Do people believe you are a pilot ?

[Northern Highflyer]

Having just read a comment in another thread I am curious as to what reactions people get when they tell someone they are a pilot.

Here is my contribution.

I decided when talking to the ladies when out for a drink that I wouldn't mention the fact I was a pilot. I didn't want to come across as big headed and wanted them to like me for being me and not because I can fly aeroplanes.

However one night the subject came up when talking to a woman in a nightclub and went something like this.....

her - so what are you doing next weekend.
me - going flying
her - oh are you going on holiday ?
me - no I fly light aeroplanes
her - you do what ?
me - i am a pilot
her - :mad: :mad: you don't get pilots round here and certainly not in this nightclub.


At this point I shut up and moved on. Unknown to her there were actually 3 pilots in the club that evening. Me, another PPL and a 757 F/O which made me smile to myself. Little did she know.

Any other interesting stories ?

[PhilD]

Reminds me of the old joke:

"What do you need to do to find out if there is a pilot in the room?"

"Nothing - they will tell you"

If I was single (which I'm not) I would think that "I'm a pilot" as a chat-up line works only marginally better than "I'm a trainspotter", and is a likely to be believed as "I'm a brain surgeon".

[Hersham Boy]

I'm not sure my GFT examiner believed I was...

;)

[High Wing Drifter]

I am terrible at this. As hard as I try, I end up somehow dropping it into the conversation at some point :O

[Whirlybird]

I have a friend who insists on introducing me as : "This is ------, she flies helicopters". It's quite often a complete conversation stopper, and I wish she wouldn't do it. :(

In the village shop recently, someone asked if I'd done any instructing yet; the local village rag had reported my getting my instructors rating etc. A young girl listening said: "Oh, was that you? You don't look like a helicopter pilot". I still don't know what I'm supposed to look like. :eek:

I don't mention it a lot; I prefer to merge into the background a bit at times. A woman I know who's a North Sea helicopter pilot feels the same...she says she sometimes tells people she has a part time job at the airport!!!!

[Lemoncake]

Most seem fairly impressed, some indifferent. I like the folks that show a keen interest in the fact that I fly. Say that they'd love to come for a jolly, but the minute I mention I firm date / time, then suddenly they seem rather busy, and make there excuses..........:(

[Canadian Luscombe]

Reminds me of the old joke:

"What do you need to do to find out if there is a pilot in the room?"

"Nothing - they will tell you"Which reminds me of the similar old joke:

"Son, never ask a man if he's a pilot. If he is, he'll tell you; if he's not, you'll just embarass him".;)

[Hufty]

...then they expect a nice, quiet, air conditioned, leather seated aircraft complete with toilet.

When you walk out to the ramp and they see the flaking paint and oil stains on the tarmac..........!

Some first time pax are fine with this and other just freak out completely.

[dublinpilot]

Northern Flyer,

Next time you go to that night club, try wearing your headset ;)

:rolleyes:

dp

[FLYING COUNSEL]

Ever thought of investing in 4 bar epaulettes? I'm sure you'll impress all the ladies like that..

[PilotOnline]

And don't forget to wear your high vis jacket with your headset Northern Flyer!

Quite often if I say that I fly and get asked, so what do you fly? I explain and sometimes feel obliged to say that a PA28 is still an aeroplane even if you don't see too many of them at Heathrow! I get an astonishingly high number of people looking a bit deflated as if they've just found a £50 note on the floor only to discover it's not real. :(

[Northern Highflyer]

That's the answer, wear the headset. :O

I obviously blend into the background too much in my leather flying jacket, helmet, goggles and starched white scarf. The headset should complete the outfit nicely. Maybe I should get some pink ones as discussed in another post not far from here.

I would wear the high viz jacket but I think I am only allowed to wear that on the apron. :p :ok:

Whirly - a helicopter pilot should always wear her pprune top. I spotted you at the last fly-in and thought to myself......now theres a helicopter pilot. :} ;)

[Lemoncake]

........and Northern Flyer, whilst standing at the bar, instead of texting somebody from the mobile phone, get the GPS out and start bunging in some waypoints.......:E

[DBChopper]

I try asking if they fancy a ride on my chopper (and, by golly, it's worked :E ).

Seriously, though, did anyone else find that the multitudes of ultra-keen would-be cost-sharing pax went all thin on the ground when you'd finally got the licence? (or is that just me?)

