wktaylor
Well-Known Member
We all know a few of these characters... https://generalaviationnews.com/2024/12/09/picking-pilots-losing-ground-in-finding-the-right-stuff/
This article is tough to read... but it shed-light on the relatively recent increase in the number of 'rogue pilots, who shouldn't be pilots'. They lack respect for order and rules and everyone else's safety... and often have marginal training and may/may-not have any licenses or recurrent [annual/bi-annual] recertification's under the watchful gaze of professional examiners.
Premise of this article is the increase of 'undisciplined human misfits' flying among us. I suspect that many of the reported 'unresolved incidents' at uncontrolled fields and in uncontroled airspace... where there is minimal/no communication required... and little/no formal electronic tracking of their dangerous behaviors.... can be traced to these 'human misfits'.
Unfortunately in the late 1990s I was working in a USAF depot office, when I encountered/tangled with one of these 'misfits' who was very violent. During a urgent phone call on a commercial fax line [DSN was In-Op]... 'this guy' shut-off my my call 'accidently-for-fun'. I looked at him and saw 'disguised amusement' in this eyes and face. NO KIDDING. Then I let loose a loud torrent of abusive cussing directed at him... and his amused look turned cold and hostile. He left fuming. Oh well...
I was instantly ashamed... because the 3-women working in that office were staring at me with looks that I cannot forget... they'd never heard me swear like that before... so I assumed my cursing rant was 100% unacceptable in their polite company. After my call I went to my desk in a small room, downstairs... and about 10-minutes later... YEP... that same guy... 250# 6'3' line-backer guy... came into my office and moved in a hostile way that could only have been interpreted to violently intimidate me... and his voice was low-and-cold. Thank God for the large/wide desk in front of me... which gave me 'space and time' for the opportunity to scream and cuss at this SOB... and threaten/guaranteed prision-time if he so much as touched me. AND I was, then, fully aware that I literally could be in for the fight of my life at any second.
After a couple of minutes of screaming and swearing at each other... and dodging on opposite sides of my desk... he left... and I phoned my 'boss' that I was on my way-up... because of this situation. After my very tense discussion with 'the boss', I basically told him "next time this guy threatens me... or anyone else that I know of... I will have base Security Forces [SF] swarming all over this building". Then I left and went to apologize to the 3-ladies who heard my ranting at 'this guy'. That is when they told me 'he' was a intimidating to them, also... and that his wife had recently been beaten by him off base and was 'gone-for-good'. AND, in-fact were scared for ME... because the already knew what kind of cruel/violent/reactive SOB he actually was and kept their distance from him at all times. My second encounter just confirmed their worst fears.
I never saw that 'guy' ever again. I 'found-out' [thru ladies] he was escorted to the SF office, was stripped of his ID, ordered to leave the base/island and return stateside in 24-hrs... and that a detailed report of his miss conduct was to be filed with the Air Force Base that he came from. He would likely have no return rights... and a copy of that report would be sent to his wife/family, as fodder for legal protections.
Guys... see-something... do-something... say-something...
Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect.”
--Captain A. G. Lamplugh, London, 1930's
This article is tough to read... but it shed-light on the relatively recent increase in the number of 'rogue pilots, who shouldn't be pilots'. They lack respect for order and rules and everyone else's safety... and often have marginal training and may/may-not have any licenses or recurrent [annual/bi-annual] recertification's under the watchful gaze of professional examiners.
Premise of this article is the increase of 'undisciplined human misfits' flying among us. I suspect that many of the reported 'unresolved incidents' at uncontrolled fields and in uncontroled airspace... where there is minimal/no communication required... and little/no formal electronic tracking of their dangerous behaviors.... can be traced to these 'human misfits'.
Unfortunately in the late 1990s I was working in a USAF depot office, when I encountered/tangled with one of these 'misfits' who was very violent. During a urgent phone call on a commercial fax line [DSN was In-Op]... 'this guy' shut-off my my call 'accidently-for-fun'. I looked at him and saw 'disguised amusement' in this eyes and face. NO KIDDING. Then I let loose a loud torrent of abusive cussing directed at him... and his amused look turned cold and hostile. He left fuming. Oh well...
I was instantly ashamed... because the 3-women working in that office were staring at me with looks that I cannot forget... they'd never heard me swear like that before... so I assumed my cursing rant was 100% unacceptable in their polite company. After my call I went to my desk in a small room, downstairs... and about 10-minutes later... YEP... that same guy... 250# 6'3' line-backer guy... came into my office and moved in a hostile way that could only have been interpreted to violently intimidate me... and his voice was low-and-cold. Thank God for the large/wide desk in front of me... which gave me 'space and time' for the opportunity to scream and cuss at this SOB... and threaten/guaranteed prision-time if he so much as touched me. AND I was, then, fully aware that I literally could be in for the fight of my life at any second.
After a couple of minutes of screaming and swearing at each other... and dodging on opposite sides of my desk... he left... and I phoned my 'boss' that I was on my way-up... because of this situation. After my very tense discussion with 'the boss', I basically told him "next time this guy threatens me... or anyone else that I know of... I will have base Security Forces [SF] swarming all over this building". Then I left and went to apologize to the 3-ladies who heard my ranting at 'this guy'. That is when they told me 'he' was a intimidating to them, also... and that his wife had recently been beaten by him off base and was 'gone-for-good'. AND, in-fact were scared for ME... because the already knew what kind of cruel/violent/reactive SOB he actually was and kept their distance from him at all times. My second encounter just confirmed their worst fears.
I never saw that 'guy' ever again. I 'found-out' [thru ladies] he was escorted to the SF office, was stripped of his ID, ordered to leave the base/island and return stateside in 24-hrs... and that a detailed report of his miss conduct was to be filed with the Air Force Base that he came from. He would likely have no return rights... and a copy of that report would be sent to his wife/family, as fodder for legal protections.
Guys... see-something... do-something... say-something...
Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect.”
--Captain A. G. Lamplugh, London, 1930's
