TM, that's a very strange, embittered post! Even a 'beat up battered old DC3' is still a heavy twin that earns respect from any pilot! I don't know what connotation rings have for you, but in the aviation world, 4 rings denotes an aircraft commander. It is perfectly acceptable for even a Cherokee pilot to wear 4, and wings. It is more to let other people know who the commander is, so what is the beef about it? It does seem to instigate derision or ridicule in certain people (like you)- may I suggest if you don't like it, don't look? So what is your problem with the aircraft commander identifying himself conventionally as such? Are we going to go through the usual 'but you're not really a Captain!. If that's the basis of what you are saying, please tell us what your problem is with that? I would have thought flying 430 people across half the world at 600 mph qualifies one for the title. Yes to that, but no to a DC3? So....the problem you have is........?