DBChopper
:confused:

[Evo]

Impress them with your precise CAP413 style.... "Affirm, FIFE pints of lager and WUN packet of crisps" :)

[Northern Highflyer]

When moving from the bar to the dance floor I will get my map out and nav my way through the crowds. Once on the dance floor I will dance around using standard hand signals.

engine start
chocks out
left wing to me
right wing to me
shut down (3 times)

<<repeat above until you have emptied the dance floor>>

can't be any worse than the song in the charts with the "to the left....to the right..." lyrics currently doing the rounds

might make for a new craze me thinks......:E

[FlyingForFun]

Was anyone else at the London bash, I think it was about 15 months ago, where WeatherJinx had a very good go at chatting up two lovely ladies who were trying to have a quiet drink next to us?

If I remember correctly, he pursuaded them to let him fly them to Le Touquet for lunch the following weekend, but they stood him up. :p

FFF
------------

[slim_slag]

I know a place where lovely young college girls hang out at airports looking for quick rides back into town. I'd tell you where, but have to go to a meeting....

[dublinpilot]

That's it Northern Flyer.

Use your map to navigate to the bar. The GPS is only for back up :p

Or you could walk up to a girl holding your map out, and say "According to my AVIATION chart my turning point is right about here. Could meeting you, be my life turning point?" ;)

Then when you get the likely brush off, you could say into your headset "November Foxtrot, diverting to Bravo Alpha Romeo, ETA wun minute" :rolleyes: :rolleyes:


Oh I better stop now....getting too carried away ;)

......then again, maybe that's why my love life is crap atm!:rolleyes: :hmm:




edited to remove the drunken slur....

[strafer]

I told a girl I was a pilot and she said she'd leave the landing light on :ok:

[poetpilot]

I told a girl I was a pilot and she said "well take off then"....

At least it sounded like "take off", but it was so noisy in that bar....

[UL730]

I once introduced myself as a pilot to a woman. "Oh" she said -"my name is Lois Aldrin and you must meet my husband "

"Hey - Buzz, what ya doin' - come over and meet this pilot" "

[Hilico]

I didn't introduce myself as a pilot (even when I was flying regularly), but one of my work colleagues told his brother that I was doing aerobatics; brother sighed heavily and replied 'no, you mean aerobics.'

Wish I'd got in before the previous story though!

[rotorboater]

When you are dancing around the floor, you could always do circuits with a "touch and go" but be careful not to crash & burn!;)

[Lance Murdoch]

Best not to mention youre a pilot until the girl knows you a bit better. When I meet a new girl, I always try to leave it as long as possible before telling them that Im a pilot. Ive managed to go through a first date without mentioning the p word. (BTW she knows Im a pilot because my mate is going out with one of her friends, but she doesnt know that I know that she knows Im a pilot).

Be modest and when you finally tell them theyll be impressed that you didnt mention it earlier!

I hope Ive not confused you too much!:\ :\ :ugh:

[KCDW]

I try not to tell, I feel comes over as showing off. Actually get a big kick when someone who has known you for years finds out, and looks at you with differently.

The problem is when the cat is out of the bag (ie friends and family who use it as a conversation piece). That’s it. I can’t stop, and quickly become bore of the year.

Being modest about your skill can backfire. I took a female colleague up once. Didn’t tell her what sort of flying I did. I think she thought we were going up in something big, because when we passed this line of 172s and PA28s at the airfield, she said, “Glad we’re not flying in one of those, those things are dangerous”.

“Oh dear” I thought.

When she saw the battered rental Warrior, she clammed right up, and hardly said a word throughout the flight. I only realised how terrified she was in the air, as she held tightly onto her seat every time the plane rocked a little. She practically kissed the ground when we got down, and vowed never to go up again.

[Bobilio]

As a student pilot I feel proud to be able to fly aircraft. You should all be ashamed at covering up what you do/love. No offence but my friends all introduce me as, if not a pilot, a budding pilot, which I also find not everyone believes, but thats up to them. And as for chatting up the ladies or gents ( whichever is your fancy ) you all seem to be embaressed. Be PROUD, be a pilot, and you might enjoy it, and get better results. Lets face we should all be of reasonable intelligence, and should be able to use this hobby/career to our advantage.:D with love B

[QNH 1013]

When asked (and I wish people wouldn't ask me what "I do") I tell them that I'm a bus driver, which while true, isn't my main occupation. However, everyone thinks they know what a bus driver does, so the questioning usually stops.
When my wife is asked what "I do", she gives a different answer.

