wondering is it really the same? I'm no expert, but I going to go ahead and guess that 25kt crosswinds just aren't the same in your livingroom.

Also, the above quote is the first time I've ever done an actual facepalm, so beloved of those in AH!

Haven't heard that one before.

Aviation attracts a lot of Walter Mitty types, just like the military does.
I am sure there are some around here.

It is when these types start believing themselves that you have a problem.
BTW can we name the poster ?

gatecrash wrote: »

What goes on in the privacy of your own home, and what you wear, be it a batman costume as you jump from the top of the wardrobe onto the bed where the girlfriend or wife is dressed as wonder woman, or whatever is of no consequence.

Ohh way too much information there ....

gatecrash wrote: »

This lunatic actively does it, as goes out in 3d world, wearing his pixel pilot flying leathers......


BTW wearing a pilots uniform while playing on a flight sim is (IMO) a little bit weird too....

Batman jumping onto Wonder Woman falls into the 'strange' area too though... But that might be a strange that i'd like to try someday!!! :D:D

Go on, admit it you have tried it.

CharlieOscar wrote: »

So what if he pretends he is a pilot. Maybe in his mind he is, and maybe such as in the quote he is attempting to live as a pilot.

Do you not all recall the film (which I believe was based on a true story) of "Catch Me if You Can". He wasn't a real pilot either, but passed as one.

That guy did it to firstly get in girls pants and secondly to con people out of big chunks of money.
Likewise he played a doctor and a lawyer.
He was a conman, not someone dressing up to play a computer game and then trying to impress people in the local shop.

Maybe if someone spots someone down the local nightclub wearing a pilots uniform we at least know the lad has tried to do emulate Frank Abagnale in at least one way.

hopefulaplican

I am literally in shock! I gave advice to a another Flight sim pilot regarding wearing of the uniform, and here I am being called pathetic! If you must know I contacted the citizens advice bureau and what I am doing is NOT illegal so what's the problem.

Plenty of flight sim pilots do the same, look at that thread. Originally I did not intend to go out in the shirt it just happened, I never told anybody I flew in real life but just genuinely didn't see the need to distinguish that I flew from home when in conversation. As I said it something I enjoy doing now, getting to talk to people about my passion.

To be honest, a lot of this abuse is just protectionism from real world pilots. Oh and by the way, only category of pilots has a 100% safety record. Have a guess.

Gurgle

Shamrock231 wrote: »

If a bus driver drives 10 miles too slow or 10 miles too fast he won't crash.
If a bus driver has snow on top of his vehicle he won't crash.
If a bus driver has a fire on his bus, he pulls over and evacuates, he isn't 120mins from the nearest pullover site.
If a buses engine fails, he pulls over, he doesn't glide at 200kmph and hope that the field he lands in isn't soft.
If a bus driver is in fog or cloud, he can slow down as much as he likes.

Want me to keep on going?

This looks like fun, is there another thread more suitable for playing this game?

jmayo

hopefulaplican wrote: »

I am literally in shock! I gave advice to a another Flight sim pilot regarding wearing of the uniform, and here I am being called pathetic! If you must know I contacted the citizens advice bureau and what I am doing is NOT illegal so what's the problem.

Plenty of flight sim pilots do the same, look at that thread. Originally I did not intend to go out in the shirt it just happened, I never told anybody I flew in real life but just genuinely didn't see the need to distinguish that I flew from home when in conversation. As I said it something I enjoy doing now, getting to talk to people about my passion.

To be honest, a lot of this abuse is just protectionism from real world pilots. Oh and by the way, only category of pilots has a 100% safety record. Have a guess.

Thank you for making my afternoon.
You do know that you are not Flying from home.
What you are doing is not strictly really flying and thus it's safety reord doesn't count.
For it to count twoards real aviation safety records, you tend to use some type of flying device, usually with engines and wings/rotors (note not counting balloons, gliders, paragliders, wingsuits, etc etc), and you leave the confines of 2D earth behind.

The only safety issue you have to worry about is spilling your cocoa over your crotch.

And before you have a go I am not a professional pilot.

