Well Treesa I think we have to look further back to compare the olden days with now.
The reason we were afraid, or was it “fearful respect” of the Captain, was taught to us from infanthood.
We didn’t call an adult male anything other than mister or uncle. (I called the old man’s bosses Captain, like Captain Dowey and Captain Chapman).
The CANE; we all copped it for infractions at school and the belt wielded at home.
Oh yes! We hear the stories of the brutal teachers and drunken fathers givin’ the kids “the Fridee night beltin’ for what the kids hadn’t been caught doing durin’ the week”, but like the cops takin’ kids behind the cop shop and givin’ them a beltin’ with their great big police belt, I never met any of those victims or cop any unjust punishment.
The squibs who couldn’t cop the pain or more likely the embarrassment, made sure they were good all the time.
The warriors knew the outcome for being half smart and took the risk and then showed the class their bravery by not “Pullin’ back” as the cane descended or doing “the hand flicking dance” after the cuts and strolled back to their desk showing no pain.
We were taught respect not today’s “You got rights”.
Now the silly buggers show their warriorhood in their cars or bashing enemies on their computer games
It all started with women getting more say!
They said, ”You’re not hurting MY boy” just like all the black mothers have done for millions of years.
The warriors told the women to shut up and the poor little darlins’ went happily off with the men to be terrorised and hurt, coming out the other end as a warrior.
(Those long houses we flew over were the “pinnacle of civilisation”… Blokes and tough boys in one house; women, babies, pigs, girls and squibs in the other one.)
Women… don’t want anyone hurtin’ their boy who is exempt from “the trials”, so he doesn’t have to prove his manhood but WANT a warrior for a protective husband for themselves and their daughters…HAAA!
Women don’t see the same old invisible bullyin’ going on, amongst kids today as has always happened. Respect is what all kids expect from the younger ones AND they get it.
Gees! We jumped off bloody high bridges, crapping ourselves before hand, to show we deserved the respect of the older kids.
Did it many times and learned to hold ya’ nose, ‘n cross ya’ legs. Learned by experiencing the pain.
Now there’s signs and high fences like Stationair8 mentions. WE’LL know the nose and legs bit when we leap out of the top door in a ditched Jumbo. Have to pull the heads of the shriekers out of the water after we land and save ‘em won’t we.
The rapid rise that occurred with Virgin and maybe Jetstar has me reeling.
I know an aged F.O. (got in much too late). He told me a story about the FMC coming up with three obviously wrong, top of Descent points when he punched in the numbers.
He said, “Ah bugger this, I’ll go down at three times my height plus… ah… seven miles for this tail wind”.
Captain; young, possibly was a Nevergo Captain before hitting the bigtime. Asked him to explain.
After digesting the information he got out his little book and wrote the formula down.
THAT’S what’s missing now. The old‘n bold, passing the rat cunning onto the younger blokes.
Older blokes can do great big sums in their heads... got the cane for getting’ four outa ten in mental arithmetic tests.
Don’t need a mobile phone to calculate the wattage available at a power point for theatre lights.
240 X 10. I couldn’t believe THAT when I saw it. Three uni students all headed for the phone to use the calculator.
I’m not saying for a moment ALL younger people. The percentage is aweful bloody high tho.
As for going from a DC-3 to the 9…
Mate I salute you.
That was one hell of a step.
I was struggling from the 3 to the Friendship and again F27 to the DC-9.