Professional Pride

[frigatebird]

tg & tk
that's amazing. don't read the Big Sinny papers - whoever did that to her (as they do here to each other - where the journos trawl for subject matter - deserve the follow up she did on them)

And what a sorry state journalism has descended to as well, that it can't understand an Industry in the present era and write such drivel as 'entertainment' and page filling. (Justifying own employ in a news drought)
THEY deserve to be lampooned in exactly the same way if that is their 'style' - To Take The Mickey.

[j3pipercub]

She's a crack up she is. And she doesn't even really apologise, just makes another pathetic swipe at pilots. The poor fragile thing

j3

[bonvol]

The dopey pilots have shot themselves in the foot here.

Their illiterate responses make it Claire 10, Pilots 0.

Dear oh dear, what would Wayne K say?

[Cypher]

If she can't stand the uniform thing, I suggest Claire that you either take the train, or learn to swim when you go away on holidays...

You have a choice love, just don't fly... ever..

[airsupport]

In her defence, she does have a point.

You are talking about Airline Pilots obviously, now I have flown all over the World for some 40 odd years with all sorts of different Crews, sometimes just as a pax and sometimes part of the Crew, NEVER in all that time has there EVER been any doubt in anyone's mind just exactly who was in charge, who was next in line etc etc.

So although these uniforms are probably a good idea with a Passenger Airline, the epaulettes are NOT needed to show members of the Crew just who is in charge etc, some of the best Pilots I have ever flown with, VERY SENIOR Pilots, often didn't wear them.

The Pilots that defend them so strongly probably wear them to bed too.

[Mach E Avelli]

I have never met Claire, but she sounds like she would be fun. For once a journo demonstrates an understanding of some branches of the pilot species. Maybe she was targeting YOU based on YOUR past performance (as related to her by her girlfriends of course). Maybe she genuinely does not fancy us. Oh, the rejection.
To those taking offence at her gentle satire - get a grip.

[C441]

I cannot even imagine current blokes even writing such crap, let alone identifying themselves.

Really, Teresa? Don't you read any of the other post on here?
(However, as you say, their anonymity protects them somewhat here.)

Remember that timely phrase you blokes.
"Never miss a perfect opportunity to say nothing."

[Tibbsy]

I know that context and tone can be hard to detect in writing sometimes, but jeez fellas... stop taking it (the article) and yourselves so seriously. It was light-hearted humour, nothing more sinister than that.

And for the outraged Defenders of The Profession (or was that The Trade ) who responded to Ms Harvey, whilst below par spelling on Proon might be acceptable, if you're going to take on a journalist it'd probably be worth using your spell-checker before pressing send.

[DutchRoll]

Correct, Tibbsy.

This sort of crap just posts us all in a bad light. All for the sake of a few bloody fragile egos.

It was obvious from the first paragraph that it was tongue-in-cheek. Now I have my very own - professionally educated with a ludicrously long bunch of letters after her name - wife (who for entertainment glances through the posts once in a while) saying we're all a bunch of tossers.

Oh great.

[teresa green]

Airsupport, I never felt dressed without my slides, not because I thought I was anything special, just because they came with the job. (though I gotta tell you the best flying was on the mineral deposits DC3 when we wore stubbies, RM'S and baseball cap, until the TAA boss found out and ordered us back into uniform). So there we were flogging ourselves around the Simpson Desert with a couple of scientists for company (who were clad in shorts and boots) so we simply packed our gear, shed our uniforms, and back into the stubbies until landing. Like a bunch of kangaroos and camels cared what we were wearing. It was as hot as buggery, so there were times we got down to the budgie smugglers and boots, and we used to have a laugh about what ol Capt Frank Ball would say if he could see us now, they sure as hell would never use us in their Up Up and away TAA adds. Best diet I have ever been on that job, lost 10ks from pure heat.

[airsupport]

I just thought it was quite funny, what she wrote.

Really though especially now that the Pilots are locked securely in the cockpit and away from the pax and everyone else, the gold bars are of little importance.

BTW, it is not just Pilots, many years ago (decades ago) while I was working Line Maintenance at an Outport, one of the other Engineers although he wore overalls all day every day AT work, used to travel to work and back home including shopping etc after work in full uniform with epaulettes etc.

[DutchRoll]

You can take this however you like, but I wrote a very polite email to Claire after the second column saying that I found the original one funny (which I actually did), pleading my case that we're not all complete d**kheads, yet conceding that some of us have proven we are by our reaction.

Here's an edited version of her response with pleasantries & associated bits edited out:

Dear [Dutchy],

......

I’m mates with a few military and ex-military pilots and I’ve massive respect for what you guys do, as well as the commercial pilots … I have enough trouble doing a reverse park in my ancient Honda civic and I can’t imagine how complex and difficult your work really is.

To be honest, I was just trying to have a bit of fun in that original column … oh well, I’m glad you got it, at least!

Thanks again and take care

Claire.

It's getting a bit sad when we can't laugh at ourselves. Even sadder when we decide we need to heap abuse on someone who is. The forwarding email from the news editor hinted to me that not many of the responses were particularly nice or humourous. Very poor show from some of my "colleagues". Arrogant, humourless, obnoxious, and thin-skinned, all rolled into one. The stupid thing is she wouldn't have even written the second one if "we" hadn't been dumb enough to hurl crap at her over the first (and if we could bloody spell).

[Captain707]

I have been flying for many years and pride amongst pilots is very low at the moment. The state of uniforms around the terminal look terrible! Polished shoes is a must, starched, ironed and white shirts a must. Clean shaven, unless in "movember", a must. Hats must be clean without looking crushed. The sad thing is, the guys in my age group(40+) seem to be the worst. Hire car divers look better presented!

Good on you guys for at least writing to Claire, even in a humerous way(some made serious points too) and making her apoligise! A lot of people l know took offence to her article and they are not the pompous type, but have a high pride in aviation!

[DDTL]

Dutchy when are you going for coffee with Claire?

[scarediecat]

Thanks to the mod's and other's who have clarified the things that need to be clarified. I really enjoyed the rants but a litle overdure. Maybe you should be a tad more pro-active in keeping things on track.

[DutchRoll]

Don't like coffee.

I just felt some weird obligation to go around and help pick up the doggy-doo a few people left behind them while demonstrating their superb intellectual prowess in dealing with the public and media.

This airline/pilot/flying thingy job can be done without becoming a complete w*nker. Well, that's my theory anyway. Some are evidently working on falsifying it.