[Julian]

One of the CAD operators in our office wears his headset whilst using his terminal!!! DOH!

[witchdoctor]

If they don't already know me, I tell them I'm a dustman - people actually seem quite fascinated with that!:confused:

My mother never fails to tell anybody what I do, as my older brother is also a pilot, albeit he gets to fly Hercs in the RAF rather than a spamcan. We both find it mortally embarassing as it is virtually the first thing she ever mentions - rather like Hyacinth Bucket my mum.:O

[IO540]

Northern Highflyer

Back in the old days when clubs were called "discos", or at a party, if a girl asked what you do and you replied "engineer" the response would be far less favourable than if you answered "unemployed".

I find that most women don't mind too much someone being a pilot but perhaps 75% of them are not interested in flying, and those few that are are only interested in going to interested places, not in flying as such.

I expect it comes from the present-day general public perception of GA being very low, due to the old wreckage they see flying in the skies and at their local airfield.

Apparently, a helicopter gets a better response, although due to the cost of a decent chopper (£500k+) I have not been able to verify this first-hand :O

The few women who learn to fly seem to be in a different class... but very few of them seem to hang around for long.

[Mobieus1]

I just say I train dolphins. They find that more beleiveable :rolleyes:

[Northern Highflyer]

Some great and funny replies coming through. Makes a nice change from a "flaming" thread.

Keep 'em coming. :ok:


As for "touch and go" on the dance floor. If I get a glare it's more like "touch and run for it". :}

Dublinpilot
If I tried to use GPS to get to the bar I would probably end up in the ladies toilet. (honest your honour it was my GPS went wrong):\

[Kingy]

Good thread this.

I generally don't mention it, but people just seem to find out. It's all very embarrassing.

Conversation usually goes something like:

'I hear you are a pilot'
'Yeah I fly planes'
'Have you got your own plane?'
'erm yeah, several'
'what real ones?'
'yeah, but they are only small single and two seaters nothing major...lets talk about you...'
'no hold on, just how many is several??'
'er... well... er..um :O six!'
****uncomfortable silence****
'so where do you fly from?'
'er... well um.. I'm a co-owner of an airstrip... it's only very small etc, etc,'
**** uncomfortable silence****

At which point 50% of people walk off thinking that I'm a mad Howard Hughes/Bill Gates type character. 20% gush on about how their uncle/bloke next door used to fly little planes, they used to be in the ATC and please, please can I take them up. The other 30% (basically any attractive woman) asks if I can fly them to Paris/Rome/New York for lunch next week!

As I said, it's all very embarrassing


:O

Kingy

[Lemoncake]

NH,

Towards the end of the evening, after a little too much sauce you may well find yourself "temporarily unsure of position" in the mythical nightclub. At this point pull out your tranceiver, and call up the "tower" (bouncer on the door)....not on 123.45 might I add!!!!!!!! and ask for "progressive taxi and re-fuel"(ie where is the exit and the nearest kebab shop):uhoh:

[Whirlybird]

Strange though it may seem, I'd say well over 50% of the men I meet by chance or at parties or similar aren't remotely interested in flying. Which means a typical conversation goes something like this:

Him: So what do you do when you're not working?
Me: I fly; I have a pilot's licence.
Him...stunned silence, while he completely reorganises all ideas and preconceptions of what I'm like, then...
Him: Er...Do you enjoy it?

That's before I even mention helicopters. If and when I do they either disappear in sheer panic, or start angling for a free flight, usually...believe it or not...the first!

[MikeJeff]

I have to say most women, I give the pilot speil to love it! The thing lots of us aviators don't realise (whirlybird hit the nail on the head!) is lots of people who don't fly don't give a toss about it!

Needless to say I'm definitly using the "landing light" line when I get the chance!

If you're chatting up someone with reasonable intellect and they ask what you do. Tell them you made your money exporting refridgerators to the 3rd world and point out that you're a fridge magnet - amazingly enough it works!

[FlyingForFun]

Strange though it may seem, I'd say well over 50% of the men I meet by chance or at parties or similar aren't remotely interested in flyingDoesn't seem strange at all. I'd say well over 50% of the men I meet, and 75% of the women I meet, aren't interested at all.

