What
happened over D.C. has NOTHING to do with the ability to be a good
pilot,
and EVERYTHING to do with a ****ty, "I don't care, I've been flying for
35
years and screw you and your rules" attitude.

Show up at an airport, any day, and you'll be suprised how often you see
this attitude. What sucks is that it isn't brought to the attention of
on-looking students so they can learn that it is wrong and that no matter
how old you get or how many hours you have in your log book, stupid is still
stupid. It seems that only after a preventible mistake, incident, or
accident occurs do other pilots start commenting about it and other people
learn from their blood.

I'd be willing to bet that somewhere there is a pilot that has questioned
this instructors methods, decision making, planning, or attitude in the
past. Why didn't that pilot speak up? Why don't we speak up when we see
another pilot do something stupid even if it would possibly save lives or
help preserve other pilots freedoms of flight?

Are we too proud? Too embarassed? Fearfull of critcism? Unsure who to
report such stupidity to? Fear of interrogation by the local FSDO?

What makes pilots clam up and turn away from an offending pilot when they
walk into the FBO bragging about their latest stunt? Disassociation is the
most probable reason, but why not speak up and tell the offender what the
other pilots are all thinking?

I'm not saying that we need to jump all over the offender and embarass him
to the point of never flying again. But I am saying that we should at least
approach the individual at the proper time and place and suggest his actions
could be considered inappropriate and most likely dangerous. The very least
this can do is bring to his attention that people are watching and they
don't like what they see.

Jim