What is the definition of REAL pilot?

[TrayBoz]

Call me old fashioned, but I decided to use a dictionary...

pi·lot
ˈpīlət/
noun 1. a person who operates the flying controls of an aircraft.


air·craft
ˈerˌkraft/
noun 1. an airplane, helicopter, or other machine capable of flight


SO, assuming that we can all agree that the mavic is a "machine capable of flight", then if you fly a mavic, YOU ARE A PILOT, according to Webster's Dictionary.

Case Closed. The Fat Lady has sung.

 

[Lake_Flyer]

Call me old fashioned, but I decided to use a dictionary...

pi·lot
ˈpīlət/
noun 1. a person who operates the flying controls of an aircraft.


air·craft
ˈerˌkraft/
noun 1. an airplane, helicopter, or other machine capable of flight


SO, assuming that we can all agree that the mavic is a "machine capable of flight", then if you fly a mavic, YOU ARE A PILOT, according to Webster's Dictionary.

Case Closed. The Fat Lady has sung.

You're right.
For people who regard themselves as just a smartphone user, taking pictures from up high, not realising they are in fact a pilot, controlling an aircraft in airspace, this must be a true moment of revelation.

 

[SeaComms]

And with that revelation should come the relisation that as a pilot they have significant responsibilities.

 

[westonmavicpilot]

Well thats good news indeed.... its a fantastic upgrade from being labelled RC stick wankers!!!

 

[FlyGuy8675309]

Uh-oh. Dan just found out about this thread! He's coming in hot to give us the ONLY opinion that matters: HIS.

Looking good, buddy!

 

[gnirtS]

Mavic is basically a 2 year old tech cellphone camera on a really large tripod you can move in all directions.
It requires absolutely no knowledge of aviation, aerodynamics or similar to operate. It requires no skill what-so-ever to operate.
You're operating a computer which shields you from having to do any actual flying.

 

[Lake_Flyer]

Mavic is basically a 2 year old tech cellphone camera on a really large tripod you can move in all directions.
It requires absolutely no knowledge of aviation, aerodynamics or similar to operate. It requires no skill what-so-ever to operate.
You're operating a computer which shields you from having to do any actual flying.

I think it was you I was referring to.

 

[Lake_Flyer]

All dictionary definitions of the word "pilot" are useless because historically it has always been implied that the operator is inside the aircraft. No dictionary so far has any clarification about possibility of the operator not being airborne with the aircraft.

Being airborne is the major distinction, and using the same word to call both airborne and ground-bound operators pilots is just plain wrong.

Is person carrying a birthday helium balloon a pilot? (the "control" here is the tether) One can argue that according to dictionary, yes, but this is just ridiculous. But if they make a helium balloon large enough to lift them up, then yes, they are a balloon pilot now. A child flying a Kaideng Flying Egg drone is not a pilot, it's a child playing with a toy. A child flying a Mavic Pro is not a pilot, it's a child playing with a larger, more serious toy. An adult flying a Mavic Pro is not a Mavic Pilot, it's a adult playing with an expensive toy, experiencing a return to childhood, probably as part of their mid-life crisis.

There seems to be strong tendency to use dictionary to stretch the word "pilot" because it sound good, it sounds professional, it sounds important. Wishful thinking at its best. We're not pilots, because we're not airborne. Can't be a pilot with your feet not leaving the ground. To be a pilot, you must actually fly.

We're merely toy drone controllers or players. An individual using a drone for commercial photo/videography or 3D mapping can be called a commercial drone controller, or drone photographer, or drone mapper.

Not airborne? Yer not a pilot.

A tethered balloon is not considered an aircraft, just like a kite. A manned balloon is, als well as any balloon with propulsion, remotely piloted or manned.

And piloting a drone is per definition done by a trained pilot, ask the airforce.

 

[gnirtS]

And piloting a drone is per definition done by a trained pilot, ask the airforce.

The air force don't write the rules. Do tell me what training someone that buys a drone in a shop, steps outdoors, turns it on and gets it off the ground gets? Half the time they haven't even bothered reading the manual.

A 10 year old kid with a quad copter that goes 20ft in the air is not a trained pilot.