Strange thing is when, from time to time, you meet someone (a non-pilot) who really is interested. Was at a friend's house last weekend with about half a dozen other people - all men, if that's relevant. One of them was particularly interested in hearing about flying, and kept asking me questions all night. The rest of the group weren't at all interested, so I tried to politely answer the question and change the subject to keep everyone involved in the conversation, but this one guy kept bringing the conversation back to flying over and over again. :rolleyes:

FFF
-----------

[Tim Inder]

Poor Kingy,

I feel really sorry for you!!

Since I am one of the lucky ones being a planeless non-pilot (at the moment) I feel it is my duty to help you out.

I live quite near Northrepps 'international' near to Cromer (see thread in av history & nostalgia) and I've decided (with a heavy heart) that if you fly one or two of your embarrassing 'planes over, I'll take part of your burden on for you.
Heck, I feel so sorry, I'd probably buy you a pint to help your recovery! :)

Tim

[Wingover79]

To all those that use the "I'm a pilot" routine when chatting up the ladies, be warned it can backfire.

A few years ago I was sitting in Kwik Fit waiting for my car to be fixed, when a young man sat next to me a started talking to me. To cut to the chase he tried to chat me up (unsuccessfully I might add) by using the aforementioned routine. I let him dig a really really deep hole before asking him a few questions about what sort of aircraft he flew etc.

It was a this point that he started to get nervous, my informed questioning had got him worried, even though I seemed to be lapping up what he was telling me with what he thought was admiration and hopefully adoration. He asked how I knew so much... and yes you guessed it I finally put him out of his misery by explaining that I too was a pilot ( I say too but his next reaction confirmed to me that he was telling a few porkies). I have never seen anyone go so red or disappear so fast. He promptly told Mr Kwik Fit that he would come and collect his car later and left.

Another reaction I used to get frequently, especially when I was a very very young female pilot (still female by the way just not so young anymore) was "really you fly planes - what all on your own?). I really don't know why it is so unbelieveable to so many that a young intelligent girl would be capable of flying an aircraft all on her very own.

WO79

[AerBabe]

Whenever someone finds out I have a licence, I usually get told:

"Really? That makes you Captain ******" Ha ha ha ha
:rolleyes:
(I share the surname of a famous captain)

No-one ever had problems believing me though.


A few months ago I went to the cinema with a friend. As we handed our tickets over to be checked, the girl said "Ooh, are you the one that flies microlights?". I explained that although the aircraft I fly are small, they're classed as aeroplanes. She seemed even more impressed with this. I still have no idea how she knew! :confused:

[Northern Highflyer]

Aerbabe

From that post I have deduced that your surname must be either :

Kirk
Courageous
Scarlet
Pugwash

I prefer the last one :E

[AerBabe]

Wrong. It's Caveman. :}

[Northern Highflyer]

Damn I forgot about him and he was one of my heroes too :hmm:

Anyway.................back on thread :ok:

[Lemoncake]

A few years back whilst working in London, I had had a day a random day off work mid-week. When I came back, it just so happened that I was in our local watering hole after work, when this lovely 20 year old temp just so happened to be standing at the bar. We had spoken before, and were talking trivialities.
She asked what I had been doing on my day off. I explained how I'd been to see the eclipse. A puzzled look came across her face, as she and my fellow workers had all been at the office that day, watching the partial eclipse from the roof. She asked why I had taken the whole day off to see the eclipse......... I sheepishly explained that I had been to Alderney to watch the full eclipse. I noticed her eyes lighting up. She asked how I had got there? "Well my dads got a plane" I replied (I didn't have my PPL at the time.......but her exitement at hearing the words plane/pilot made this irrelevant.) Unfortunately reality suddenly kicked in........I could take the matter no further.......I was attached at the time.:{

[Julian]

Moby,

You nicked one of my favourites, works well if there are two of you as well.

The other one which has em going is Iceberg Welder...

[Whirlybird]

Wingover,

Trying to impress when you really don't even have the goods, can get carried to ridiculous extremes. Some years ago, when I was still trying to get my PPL(A), but coming close, I was staying with a female friend, who warned me that the male acquaintance who would be visiting always tried to impress women. Well, when he heard that I nearly had a pilot's licence, his chat-up line seemed to consist of all sorts of anecdotes from a good friend of his, who "was really experienced" because he had...ten flying hours! In vain did I try to stop him digging himself a hole, by explaining that you needed at least 40 hours for a licence, and I had around 50 anyway...he was so convinced of this guy's expertise that nothing would shut him up!!! Living on reflected glory...when there was no glory in the first place!!! Oh well....