BTW if you have a batman suit or wonderwoman custume Gategrash would like to meet you.
And you might get to FLY off the wardrobe.

cocoshovel

Here's one I stumbled across in the military forum. Im assuming without a single doubt that its a troll but it still made me laugh

i aggree, its a ****in jke! ive aplide 5 yeers in row nd hvnt got in yet. ive aced d intervew every time. ive produce a record ov my flight hrs frm flight sim, which i mst say are impressive. ive told thm what i thnk the aer corp dose wrong nd was able 2 mke sugestions on how to improve the organisation.

lookin bak id say nt very many ppl came close 2 my standaard. i even have online awards for difficult flights completed in bad weather and all from both fsx and flight sim 2004. even still i woz unsuccseful every time. msut b a fukn FIX!

jmayo

cocoshovel wrote: »

Here's one I stumbled across in the military forum. Im assuming without a single doubt that its a troll but it still made me laugh

i aggree, its a ****in jke! ive aplide 5 yeers in row nd hvnt got in yet. ive aced d intervew every time. ive produce a record ov my flight hrs frm flight sim, which i mst say are impressive. ive told thm what i thnk the aer corp dose wrong nd was able 2 mke sugestions on how to improve the organisation.

lookin bak id say nt very many ppl came close 2 my standaard. i even have online awards for difficult flights completed in bad weather and all from both fsx and flight sim 2004. even still i woz unsuccseful every time. msut b a fukn FIX!

lookin bak id say nt very many ppl came close 2 my standaard.

Man you can say that again

Bad Panda

hopefulaplican wrote: »

I am literally in shock! I gave advice to a another Flight sim pilot regarding wearing of the uniform, and here I am being called pathetic! If you must know I contacted the citizens advice bureau and what I am doing is NOT illegal so what's the problem.

Plenty of flight sim pilots do the same, look at that thread. Originally I did not intend to go out in the shirt it just happened, I never told anybody I flew in real life but just genuinely didn't see the need to distinguish that I flew from home when in conversation. As I said it something I enjoy doing now, getting to talk to people about my passion.

To be honest, a lot of this abuse is just protectionism from real world pilots. Oh and by the way, only category of pilots has a 100% safety record. Have a guess.

I just stumbled across this thread! Hilarious!

Stop calling yourselves pilots!! You're deluded!

I'm not a pilot. I'm not even a good flyer, but I have the utmost respect for the profession and burden of responsibility that goes with it.

You're sitting on your ass playing video games and calling yourself a pilot! :pac:

I wonder will the army except my application based on my skills with a sniper rifle in COD!

Su Campu

Next we'll have someone on here saying they're a qualified surgeon cos they play that game Operation! :rolleyes:

Nonoperational

Feck it this is very strange behaviour. Your a pilot if your licenced to be a pilot. End of. You can be a pretend pilot by all means but your not a pilot. Wearing the uniform is pretty unbelievable I must say. Whatever about in your house but jesus going out in it?

Like fair play to you for being so interested but really... Would have been an interesting call to citizens imformation!
You have to earn these things not just dress up and pretend.

Nforce

hopefulaplican wrote: »

Plenty of flight sim pilots do the same, look at that thread.

No....they don't. By all means enjoy your sim gaming experience (as I do), but let's not fool yourself or anyone else for that matter. Would you wear a racesuit and helmet when playing the likes of Forza or Gran Turismo and stroll about the shops in it?

Gurgle

Su Campu wrote: »

Next we'll have someone on here saying they're a qualified surgeon cos they play that game Operation! :rolleyes:

But I wear a white coat, gloves, the works. How is this different to what real surgeons do?

Su Campu

Gurgle wrote: »

But I wear a white coat, gloves, the works. How is this different to what real surgeons do?

Ah well then!

Deep Thought

CharlieOscar wrote: »

So what if he pretends he is a pilot. Maybe in his mind he is, and maybe such as in the quote he is attempting to live as a pilot.

if people think he is a pilot, then that's their misjudgement not his.

People make judgement based on what you say and do. If he is dressed as a pilot, then people naturally reckon he is a pilot..like wise a policeman,

It is not their mistake, you are puporting to be something you aren't and dress up to make that convincing...

I remember Jeremy Clarkson once saying he could easily handle Laguna Seca on the Playstation, when he crashed he was still alive

He flew out to give it a go.....different world

I once played Operation........I wonder.....

where's my scalpel

hopefulaplican

Su Campu wrote: »

Next we'll have someone on here saying they're a qualified surgeon cos they play that game Operation! :rolleyes:

Invalid comparison. Operation is not a simulator.