 

[Lake_Flyer]

Can't be a pilot with your feet not leaving the ground. To be a pilot, you must actually fly.

You have a very simplistic view on the whole pilot thing. Your suggestion that calling yourself a pilot is just to feel yourself important is hilarious. A manned plane pilot is also a controller, a manager of avionics systems. That we don't feel our mass increase in the pilot seat during a turn makes it in fact more difficult. That is.....if you're truly piloting your drone. Not when you just push buttons on your smartphone. It's the smartphone warriors I'm worried about.

You're right you are not a pilot if you have your opinion! Please get yourself a toy drone of max 200grams MTOM and play in the attic with it. Please stay inside with your toy.

Piloting is not only feeling G's in your butt and losing blood in the head. It's about safety, preparation, mitigation of risks, navigation, knowledge of weather/meteo, flight principles and avionics, writing and using an operations manual, and of course, knowing and intelligently interpreting and following the rules. And all these apply for a (full licensed) commercial UAV pilot, except for the G's in the butt.

 

[Lake_Flyer]

The air force don't write the rules. Do tell me what training someone that buys a drone in a shop, steps outdoors, turns it on and gets it off the ground gets? Half the time they haven't even bothered reading the manual.

A 10 year old kid with a quad copter that goes 20ft in the air is not a trained pilot.

I'm not talking about untrained pilots. Of course nobody without training can call himself a trained pilot, but he's still a pilot, sorry. I was considered an RC pilot when I piloted my nitro heli over 20 years ago, just as much when I piloted a Cessna with my instructor (admit, I never got my full PPL license).

 

[moleza]

I have seen these discussions about Pilot vs Toy Operator in many posts, and I'm new here.

I think it all about ego.

Disregard the terms and titles and lets fly the ***** thing.

 

[TrayBoz]

Not airborne? Yer not a pilot.

What is so difficult with the concept of different kinds of pilots? Their are commercial pilots, airline pilots, balloon pilots, drone pilots, air force pilots, navy pilots, sitcom pilots, freight pilots, Honda Pilots, helicopter pilots, etc.

What kind of pompous *** has such a high opinion of themselves that they refuse to share the title of "pilot" with anyone else? It's just a word. If you want to add a bunch of letters and numbers to your title to specify what kind of pilot you are then go for it, no one's stopping you, and more importantly, nobody cares.

If you're going to disagree with the Webster Dictionary definition of ANY word, then it's obvious you're a much higher breed of human than the rest of us, and there is obviously no chance of a logical conversation with you. Go ahead and add "Professional Linguist" to your title.

"I'm a professional musician. I took lessons for 10 years and have been paid to play for audiences for the past 30 years. But if YOU haven't taken music lessons, and don't have paid gigs, then you cannot be a musician." - This is your logic.

AGJL Skin Flute Master
Fingerer of Organs GPP2s
4th Generation 8a94 Harmonica Tinkerer
Degreed Poly-timbred Nose Picker [Cgg]

 

[SKYGUY_88]

You guys don't like the name of the forum? Is that what this all about?

 

[Flying Images]

When I was a paraglider I considered myself a pilot. A guy with his private pilot license told me I wasn't. I didn't care. As a skydiver we are canopy pilots as well. Some people disagree. I still don't care. Flying a uav I think is a pilot as well. Some people disagree. I still don't care.

 

[MrsTreat]

We are drone operators - not pilots. It is what it is.

 

[rydfree]

It doesn't really matter what you think you are , you are a drone operator not a pilot . The Mavic is slightly out of the "Toy Drone" catagory so you have that if it makes you feel special . If you can fully control the drone in Atti mode you might be a co-pilot because the flight control system is still keeping it in the air . Drone racers would be considered more of a pilot than any intelligent flight mode , GPS enhanced button pushing camera tekkie . LOL

 

[FlyGuy8675309]

The FAA uses "pilot". That should settle it pretty easily.

 

[WillemH]

I think there are no real pilots anymore.

 

[reckless]

No one in this forum who operates a drone is claiming to be a AC operator or a flyer of AC. (other than you know who)

I laughed so hard I spilled my coffee.