Pilot Epaulettes

[simonholt]

Hands up those of you who, having freshly qualified and taking your first passengers up, proudly spouted into the intercom; "Hello and welcome to [insert your surname here] airlines, I'm Captain (insert surname again] and I'll be your pilot for this flight." Go on admit it!

I know I'm going to when I've passed.

Although I'm glad to say I've so far resisted buying a pair of Aviators

[Timothy]

It does call into question why people want to learn to fly.

In the same way that people who drive sports cars aren't necessarily substituting for small or dysfunctional reproductive organs, pilots who wear "look at me, I'm a pilot" clothes may well have good reasons for it, but the question is nonetheless raised in some quarters, and giggles and pointed fingers might ensue.

[simonholt]

Timothy,

Apologies if you've already answered this question but I've pondered all possible obvious references and still drawn a blank.

What are puppies? Does it mean a Beagle Pup?

[BlueRobin]

2Donkeys is a closet epaulette wearer. I know, I've seen the photos!

[Timothy]

2Donkeys is a closet epaulette wearer. I know, I've seen the photos!

Oh, I've still got the full regalia in my wardrobe, and I used to have to wear it every day. If you have to wear it, that's fine, it's people who dress up in it for effect who are a little, well, sad.

[Timothy]

Apologies if you've already answered this question but I've pondered all possible obvious references and still drawn a blank.

What are puppies? Does it mean a Beagle Pup?

Ah. 2D's will no doubt donk this off to Non-Aviation, but read this quickly before it goes.

I believe that flying should be neat and tidy, even if there is no actual advantage in a particular piece of neatness. An example I often give is landing in the middle of a runway, not off to one side, but the one I most often get teased about is insisting that the propellors of a stationary multi prop should be parallel.

When challenged I have to admit that this is mainly obsessional behaviour, though I do believe that if PPLs are going to progress, either as professionals or as display pilots, they have to take a pride in their flying which is sorely missing from many PPLs.

But if someone is not intending to progress, how do I persuade them that being neat still matters? Well, rather like the bears that jump out when a child treads on the gaps between paving stones, I tell them that Puppies are cruelly tortured and killed if they fly in an unprofessional manner.

So, some flying shortcomings are punished by death, others by cost, but many simply by the knowledge that sweet little innocent Labrador puppies will be brutally murdered.

Did you realy want to know that?

[David Williams]

I think you've just written the first entry in the Forum FAQ!

[Steve Morley]

(I'm superior, you can tell!)

[simonholt]

Aah, that clears that up then!

Thanks for that, an instructor of mine's favourite phrase was "Aim for perfection" which makes total sense to me, if you're happy with second best and don't quite make it then third best might just end up costing you...

[Timothy]

Steve,

That is the equivalent of someone at WW deliberately moving one of my props and then photographing it...definitely air-brushing history.

[Steve Morley]

He does look chuffed though.

[ROG]

Have you noticed how Yak pilots have taken to wearing badges all over their boiler-sorry -flying suits. Things like Beaver squadron, B52, rockets, union jack s,etc.--such that many are now totally covered. They also seem to be armed with knives with serrated edges.--presumably to fight off marauding hedgehogs in the event of a forced landing in open country.

[Guest]

I saw some old duffer in France the other day with the badge"

"Cobby's Cloth Airforce" on it.

I have no idea who Cobby is, nor where his airforce is based, but he seems to be a regular in LFAT.

[Timothy]

Cobby is the guy that ran the hangar I just left. He rebuilds old aeroplanes, famously the Puss Moth featured on telly a short while back.