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Why are pilots sometimes so hard on other pilots

This piece from Australia ( local copy ) is doing the rounds at present.

GA is indeed liable to get quite nasty at times, in real life and in forums which are left to run wild.

Lots of people post on multiple forums and post in some with an alter ego just to get a fight started, or to do some other “damage”.

Another particular thing is that pilots like to interpret regulations in the strictest way.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Type A and Type B personality theory describes two contrasting personality types. In this theory, personalities that are more competitive, outgoing, ambitious, impatient and/or aggressive are labeled Type A, while more relaxed personalities are labeled Type B.

What happens when you get a bunch of A types together with no B types to chill things…

FAA A&P/IA
LFPN

That article is brilliant – thanks for posting Peter !

Here’s my favorite :

The internet is the home of the keyboard expert.

In The Psychology of the Internet, author Patricia Wallace writes:

‘One characteristic used to define elitist groups on the internet is expertise, so ‘expertism’ is probably more prevalent on the internet than it is in real life. On some forums, the insider knowledge of the group’s history and norms can be the dividing line between belonging to the in-group or the out-group, with little reference to age, race or gender. The practice of trolling illustrates how the insiders taunt neophytes who try to break into the group and thereby increase their own cohesiveness.’

FAA A&P/IA
LFPN

There is a commercial on the radio going at the moment. It starts like this:

Isn’t it strange that every driver driving slower than you is a fool, while every driver driving faster than you is an idiot ?

I think that GA is a very peculiar place with lots of strange characters. I will never forget when the the old leader of my club resigned (the cause was not related to this, he simply had other things to do). He said, in a laughing tone, he had never ever been in an environment with so many difficult and arguing odd-balls in one place as GA. We all laughed of course because we all agreed

I think maybe too much emphasis on “safety” leads to an environment where “correct” and “incorrect” actions and “responsibility” becomes an unhealthy environment of blame and shame. It’s supposed to be fun. I do not fly because I want to be safe or do things “correct” according to some nail-biter bureaucrats. Airmanship is all we need, not “safety and responsibility” and tons of regulations.

Anyway, this place is rather civilized, at least as long as we remember why we fly in the first place.

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

There is also an archaic, misplaced deference, given, generally to some pretty horrific individuals, by lesser mortals who may have less than 300 hours. I witnessed a classic example of this where, a soon to be retired A330 training captain pitched up into the group with his new Cessna. Every dynamic and relationship changed, as Ceaser laid out- How it should be done. It was quite incredible, and of course he and I fell out immediately, as he complained that my oil weeping Gypsy Major had messed the hanger floor. Within two weeks we had SOP’s for everything. The important bit was that all followed willingly. Grown men, like sheep. Those that did not follow the mantra were made, Not Welcome.

In general, pilots are type A, and when brought together, the traits of personality shine, which nearly always ends in carnage. My wife has a very high opinion of pilots, and their social skills

Last Edited by BeechBaby at 29 Nov 11:51
Fly safe. I want this thing to land l...
EGPF Glasgow

BeechBaby wrote:

The important bit was that all followed willingly. Grown men, like sheep

How is this type A personality? As I see it there where only one single type A personality there, and that was the old captain.

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

I have always experienced the contrary.
The professional pilots I know, and who fly GA planes too, about six or seven pilots who fly for Lufthansa, are the most relaxed ones who can tell important SOPs from hot air … I have never had the smallest problem when I was checked (yearly IR check) by experienced professionals – and I always suffered from the ego of young or part time instructors.
A retired 747 pilot who joined our club (and asked me to check him oout in the 172 ;-)) was probably the most humble of all members of that club back then …

The point was that within the types, deference to a bigger being, a more stronger type, pulled. It created chaos, where previously a general peace had broken out. If you want a full and detailed discussion on Type A, with personality, and behavioural differences between, then I will, but it is Sunday, and I have better things to do. See, Classic Type A….

I also sense deference creeping in already

Last Edited by BeechBaby at 29 Nov 11:58
Fly safe. I want this thing to land l...
EGPF Glasgow

I had to google this “type A” personality to be honest:

Type A individuals tend to be very competitive and self-critical. They strive toward goals without feeling a sense of joy in their efforts or accomplishments.

That is definitely not the typical GA pilot I know. These Type A individuals would have no time to waste on flying for the joy of it, they aren’t even capable of enjoying it.

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

I am not sure about that definition of Type A but GA does have a lot of nice people who are successful in their professions etc and as you might expect are fairly “driven”. So I think “Type A” does not mean nasty people.

There are also some people out there who are pretty nasty; plenty of them on other sites I used to hang out on. We have none on here currently and IMHO the way EuroGA is set up there isn’t much “meat” here for them to get stuck into.

My AME says I am Type A but everybody who knows me says the opposite

I think it’s a good article. And I think it should make it easier to understand some aspects of how EuroGA is set up. Most other European forums have been trashed by this stuff – either totally or reduced to a de facto ruin. EuroGA was forecast to go the same way within a year…

The other behaviours e.g. wanting to belong to a “tribe” are relevant too.

Chinese whispers are also big in GA. When I had my prop strike in 2002, I got slagged off around the airport that I sued the school (whose “CFI” was in the RHS) and sued the airport. Neither was true, but this went on for about 10 years.

But probably the biggest thing is how pilots want much stricter regulation than we have.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
75 Posts
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