FAA officially calls us "operators" --- NOT "pilots"

[MadMitch88]

As usual I'm proven right by the FACTS --- and this time by the supreme civil aviation authority of the United States of America.

https://makezine.com/2015/02/15/faa-releases-small-drone-proposed-legislation/
http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/rulemaking/media/021515_sUAS_Summary.pdf

Docket No.: FAA-2015-0150 -- Overview of Small UAS Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

Operator Certification: Under the proposed rule, the person who manipulates the flight controls of a small UAS would be defined as an “operator.”


We are officially called "operators" --- NOT "pilots".

We could also be called "observer" if we are not directly operating the UAV but assisting in it's flight path. I went into detailed discussion in this previous thread about why we Phantom owners DO NOT deserve the title of "pilot":

http://www.phantompilots.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=33448

So please, obey proper decorum in here from now on and in your personal dealings with the public about our hobby. Calling yourself a "pilot" to someone curious about our hobby only serves to promote confusion and most likely anger amongst real pilots who, unlike us, spend thousands of hours obtaining a state or federal certified license to fly and put their lives and their passengers lives at risk every time they take off in real aircraft that has an airworthiness certificate.

Like I mentioned in the previous thread, some of you have deep-rooted self esteem issues if you insist on calling yourselves "pilots" and need to feel important by giving yourself a fake title that you don't deserve. Kinda like a surgical technician calling himself a "doctor" when all he does is hand scalpels and clamps to a real surgeon. I personally think this is a very sad reflection of your character, and you most likely need some kind of psychological intervention to work through your "issues". Seek the help you need. I think someone in here said he actually wears an official jacket that says "PILOT" on the back whenever he is operating his Phantom. That is laughable, and yet mostly sad.

 

[Monte55]

Who in the hell cares?

 

[MadMitch88]

Who in the hell cares?

Language and titles matter, broh.

I'm just trying to improve the overall respectability of this forum. If we keep calling ourselves "pilots", then noobs and the general public won't take us seriously. Certainly, the politicians who will be making the laws governing our hobby wont take us seriously and they don't have a very high opinion of us to begin with.

Let's all strive to project a better image to the public. That starts with how we view ourselves and what titles we call each other.

I'm proud of my skills with my Vision+, but at the end of the day I'm just an "operator" of a little plastic flying toy. Don't make this more complicated than it is.

 

[Clipper707]

As usual I'm proven right by the FACTS --- and this time by the supreme civil aviation authority of the United States of America.

Like I mentioned in the previous thread, some of you have deep-rooted self esteem issues if you insist on calling yourselves "pilots" and need to feel important by giving yourself a fake title that you don't deserve. Kinda like a surgical technician calling himself a "doctor" when all he does is hand scalpels and clamps to a real surgeon. I personally think this is a very sad reflection of your character, and you most likely need some kind of psychological intervention to work through your "issues". Seek the help you need.

Some people address their deep-rooted self esteem issues by being the guy who says "I told you so."

 

[N017RW]

As usual I'm proven right by the FACTS --- and this time by the supreme civil aviation authority of the United States of America.

Like I mentioned in the previous thread, some of you have deep-rooted self esteem issues if you insist on calling yourselves "pilots" and need to feel important by giving yourself a fake title that you don't deserve. Kinda like a surgical technician calling himself a "doctor" when all he does is hand scalpels and clamps to a real surgeon. I personally think this is a very sad reflection of your character, and you most likely need some kind of psychological intervention to work through your "issues". Seek the help you need.

Some people address their deep-rooted self esteem issues by being the guy who says "I told you so."

:lol:

 

[MadMitch88]

Some people address their deep-rooted self esteem issues by being the guy who says "I told you so."

It's called "winning a debate based on facts".

No self esteem issues involved here. Part of the responsibilities of being an adult is admitting that sometimes your wrong. The Phantom owners who want to call themselves "pilots" are simply wrong and these new FAA rules prove that. This isn't grade school where every loser at the track meet gets a trophy and told they're special regardless of where they placed in the race.

The FAA is the supreme civil aviation authority of the United States and we need to respect their rules and terminology. They have labeled us with official term "operator" and that's the end of any debate about the topic.

 

[N017RW]

I missed the debate BTW.

Your not going to gain many followers with such polarizing and extreme views.

You insult persons at the same time as you try to influence their thinking or opinions.

Meanwhile, I enjoy being an R/C Pilot as I have for the last 40 years.

 

[Monte55]

Pilots, operators, or just a goof watching. Who cares? I am all three and I could give a rats *** what anyone wants to think. I fly in a responsible manner and stay away from actions that could cause others harm. So if anyone is so interested in their title doing this, I feel you have a very boring life.

 

[AmosMoses]

Need to change the name of this forum I guess. [WINKING FACE]

 

[Clipper707]

Sometimes there's a difference between facts and legal definitions created by bureacrats. Congress passed a law allowing pizza with two tablespoons of tomato paste to qualify as a vegetable. Where do you stand on that one?

MadMitch88, I actually agree with you and never refer to myself as a pilot, preferring the term "operator." But if folks want to call themselves "pilots" I can honestly say I don't care. It seems you do. A lot.