Then there was the one I heard about a C152 pilot who tried to impress an attractive young woman in a pub by telling her he was a pilot...eventually someone let him know that she was an airline captain! :eek: :eek: :eek:

[strafer]

Aerbabe - it's either Sensible or Andtoneil?

[AerBabe]

Or Marvel, Morgan, Corelli, Cook, Birdseye, Scarlet, Hornblower, Ahab, or even Underpants...

SW

[Penguina]

Men always seem to start going on about uniform whenever flying gets mentioned. :confused:

I had the most depressing response from a woman the other day, just an incredibly fake '_Really_? Woow' (lapse to silence and subject change). It annoyed me, because person in question had absolutely nothing interesting to say about herself whatsoever - she hadn't done anything, not even work, for the last two years. Some people design their whole social personas around aloof boredom.

Sorry, don't know where that rant came from!

[strafer]

Really.................?

[Kingy]

Tim Inder,

Hello, and welcome. Your response is exactly why I am embarrassed about the whole thing - it's the blind jealousy.

I'll bet you earn more money than me, you've got a nice house, a wife perhaps? oh and a nice car too...

Me? I'm 35, work myself to death in a harsh environment, run a struggling company always just about to go bust, have a nine grand credit card balance, live in a slum and I'm single.

I really, really, really Love aviation and have given up a lot in order to fly.. Its all been my choice and I'd do it all again - it's my passion, but don't take the piss out of me for throwing myself into it.

You are obviously interested in flying, so I cordially offer you a flight in one of the planes as my guest. Those who know me know I'm nice like that ;)

Kingy

[WeatherJinx]

FFF

Are you ever going to let that go? :bored: You could get people in trouble with indiscreet tittle-tattle like that, you know :uhoh:

If you're going to tell the tale, tell it right. Actually, I was supposed to call them, but didn't bother, having figured that my gf at the time might've been a little less than impressed with my beer goggles-induced adventures;)


On the other hand, I believe Bond had a different story to relate.. (whatever happened to him anyway)?

WxJx
(Superb afternoon, though!)

PS - on the subject at hand, I've only ever mentioned it whilst in a similar state and situation to that described by FFF at the bash - unfortunately, certain friends tend to bring it up for me, which can occasionally prove embarassing.

Does anyone else experience that 'I'm a Pilot'-by-proxy routine ? Is it some kind of reflected glory thing?

[Ace Rimmer]

Ahhh... WO79 see if the bloke in Kwik Fit had only pretended to be a Bunny breeder there'd have been no stopping you...

See I'm surprised WO didn't tell the story of the new (older bloke) ad blagger who basically refused to believe 'a girly could be a pilot' I'm sure he's still not completely convinced.

Actually folks, going back to the bunny and totally off subject there is some debate here at Rimmer News over what WO should call her new bunny pehaps it's time for a Pprune poll....See I think in this centenary year it ought to be Wilbur or Orville...ahhh well off to start a poll now


Adds edit ...err well I would have if I could figure out how to do it ...start a poll that is

[Wingover79]

I don't know about that Ace Rimmer, maybe if said bloke had adorned himself with floppy ears, a cute little nose and a fluffy tail - then it might have been a whole different story...

Anyway, as you know Rimmer I am very excited about the impending fluffy arrival, which should happen sometime in August. Anymore name suggestions would be gratefully received.

:ok:

WO79

[AerBabe]

How about Truman?

[Tim Inder]

Kingy,

Didn't mean to upset you! :(

There should be a smiley for 'tongue in cheek' I think.

I'm 27, yes, I do have a house (of sorts), no wife, but Girlfriend.
If you earn less than me, I'd be surprised (and worried!)
My cc balance isn't quite as bad as yours, but me loans are Waaay more than that, and all I've got to show for it is a Crappy Reliant Scimitar and Dolomite Sprint - neither of which I can afford to MoT at the moment and therefore have to cycle to work.

You're right about the jealousy thing though! :ok:

But the truth is, I couldn't even stretch to flying a radio controlled 'plane right now!

