Serious question, what is an Aircraft Pilot?
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Serious question, what is an Aircraft Pilot?
This is a serious question, NOT having a go at anyone, I was in the Airline Industry all my working Life and although not Flight Crew, I worked with and flew with many Pilots all over the World.
I have just been reading a thread here on PPRuNe where it has developed into a bit of a slanging match between Pilots and Cabin Crew, and just out of interest I tried to find out just exactly where the term Pilot came from as in PPRuNe.
Despite a lot of searching on "google" I cannot find anything about where the term started.
Seems like these esteemed people were called "Flyers" originally, and Pilots as in Marine Pilots have been around for ages, but where and when did the term Pilot become the normal name for what we call Aircraft Pilots?
Unless I am missing something it is not an acronym?
Serious answers please, does anyone know?
I have just been reading a thread here on PPRuNe where it has developed into a bit of a slanging match between Pilots and Cabin Crew, and just out of interest I tried to find out just exactly where the term Pilot came from as in PPRuNe.
Despite a lot of searching on "google" I cannot find anything about where the term started.
Seems like these esteemed people were called "Flyers" originally, and Pilots as in Marine Pilots have been around for ages, but where and when did the term Pilot become the normal name for what we call Aircraft Pilots?
Unless I am missing something it is not an acronym?
Serious answers please, does anyone know?
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And what a disgrace that thread is. A lot of willy wagging going on there!
Not sure about the answer but the head honcho is the CAPTAIN, another marine term. Ohh and the Cabin crew should learn to realise that while they have a serious and important job, the one requiring more skills and so forth and is legally responsible for all on board....is not the CSM, but in fact the Captain of the ship.....errr Airplane....Aeroplane....Big Balouse.....
Some of those TC & CC should just deflate their ego's below a safe limit before logging into pprune.
J
PS Sorry for bringing all that here, you have raised an interesting question though.
Not sure about the answer but the head honcho is the CAPTAIN, another marine term. Ohh and the Cabin crew should learn to realise that while they have a serious and important job, the one requiring more skills and so forth and is legally responsible for all on board....is not the CSM, but in fact the Captain of the ship.....errr Airplane....Aeroplane....Big Balouse.....
Some of those TC & CC should just deflate their ego's below a safe limit before logging into pprune.
J
PS Sorry for bringing all that here, you have raised an interesting question though.
Last edited by Jabawocky; 4th Jan 2008 at 03:41.
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PLEASE don't bring all that here................
Yes I realise about Captain, also First Officer, Second Officer, Engineer and Navigator etc all are probably derived from the Maritime and then used in Aviation, however a Marine "Pilot" is certainly not the one in normal command of a ship, only a guide in tight or unknown places.
So does anyone know how or why the term Pilot came into use as in "Aircraft Pilot"?
Yes I realise about Captain, also First Officer, Second Officer, Engineer and Navigator etc all are probably derived from the Maritime and then used in Aviation, however a Marine "Pilot" is certainly not the one in normal command of a ship, only a guide in tight or unknown places.
So does anyone know how or why the term Pilot came into use as in "Aircraft Pilot"?
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I do realise that, hence the more recent term of Auto Pilot, being an automatic means of controlling the Aircraft.
But when and where did the term come into use in Aviation?
Why Pilot?
Does it mean anything specific to Aviation, or is it in fact derived from Maritime Pilot?
But when and where did the term come into use in Aviation?
Why Pilot?
Does it mean anything specific to Aviation, or is it in fact derived from Maritime Pilot?
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Word History: The pilot of an aircraft speeding through the air and the pilot of a watercraft plowing through the water both drag an etymological foot on the ground. Surprisingly enough, considering its modern contexts, the English word pilot can be traced back to the Indo-European root *ped-, meaning "foot." From the lengthened-grade suffixed form *pēdo- came the Greek word pēdon, "blade of an oar," and in the plural, "steering oar." In Medieval Greek there is assumed to have existed the derivative *pēdōtēs, "steersman," which passed into Old Italian and acquired several forms, including pedota, and pilota, the form that was borrowed into Old French as pilot. English borrowed the word from French, and as pilot it has moved from the water to the air, first being recorded in 1848 with reference to an airborne pilot—a balloonist.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=pilot
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=pilot
It doesn't take a genious to figure out that a lot of things are derived from old maritime days in aviation, if our flight crew then I'm sure your aware that pre-PC days they were refered to Stewards and Stewardesses (also nautical)... then think about things just as aeroNAUTICAL, airPORT... just a derivitve of the most common method of transportation back in the day...
