I swear, you have to score below a certain IQ to be a pilot...

[oh-kevin.livejournal.com]

This happened yesterday morning... 2nd call of the day...


User: How do i get land eleavations on my unit?

Me: WSell, so that you understand the feature, it's just the topographical map shading to depict the elevation as well as when you toggle the cursor over a certain area a box will appear with the MSL elevation.

User: What is topa-whatsis?

Me: Topographical info... topo info.. the colors on the screen...

User: oh those colors... how am i supposed to know what they mean?

Me: Well they reflect the same shading rules as your standard topographical map / chart.

User: ok fine, but how do i TURN IT ON???

Me: Well sir, it's on by default, so..

User: What? It's on what?

Me: By default.

User: What do you mean "default"? what does that mean...

Me: The word default? it means in this case the feature is automatically on when you turn the unit on.

User: I'm still not following you, i guess i'll just read the manual

*click*



I'm sorry, but anyone flying a plane should, A. Hopefully not live anywhere near me, and B. Be grounded.

What do you mean by default? what a retard. i knew that word in 5th grade for chrissake.

Comments

[docskurlock.livejournal.com]

Perhaps he was intoxicated. *snicker*

Ok, fine, he's an idiot.

[oh-kevin.livejournal.com]

i love the drunk pilots joke.

such a good jackass episode... or was it in the landspeed movie?


i don't remember... but it was in a few of those types of shows... classic.

[docskurlock.livejournal.com]

I'm not too sure what episode, but drunk pilots are hilarious. Unless of course they're flying MY plane.

[residentgeek.livejournal.com]

Oy. That was just painful. Good grief.

[jjjiii]

Default? You mean it's broken?

[ravenshrinkery.livejournal.com]

I have a bit of a distaste for pilots, even though it's not their fault. In many ways their career, while prestigious to the unknowledgable, is very much like driving a truck for a living, except maintaining better personal hygiene (due to lots of contact with the unsuspecting public), requiring better physical conditioning, knowledge of more and different rules, and receive far better compensation to play with much more expensive toys.

Contrary to popular belief, many pilots are barely above average with technology in any form, including the forms they utilize daily. Some pilots will never be able to grasp the use of integrated electronic avionics, especially with fancy toys such as GPS - on the same screen as the rest of the flight data (even if not displayed simultaneously). Fortunately, they don't make it too high in commercial aviation.

A parallel can be drawn between pilots and EMS personnel - highly trained to make a certain set of reaction calls given a specific situation. Deviation simply isn't an option unless further criteria are presented. Aviation is ruled by checklists and (especially IFR) precise navigation patterns. Heh, pilot ratings can even be considered "how much can we get this human to behave like a robot". I try to cut them some slack for the rigors of the profession, but I couldn't do something with so little creative input as well, driving a flying truck.