With Michael being a very distinctive name. Good that there aren’t any other Michaels in aviation
Probably just as many as there are Achimas in EDTH ! 
I have to admit, I have little respect for those that hide behind pseudos.
Ouch. Touché. That hurts.
Actually the only reason I use a pseudo is that when I signed up I got the impression this was the rule rather than the exception on this forum.
I know several people called Peter, Michael, Tom… So even using a first name does not really give away your identity.
That said, I do not take that comment personally. Those who participate in the fly-ins, organised on this forum or other forums like PPL/IR (where I’m known under my full name) will eventually get to know me. I hope.
That is so true, Peter, gliding is a team sport and you need the help of others to get airborne. However, active glider pilots usually log more hours in our club than comparable active aeroplane pilots. While the glider pilot spends much time on the ground, if he flies for half a day, he is airborne 3-6 hours. If an aeroplane pilot is at the airfield for 8 hours, he is flying one hour to a good restaurant or to the beach, and one hour back home :-) I know one glider pilot who logs about 400 hours gliding per year on a 1000€ budget. (As I come to think of it, I know plenty of pilots with these numbers…. ) You just can’t do that in a TB-20 or DR-250.
Time is, however, a problem of many clubs, especially if the old chaps are still running it. Some clubs, have managed to organize gliding in a more family friendly way, though.
I know for sure that a GA forum where people have to use full names will have very few posters.
I note from Beechtalk, which requires full names, the following: Most users ever online was 1017 on 28 Sep 2014, 10:36
Slightly off topic, I highly recommend Beechtalk for deep technical insight, particularly on some of the more obscure and rare issues.
Well Aviathor, I have to admit that I’m just abit curious about you’re real identity given that you’re based just the next GA airport over and you seem to be EMT …
Beechtalk is probably the best technical Forum there is, bar none.
I have to admit, I have little respect for those that hide behind pseudos.
Well done Patrick, perhaps that will motivate others to assume their identities and their posts …
Hehe. Then again, strictly speaking, Patrick (without the surname) is the better pseudo.
If you were to google my “old” pseudo ((especially if it had the birth date attached to it like it has in places where even “Rhino” is taken already) and dig a little bit (which I’m not encouraging anyone to do and you wouldn’t anyway because you have a life ) you’d find out a whole lot about me than with nothing more than my given name.
I’m decidedly NOT a fan of forcing people to use their complete, real names on the internet. Everyone should be given the choice how much privacy they want, without keeping them from participating in meaningful discussions.
In fact, on the forum that DOES enforce full names in their policy, I just removed my last name today and will see what happens.
Beechtalk is some 99% American.
That is totally different. They are much more polite.
Note however that you can just make up any reasonable looking name anyway. On the full-names Socata site many people do that, to protect themselves. I assume same on BT.
I have to admit, I have little respect for those that hide behind pseudos.
Please.
How much information is there really in a name such as “Michael” or “Peter” or “Neil”? Even assuming that these are the person’s real given names, which I have no way of knowing.
To me, those are just as much pseudonyms as “Rhino” or my own nick.
The other forum place – Usenet – was the greatest GA resource for years (rec.aviation.*) and taught more pilots more good stuff than all the flying schools combined
Ah, nostalgia… I hung around rec.aviation a lot in my previous flying life.