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WilliamOK,
Thank you, that sounds fair enough to me.
So it is also related to a Maritme Pilot as I thought, thanks again.
Should have known the French would have something to do with it.
Thank you, that sounds fair enough to me.
So it is also related to a Maritme Pilot as I thought, thanks again.
Should have known the French would have something to do with it.
Tech tip... in google, if you want to know something, simply put the word "define" before your search...
I.e. "define pilot" http://www.google.com.au/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=define+pilot&meta=
I.e. "define pilot" http://www.google.com.au/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=define+pilot&meta=
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WilliamOK has summed it up quite well I think. I was once told that the original definition of the word Pilot was
'One who steers'
as in steering of a boat, and in time, was applied to aviation.
That said, maybe Chuckles or Tinpis can dig up the old article titled, from memory
'What is a Talair Pilot'
which may give some amusement to Ppruners!
'One who steers'
as in steering of a boat, and in time, was applied to aviation.
That said, maybe Chuckles or Tinpis can dig up the old article titled, from memory
'What is a Talair Pilot'
which may give some amusement to Ppruners!
The word "pilot" is derived from the longer expression "piling a lot" and comes to us from the very early seafaring days.
The first recorded use of the expression "piling a lot" is in the writings of the early Greek scholar Thadius III who is believed to have lived in the period 400 - 350 BC. He records a group of what we now call sailors sitting around a fire enjoying a copious goat's bladders of the strong red wine that remains a feature of that part of the world to this day.
The ensembled throng were competing with one another to see who could tell the best stories of their adventures at sea, and as you would expect it was the Captains who, because of their great experience, were able to tell the best stories, although the accuracy of some of their more "exuberant" stories was sometimes questioned. Those who told the most unbelievable stories were described by Thadius III as "piling a lot of goat ****".
Over the next couple of millenia, "piling a lot of goat ****" was shortened to the now familiar "pilot" and has been carried over from maritime circles to aviation.
So, a modern definition of a "pilot" is "one who piles up a lot (of goat ****)"!
Of course in areas where goats are less common, one could substitute the same material from another species such as a horse or a perhaps most commonly in Oz, the bull.
Dr
The first recorded use of the expression "piling a lot" is in the writings of the early Greek scholar Thadius III who is believed to have lived in the period 400 - 350 BC. He records a group of what we now call sailors sitting around a fire enjoying a copious goat's bladders of the strong red wine that remains a feature of that part of the world to this day.
The ensembled throng were competing with one another to see who could tell the best stories of their adventures at sea, and as you would expect it was the Captains who, because of their great experience, were able to tell the best stories, although the accuracy of some of their more "exuberant" stories was sometimes questioned. Those who told the most unbelievable stories were described by Thadius III as "piling a lot of goat ****".
Over the next couple of millenia, "piling a lot of goat ****" was shortened to the now familiar "pilot" and has been carried over from maritime circles to aviation.
So, a modern definition of a "pilot" is "one who piles up a lot (of goat ****)"!
Of course in areas where goats are less common, one could substitute the same material from another species such as a horse or a perhaps most commonly in Oz, the bull.
Dr
Last edited by ForkTailedDrKiller; 4th Jan 2008 at 05:06.
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WannaBeBiggles,
Yes but that still doesn't have what I was looking for.
The info from WilliamOK was what I was looking for.
Thank you all...................
Yes but that still doesn't have what I was looking for.
The info from WilliamOK was what I was looking for.
Thank you all...................
