Airport weirdos

[Nark]

Breaking off from the other thread.

Some of the airport locals are the weirdest society has to throw at you.

Notable favorites:

The socially awkward. Someone who has enough money from a business acumen. Generally software programming, which allows for a buffer to have to talk to real people from time to time.

The arrogant as eff. Usually in sales, and has done very well for themselves. Most notable trait: telling other’s stories. Real life example: hangar neighbor was invited on an aircraft carrier for 2 days as a guest (for families). He was reciting the capabilities of said carrier to myself and another pilot. That other pilot: prior F-14 driver. I think it’s safe to assume he knows the capability of Naval Aviation aboard carriers.

The student pilot: pretty self-explanatory. What gets dicey is adding in the above arrogant asshat, as a 50 hour student pilot. “Your instructor said that, did he?”

The Civil Air Patrol/Air Cadet “officers.” Not the kids who aspire to be aviators. The people who think they are captain/major/colonel’s. After serving XX years as an NCO line cook in the Air Force they have retired and want to give back. They have watched Iron Eagle one to many times, and demand you address them as their pretend rank. “No Corporal (ret.) you’re not really a field grade officer.”
Bonus points to those who require 4,000’ to land a 172 because approach speed of 120kts is safer…

Hour building instructor. Hustling and trying to build time so he/she can get the heck out of dealing with the weirdos on a daily basis. The “senior” instructor is the 1000tt who has never flown beyond 250 miles of the aerodrome, but tells you accumulating ice is an emergency, because the FAA/TC tell you it is…

My favorite: Airline pilots. Can be the most dangerous. Some are arrogant enough because they have 10,000+ hours, of which 9,999 is with the autopilot on. They often regale of their overnights in Kowloon, but fail to mention the tranny karaoke singer that caused his second divorce. Which is why he’s partners in a club and not the sole owner.


Then there’s me. I’m perfect and defy a category.

[mcrit]

Normal people never accomplish great things. It’s not normal to bet your life, and the lives of others, on your competence and skill. It’s not normal to seek out the adrenaline rush of formation, or aeros, or low level flight through mountains. Aviation does not attract normal people.

[Slick Goodlin]

Damn, my hangar neighbours are either cool or keep to themselves.

[Colonel]

I'm glad to hear it's not just me.

I try to look at the bright side, and console myself with the fact that these people are usually genuine nutbars. That authenticity has to be worth something in this day of phonies. Doesn't it?

[David MacRay]

[Squaretail]

The socially awkward.

The arrogant as eff.

The student pilot

The Civil Air Patrol/Air Cadet “officers.”

Hour building instructor.

My favorite: Airline pilots.

These aren't the weirdos, these are the general population. Any group of people, especially those that seem to have an intersection of expensive doodads and manual skill required will have an equivalent of each of these be it the golf course, shooting range, motorcycle schwarm, etc.

You're the odd man out if you don't fall into one of these categories.

That said, aviation attracts some real odd balls, some real outside the bell curve results. Some of God's own prototypes as it were. Lots of these are attracted to the ultralight and home building side of things where a lack of self awareness, self preservation or logic manifest. Then you also can add in their charming personality quirks. Like the one guy I met who was determined to build his own plane, but spending two bucks on some straight 2x4s was an unacceptable cost. I used to have a guy who would show up and lecture me about the obsolescence of aluminum airplanes. One guy was furious that as an instructor I wasn't going to follow him in formation, instructing him over the radio, and that I was the lunatic for training people in such an unsafe manner. How about the fellow who wanted me to testify for him in his court case against TC that it was his God given right to play chicken with the other airplanes? There's been more than one who thought it was reasonable to go practice IFR solo with the hood on. You know, because instructors were expensive and for some reason they could never find anyone to be a look out for them.

Its been a long strange trip.

[Big Pistons Forever]

I loved how a fellow I know described the expat wide body airline drivers who can’t afford to come home.

“Their 3rd wife just graduated from high school, their eldest daughter just graduated from university and their kids are 1, 5, 8, 11, 15, and 22”

[Colonel]

Not sure that the inability to keep your pecker in your pants can be accurately described as psychotic behavior.

That’s just a self-inflicted wound from a garden variety idiot. He’s not irrationally spewing hate and venom, like a genuine airport weirdo.

[Squaretail]

That’s just a self-inflicted wound from a garden variety idiot.

Indeed. If you delve into the family life of anyone in aviation you're going to find stuff that doesn't match the average wife or husband and 2.5 children. I do notice a lot of aviation people on their third or fourth marriage though, which indicates to me lots of them are optimists, and that the rest of the general populace hasn't figured out what an bunch of oddballs aviation people are. I mean you would have thought the word would have gotten out by now.

He’s not irrationally spewing hate and venom, like a genuine airport weirdo.

That's the key to being an airport weirdo, you got to be out there exporting your views, otherwise people would mistake you for being "normal". The flight school was a magnet for this sort of behavior. I mean where else can you hire someone to be confined with you in a small space to be your captive audience and terrorize them with your views on how airplanes should be flown?

[digits]

Wait, you guys have other people at your airport?