I actually admire you for being so committed to aviation and in some ways wish I'd gone for it before 'other stuff' pushed its way to the front of the queue...

I do get a bit of flying and gliding in on the cheap through my involvement with the ATC (Air Training Corps, not the other ATC), but not nearly enough to satisfy my appetite for it!

Thank you for the offer of a flight, maybe next time you're over this neck of the woods you could get in touch - and those who know me will testify that my offer of a beer still holds good!

Cheers and thanks and er.. sorry.. ta.. er, I'll get me coat then.

[foghorn]

I had a weird conversation at a party once. I got chatting to a woman, and after a short friendly chat about unrelated things conversation somehow got onto flying, one of my friends mentioned to her that I am a pilot.

She replied that she was an airline pilot.

'Great' I responded thinking I'd found a kindred spirit to talk to about flying and get a bit of inside info on jobs - 'which airline, which fleet and base'.

She paled slightly, paused and mumbled 'Britannia, Boeings at Heathrow'.

'Oh that's interesting' I responded, 'I didn't know that Britannia had a Heathrow base. Which Boeing by the way?'

To which she looked slightly startled, then responded 'You male chauvanist bastard you don't for a second think I could be a pilot because I'm female', stomped off and studiously avoided me for the rest of the party. All in all a really weird experience. I don't think for a second that she was a pilot, but it had nothing to do with her gender.

[KCDW]

Foghorn

Mindboggling. She obviously had just seen Catch Me if You Can, and was trying it on.

I love that film, but still find it difficult that anyone could blag their way in as a pilot.

[Slim20]

i don't know how anyone could possibly think that using the "pilot routine" could possibly be a good chat up line.

1) People don't believe it
2) People don't care anyway
3) The minute you say it, people know you're just hoping for a positive reaction (sharp intake of breath, starry eyed admiration, invitation to climb inside their pants etc) which is why they NEVER respond like that.
4) Besides, everyone knows pilots are boring, self-centred geeks (try people watching in the London Transair shop on Saturday morning for a demonstration)

[High Wing Drifter]

I love that film, but still find it difficult that anyone could blag their way in as a pilot.

Have a read of "Fate is the Hunter" by Ernest Gann. He describes a new start-up airline he was involved in having a navigator/first officer who conned/blagged his way onto the flight deck. Nobody thought to ask for his license. This was the 1950s. I was fairly gobsmacked at how lapsidasical the entire industry was at that time. Not sure if the film is the glamourfication (is there such a word) of those event(s).

[witchdoctor]

Ha ha ha! I can't even blag my way in with a licence!

Having met a few anoraks (TRAFFIC! Avoiding action - NOW!!!) agree with Slim. Can't think of anyone duller than a pilot who can't wait to tell you. Hope to find a few so I can tweak their tails at the Sunderland Airshow.:}

[Genghis the Engineer]

Foghorn at-least proves that womens lib has got to the point where women are capable of lying just as pretentiously as men, you've got to be impressed by that.

I gave up years ago trying to explain with any accuracy what I do (I'm not sure I know myself) so usually give something along the lines of "I play with aeroplanes" people either then nod politely and say "that's nice" or they'll look interested and one can actually have a conversation.

Except in America where you can say you're an Engineer and people are actually impressed , something that hasn't happened in the UK since Brunel died.

G

[IO540]

KCDW

I find that film entire believable (or at least the real story behind it; presumably the man knew a bit of "pilot lingo") EXCEPT the bit where he escapes from an airliner from the toilet and exiting, apparently, via the landing gear doors.

Is it really possible to dismantle some portion of the pressure hull that quickly?

[robmac]

In 1987, when I was based at RAF Honington, it was the Tornado weapons conversion unit, and one of the great mess sports was to observe our fledgling "Top Guns" get an incredulous knock back at the local Bury St Edmunds nightclubs........ "who the :mad: do you think you are ? Tom Cruise"

Based on this experience, we weekend prop-hangers are probably safe on the side of modesty:cool:

[VFR800]

In my days in the Royal Air Farce (no I wasn't aircrew, just an 'erk) we used to tell girlies who asked:

"Are you a pilot then, do you fly those bigs jets?"

"No, rear-gunner on Tornadoes"

You'd be amazed the amount of chicks who believed you!

Now I'm married, my wife knows I'm a pilot and just wishes I'd shut up about it! ;)