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Don't forget in the early days of aviation alot of the public spectacle was focused on the "flying boats" of the time. All of the racing (which really kicked off the public acceptance of flying prior to airlines) was done in seaplanes and flying boats.
In a language a word is normally adopted by public use and approval, so with flying boats (and the definition WillOK gave us), we get Pilots...
In a language a word is normally adopted by public use and approval, so with flying boats (and the definition WillOK gave us), we get Pilots...
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Origin of the term pilot
Airsupport,
In support of what WilliamOK has written the earliest reference to the term pilot in an aeronautical context can be traced back to the late 18th early 19th century when the men and women of the day (Eliza Garnerin Paris Sept 1815 acscended in a balloon and descended in a parachute) 'piloted' the balloons/airships then in use. The term has its origins in the maritime arena as previously mentioned. Reference used is Jane's Yearbook 1972 page 3.
Trust this helps.
In support of what WilliamOK has written the earliest reference to the term pilot in an aeronautical context can be traced back to the late 18th early 19th century when the men and women of the day (Eliza Garnerin Paris Sept 1815 acscended in a balloon and descended in a parachute) 'piloted' the balloons/airships then in use. The term has its origins in the maritime arena as previously mentioned. Reference used is Jane's Yearbook 1972 page 3.
Trust this helps.
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If you relate all this to MODERN Aviation, from Maritime, then on board a ship for its whole voyage you would have a Captain who is in charge, various other Officers like First Officer (or First Mate) etc then a Pilot would board ONLY when necessary (as I understand it) to help guide the ship in a confined or dangerous space.
With Aviation the Crew aboard for the whole flight would again be the Captain aided by a First Officer etc, so who would be the Pilot (as related to the Maritme Pilot) to help guide the Aircraft when in a confined or dangerous place?
Would have to be the ATC..............
ONLY joking really, but it is sort of true, the ATC comes "on board" via the radio to help guide the Aircraft.
With Aviation the Crew aboard for the whole flight would again be the Captain aided by a First Officer etc, so who would be the Pilot (as related to the Maritme Pilot) to help guide the Aircraft when in a confined or dangerous place?
Would have to be the ATC..............
ONLY joking really, but it is sort of true, the ATC comes "on board" via the radio to help guide the Aircraft.
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Would have to be the ATC..............
Define for us the meaning of the C in ATC.
The Pilot/Aircraft Commander/Aviator/Leading Hand Driver, call them what you like, does not have to do as an ATC says. The Pilot/ etc etc always has the final say (authority and responsibility)
tipsy
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Origin: 1520–30; earlier pylotte < MF pillotte < It pilota, dissimilated var. of pedota < MGk *péd
tés steersman, equiv. to péd(á) rudder (pl. of pédón oar) + -ōtés agent suffix
tés steersman, equiv. to péd(á) rudder (pl. of pédón oar) + -ōtés agent suffix
IT = Italian
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Airsupport
It is my understanding that marine pilots have the helm AND the liability from a nominal point to coming alongside, and then from cast-off to another nominal point offshore on the way out.
A bit like the captain of the 744 doing the take off, going to crew rest
and only re-appearing at TOP D
It is my understanding that marine pilots have the helm AND the liability from a nominal point to coming alongside, and then from cast-off to another nominal point offshore on the way out.
A bit like the captain of the 744 doing the take off, going to crew rest
and only re-appearing at TOP D
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Define for us the meaning of the C in ATC.
The Pilot/Aircraft Commander/Aviator/Leading Hand Driver, call them what you like, does not have to do as an ATC says. The Pilot/ etc etc always has the final say (authority and responsibility)
The Pilot/Aircraft Commander/Aviator/Leading Hand Driver, call them what you like, does not have to do as an ATC says. The Pilot/ etc etc always has the final say (authority and responsibility)
You are the Captains, Gods whatever soothes your egos, all I was saying was IF you compare Aviation to Maritime, BOTH have Captains (who YES are in charge, the Boss, the Big Kahuna), but the Aviation equivalent of a Maritime PILOT would be someone extra who comes aboard (NOT to take over from the Captain) but to help the Captain land (berth) HIS vessel.