What constitutes a pilot?

Question

I believe Flight Engineers were the best thing that happened to the cockpit because they understood the aircraft from a mechanical view. Now we have 'Drivers' that don't even know what a 'Bore Scope' is.

Why is it that certified pilot don't understand the maintenance and inspections behind making the aircraft safe for flight.

The military would check to death while the civilians would, Kick the tires, light the fires! Now it seems our safety is in the hands of people who don't even understand maintenance.

Be an Engineer First! It may not be glamorous but it will keep you alive.

So the question is, why don't these multi-houred, multi-qualified pilots not understand the basics of proper maintenance, outside of power naps.

Answer 1

I'm a pilot.  And I'll admit I don't know everything about an aircraft, but I do know what I need to know to operate it safely.

Come down out of your glass tower there, Gwenevere.  If not, you might find it gets broken really easily.

Oh, and why do you need to know which way, clockwise or counterclockwise, an A&P tightens down a safety wire?  All I care about is whether or not the nut is there, and if so, if the safety wire is on it.  I don't need to be told by anyone, with the exception of a CFI, FAA Examiner, or FSDO officer, what I need to know to be a safe pilot.

I have been a pilot for four years, and have yet to have a single incident, accident, or even a close call to my record.  I train many hours a year, and know without a doubt that I am as safe of a pilot as you, or any engineer, will ever be, that is, if you are one, which, I doubt highly..

Answer 2

I'm 15. I wash planes for flying lessons. I spend a lot of my time in the hangar at my flight school. I learn a lot of stuff. I think it's great learning what's in the airplane and why things happen. It's good to know how to change a tire and change spark plugs, etc.

Answer 3

So, do aircraft maintenance techs need to know how to fly a plane to be a good mechanic?  I know what a bore scope is, but don't know how to use one.  If I can't do anything about it from the cockpit, what good does it do to know about it?  I don't think we inspect engines while they are running.  Of course, knowledge is good but making pilots become engineers first seems like overkill to me.  It does seem like you are trying to insult someone.  Did you have a question in there somewhere?

Answer 4

I take pride in knowing my systems. But from a pilot's standpoint. I could care less what you think I should know. And a bore scope can't help me in the cockpit. C'mon clown, help me out. How can I make use of a bore scope at FL 410. Maybe I should bring a scalpel too in case I need an emergency  appendectomy huh? Jeeez.

Don't know if you're a mechanic, engineer or what. But telling me what a pilot needs to know is d**n laughable.

By the way, I own an FE ticket too and have seen many riding sideways that I would not let fix my lawn mower because of their mechanical incompetence. It seems you simply don't know what you're talking about huh?

Be an engineer  first? Give me  a fvcking break.

Answer 5

I'm getting ready to get into a university and go for a degree and certifications that are going to cost me somewhere in the neigborhood of $60,000 and take four years. Then I have to go and build time while I pursue a job in airlines that is initially unlikely to pay more than $25,000 a year. That's not a lot of money for a guy who needs to pay off that much education. If you want me to go to school for another year or two and spend at least 25% more on my education to get all of that A&P, are you willing to take a 30% hike in your airline ticket price to pay me a surgeon's wage? I've got to learn all of the laws, procedures, and techniques, and then practice them (at a lot of expense) to become a PILOT. I intend to get A&P when convenient, because I want it, but I'm in it to fly first because that's my chosen profession. I don't want to waste effort on anything but but being the best pilot I can be. Eventually, I'll be able to expand my knowlege and expertise, but requiring it when it isn't necessary would be wasteful and make pilots even harder to come by. The instruments and gauges in the cockpit are going to tell me enough about the aircraft's functionality for me to fly it effectively and keep everybody alive in an emergency. That same education will teach me enough to fly safely without damaging the plane. I don't need to know how to fix the d**n thing to fly it. Flight engineers are a throwback to when every single pump, valve, and sensor had to be operated and monitored during a flight by a human being. That stuff is simplified now to eliminate so many opportunities for a screwup. I'm thankful for that. I want to know all about flying and building/maintaining aircraft but that's a lot of extra work and cash that a lot of guys just can't get around to getting their hands on. It's a complex system to wade through.