Originally Posted by
Baze
Originally Posted by
freshairborne
Honestly, reading about all the mistrust our passengers have for their pilots is pretty discouraging. A quick unofficial observation of posts on FlyerTalk tell me that as I stand at the door and bid farewell to my passengers as they deplane, 7 of 10 of them believe that their pilots are untrustworthy.
Actually, by the time I make it back to door 2L (757) all the "elitists" have gone, and its just the "kettles" still deplaning.
I'm a "kettle" myself, given that I don't fly as a passenger all that often, nor do I ever ride anywhere other than "steerage" when I do.
What's the derogatory term-of-the-day for pilots these days, anyway?
A load off my chest, rant over, flame away.
FAB
I for one trust the pilots. If I didn't I would not be on a plane. So count me as one of the 3 in 10. What would a pilot have to gain by not being truthful to the passengers. The only time I would not want the whole truth is if would cause mass hysteria on the plane. Sometimes you need to sugar coat things. But honesty is good and I for one appreciate it. I have never knowingly heard a pilot lie about something. Sometimes you just don't know how long the delay will be or give the info you were given and when it turns out to be wrong the 7 in 10 blame you, the pilot when it is not your fault. I APPRECIATE and RESPECT the pilots the fly the planes I am on.
I appreciate that. I try and be as honest and forthcoming as I can with my passengers. Sometimes, what I say is contrary to what they might have been told by an FA, GA, CSR, or other PWJDIAA (people whose job description is an acronym). And some times I really don't know if a plane is going flying or to the hangar, if a flight will fly or cancel, or how long it takes to fix. But I always say what I think. Jeff, et al, may not appreciate my delivery, but then, its my delivery.
I can't understand that people will get on a plane that's being piloted by us deceptive individuals. I recently had a starter malfunction while starting an engine in LAS. No big, we just used a ground cart air start, but some lady was deathly afraid that it might not start when airborne. She'd been gambling for a week in Vegas, but didn't want to chance the judgment of her captain. We let her off the plane.
Moral: trust your pilots. They want to go as bad as you do, and they're in the part that hits first.
FAB