Is it true that most piolets?

Question

who fly either commerical planes or military planes/helicopters have a hard time driving? That they rarely drive and have someone drive them around.

Answer 1

This idea comes mostly from the earlier days of fighter aviation. Fighter pilots developed a reputation for reckless driving and drunk driving, and a lot of books about pilots in the 'fourties through the 'sixties have a story or two about it but it's important to note the very different times those stories describe. For much of miltary aviation history, fighter pilots were younger and less educated than they are today. Until fairly recently, fighter pilots started out at age 18 to 21. A lot of them would get their hands on sports cars and have fun with them, sometimes drunk. The biggest point is that this is a sign of immaturity and behavior common among young men across society, not just pilots. Among combat veterans, there's also been a very common tendency towards thrill-seeking as well. Combat experience has turned a lot of men into adrenaline junkies. This is usually dealt with responsibly and adjusted to, but a few guys do crazy things and give the rest a bad name. As these guys transitioned to civil aviation, this idea of reckless military pilots rubbed off a bit on civil aviation, developing into a generalized stereotype of pilots being bad drivers. Today, pilots (and especially military pilots) are typically years older and have a college education, which means most pilots are more mature and level-headed. Most pilots I know have the same seriousness about safety with their cars that they do about aviation. A few "bad apples" may always be able to give the rest a bad reputaion, but the vast majority of pilots are very reponsible drivers.

Answer 2

Nope not true at all. Been a pilot for a while and have had no accidents or tickets.

Answer 3

There may be a little bit of truth in this if only for the fact that immediately as I'm driving out of the airport I tend to feel out of sorts.  I don't even know how to describe it, but it's like for half a second I forget how to drive.  For example, if I turn the yoke 90 degrees either direction, that is full deflection.  In the car, that's a very wide turn and I tend to understeer the first couple of turns.  Although, now that I think of it, it's usually after a night flight, so maybe I'm just tired? :)

Answer 4

Haha, I'm a commercial pilot, and I don't drive. Best way to be...

Answer 5

No, it's not.  Been a fighter guy for 24 years, and in that time have had a total of two tickets and no accidents.  Many of my bro's have similar records

Answer 6

Some of the worst drivers I've known were fighter pilots. Yet these same guys would enjoy wrenching on their cars, and did a really good job of it as well.

Answer 7

Most pilots that I've known are very reasonable car drivers. Even they know that their chances of being killed are greater on the highway than in the air.

Answer 8

I have heard that old cliche all my life, and it was never true, and it's not true now.  Pilots by inclination are well-versed and cautious, and tend to pay attention to their situation and prefer to follow the rules.  That makes them among the BEST drivers.