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
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
Kingy