Nforce wrote: »

No....they don't. By all means enjoy your sim gaming experience (as I do), but let's not fool yourself or anyone else for that matter. Would you wear a racesuit and helmet when playing the likes of Forza or Gran Turismo and stroll about the shops in it?

Don't own any of those games but if somebody were to do that I would understand.

Thanks guys for belittling my passion. Plenty of women wear make up, are they pretending to be something they're not? But I still fail to what the problem is, I enjoy wearing it and people like to talk to me about being a pilot, where's the harm? Do I really need to say ''I'm a pilot, based at home''?

Lustrum

hopefulaplican wrote: »

Invalid comparison. Operation is not a simulator.



Don't own any of those games but if somebody were to do that I would understand.

Thanks guys for belittling my passion. Plenty of women wear make up, are they pretending to be something they're not? But I still fail to what the problem is, I enjoy wearing it and people like to talk to me about being a pilot, where's the harm? Do I really need to say ''I'm a pilot, based at home''?

As the OP, I just want to clarify that I nor anyone else here is belittling your passion. Unless you are passionate about pretending that playing flight sim (I'm not going to call it flying) is the same as actually flying, then yes, I am belittling that passion. By all means, wear your shirt, but if you want to see what flying is really like go get a lesson on a windy day

Nforce

..but you're not a pilot!

Snowc

Its obvious that the op in the "pilots shirt" thread and the comment about telling people he is a real life pilot are the same person trolling .

hopefulaplican

Lustrum wrote: »

As the OP, I just want to clarify that I nor anyone else here is belittling your passion. Unless you are passionate about pretending that playing flight sim (I'm not going to call it flying) is the same as actually flying, then yes, I am belittling that passion. By all means, wear your shirt, but if you want to see what flying is really like go get a lesson on a windy day

So flight sim is not flying? So yes you are belittling me. Ehm... you do realise you can have wind in flight sim right? One day I landed a 172 with a 20 knot almost perpendicular crosswind. That one got the heart racing and the cheeks clenched!

L1011

hopefulaplican wrote: »

So flight sim is not flying?

No, its not flying.

Lustrum

hopefulaplican wrote: »

So flight sim is not flying? So yes you are belittling me. Ehm... you do realise you can have wind in flight sim right? One day I landed a 172 with a 20 knot almost perpendicular crosswind. That one got the heart racing and the cheeks clenched!

Ah now come're, you 'll be telling me next you've rode Cheryl Cole because you had a tug onto a picture of her!

Thanks for the laughs anyway, I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for you in virtual flying again!

jmayo

hopefulaplican wrote: »

...
Thanks guys for belittling my passion. Plenty of women wear make up, are they pretending to be something they're not? But I still fail to what the problem is, I enjoy wearing it and people like to talk to me about being a pilot, where's the harm? Do I really need to say ''I'm a pilot, based at home''?

Nah you belittle yourself when you claim you are a pilot.
"a pilot, based at home"

At this stage with a comment like that I reckon you are now in wind up merchant mode or else ... well good look getting a class 1 or class 2 medical.

hopefulaplican wrote: »

So flight sim is not flying? So yes you are belittling me. Ehm... you do realise you can have wind in flight sim right? One day I landed a 172 with a 20 knot almost perpendicular crosswind. That one got the heart racing and the cheeks clenched!

You are the present that just keeps on giving.

Deep Thought

hopefulaplican wrote: »

So flight sim is not flying? So yes you are belittling me. Ehm... you do realise you can have wind in flight sim right? One day I landed a 172 with a 20 knot almost perpendicular crosswind. That one got the heart racing and the cheeks clenched!

well it obvious now that you are trolling:rolleyes:

pclancy

hopefulaplican nobody here is aiming to belittle your hobby but they are being realistic and unfortunatly you are not so you're probably going to get more insulted as the thread goes along. Flight Simulation is exactly that, just a simulation. It can be a great grounding to help teach procedures, systems, instruments, some techniques etc etc but its not a subsitute for the hours in the real thing and is only a training aid, you're not actually flying and you're not actually a pilot so people here are always going to take it the wrong way and make fun of you. Hence I want to close this thread, feel free to open one in Virtual Flying instead.