"Airplane Drivers" and "Self Centered Idiots"

Jay Honeck wrote:
Thanks to AVweb for this column. The pilot makes the point better than I.

http://www.avweb.com/news/pilotlounge/193321-1.html

The author, Rick Durden, is a regular here, and a straight shooter.
What he says in that article is 100% on the money.

Those of us who fly into Oshkosh every year know precisely what he's
talking about, and it is definitely time for EAA and the FAA to step up
enforcement action against pilots who arrogantly ignore the NOTAM.
(NOTAM = NOTice to AirMen, outlining the arrival/departure
procedures.) I saw and heard things this year that I've NEVER seen or
heard before, and we don't want Oshkosh to become endangered because of
the actions of a few idiots.

That said, the FAA itself was largely to blame for much of the
confusion over Rush and Green Lakes this year. (I know -- I was
there.) If the controllers had only said "Guys, there's been an
accident on the field, and we don't know how long the hold is going to
be." -- half the planes holding would have diverted to other airports
to wait it out.

They chose, instead, to keep saying "We're doing the best we can, and
we'll get you in as soon as possible." This lack of information gave
everyone holding the false hope that the hold would end soon, and the
swarm around the lakes just kept getting bigger, and bigger, and
bigger. It was a real mess, which -- thankfully -- all worked out in
the end.

And that, Skylune, is the point you are missing, as always. Oshkosh is
well run, and continues to have a very good safety record, despite
these few transgressions. Pilots policing themselves (with peer
pressure and harsh articles like Rick's) will ultimately have the
desired effect, and will go a long ways toward stopping the "Morons to
Oshkosh".
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

His comments about stupid pilot tricks matches my experience perfectly.
That, plus the BS the flight school put on us about how convenient VFR
GA was for transportation, plus minimimizing the fact that you need to
fly regularly to be safe, way beyond what the FAA minimums require to
remain current, are what caused me to quit. Fortunately, the crooks at
the flight school (a national chain) only got a few thousand of my hard
earned cash before I (and a few other students) realized we were being
played.... It still ticks me off though.

I now have the time to train again, and actually thought about it for a
while, but there is no benefit to VFR GA in the Northeast, unless you
need a hobby.