So for me, it's a preference. For you, I suspect a deep-rooted need. Just a guess; I'm not a "doctor."

 

[dirkclod]

Some people address their deep-rooted self esteem issues by being the guy who says "I told you so."

It's called "winning a debate based on facts".

No self esteem issues involved here. Part of the responsibilities of being an adult is admitting that sometimes your wrong. The Phantom owners who want to call themselves "pilots" are simply wrong and these new FAA rules prove that. This isn't grade school where every loser at the track meet gets a trophy and told they're special regardless of where they placed in the race.

The FAA is the supreme civil aviation authority of the United States and we need to respect their rules and terminology. They have labeled us with official term "operator" and that's the end of any debate about the topic.

 

[MadMitch88]

Pilots, operators, or just a goof watching. Who cares? I am all three and I could give a rats *** what anyone wants to think. I fly in a responsible manner and stay away from actions that could cause others harm. So if anyone is so interested in their title doing this, I feel you have a very boring life.

Like I said, my primary objective with this thread is to elevate this forum to a higher level of respectability.

As we stumble headlong in the future, many of us are going to be dealing with the public about our hobby, and its our responsibility to know the language and terminology. Otherwise, we're just a bunch of middle-aged clowns playing with stupid little toys and acting like we're a lot more important than we really are. That's just sad.

Even worse, some of us might find ourselves in a courtroom defending ourselves in regards to a UAV incident. Projecting intelligence by calling yourself a "UAV operator" is going to work a hell lot better for your case than calling yourself a "drone pilot" when you take the witness stand. Call yourself a "pilot" and the jury box will roll their eyes and think to themselves --- "Oh sure he's a pilot. How was the latest combat mission, Maverick? Hey where's Goose?"

 

[MadMitch88]

I missed the debate BTW.

Your not going to gain many followers with such polarizing and extreme views.

You insult persons at the same time as you try to influence their thinking or opinions.

Meanwhile, I enjoy being an R/C Pilot as I have for the last 40 years.

Again, there's no insulting or polarizing views here. The only people who use those terms are crybabies who can't win a debate based on facts and need to insult the winning side.

Only in your own mind have you been an "R/C pilot" for the last 40 years. According to the FAA and millions of other REAL pilots worldwide --- you are an "operator" of a UAV.

Cheers!

 

[beeline]

I personally think this is a very sad reflection of your character, and you most likely need some kind of psychological intervention to work through your "issues". Seek the help you need.

Umm.

How about Joystick John? Prop Pimp? Phantom Phreak? Air-Porn Producer?

I know, I need an intervention.

Full Definition of PILOT
1
a : one employed to steer a ship : helmsman
b : a person who is qualified and usually licensed to conduct a ship into and out of a port or in specified waters
c : a person who flies or is qualified to fly an aircraft or spacecraft

Since the Phantom is not an aircraft, I'll stick with "Skipper".

 

[MadMitch88]

Full Definition of PILOT
1
a : one employed to steer a ship : helmsman
b : a person who is qualified and usually licensed to conduct a ship into and out of a port or in specified waters
c : a person who flies or is qualified to fly an aircraft or spacecraft

Since the Phantom is not an aircraft, I'll stick with "Skipper".

Well I suppose we can have a separate discussion about the FAA's decision to call small UAVs "aircraft". This is a travesty and disrespect to real pilots who fly actual aircraft that may cost millions of dollars and requires an airworthiness certificate to get off the ground. According to the FAA, a paper airplane, golf balls, baseballs and hawking a loogie could be considered "aircraft". Sad.

But since I agree with you that a Phantom is not an aircraft --- then I assume you must agree that we are not pilots.

 

[beeline]

Aircraft and Model Aircraft are two different breeds, just as Pilots and R/C Pilots are not the same. Semantics.

 

[Morgon]

Sometimes there's a difference between facts and legal definitions created by bureaucrats.

Came here to say the exact same thing. We are pilots, by the common-language definition. Just not in the special legal context.

Other terms with special legal meanings that differ from common language:
"employee"
"wages"
"competent"

 

[Monte55]

I think there some good points by all on this thread. My feelings are this. I will go out and fly and not bother people and not want to be bothered also. I will not force feed the public my sport. I also will not ignore them if they are interested and have questions. I do not need a status word to define who I am or what I do.

 

[AmosMoses]

I'm honestly amazed that this is really even a debate to be won. I've had many curious neighbors and even the local police come up and talk to me about my quad copter. Never once did I think to label myself as a pilot or an operator. Just some guy out flying around his toy. Yes, toy!
Other than what some stupid bureaucrat with an inflated sense of importance wants to label me...... well, I don't really care. If the day comes when I have to face a judge because I was flying my toy.... I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

 

[Meta4]

Mitch .. you need to familiarize yourself with the concept of a synonym.
Sometimes we have more than one word to convey the same meaning.
And usually real people don't talk in legal-speak.
You're welcome to use whatever term you choose but I can't see UAV Operator catching on.
It's just clunky.