For goodness sake!
I don't mind telling people that I'm a good pilot. At this stage of the game, I better be a good pilot. In fact, I'd better be better than good! But I can't bring myself to call myself "excellent," although there are times when I certainly think so. In FLYING Magazine, Len Morgan once wrote, "...Any pilot who does not privately consider himself to be the best in the business is in the wrong business." The key word being "privately." Sometimes pilots have a problem with that bit.
Although we try to keep our egos out of our work, it is not possible. In the air, we have to have the self-confidence to know that we can handle any of the myriad unpredictable situations that get tossed our way (like flying into a waterspout). Lives depend on us (including our own!). Such self-confidence comes from the awareness and realistic assessment of our abilities. This often leads to an "I can handle it" swagger that some people misinterpret and find offensive. As apparently does this...ahh..."chu." (Sorry, forgot his name for a moment.)
I don't find Chu's little "joke" the least bit funny- coming from that source. First, Chu posted an "innocent" little question to start the thread, then lobs an insult at us. Nice! He betrays his real feelings toward pilots. Which is strange, because most pilots revere and admire the heck out of a good mechanic...one who truly knows his "stuff" and has the ability to perform that magic on our aircraft to keep them in the air. I love real mechanics (the ones who have the skills I simply don't) and I stand in awe of them. It makes me wonder whether the feedback that, uhh, "Chu" has gotten has not all been positive. Perception can be a two-way skreet.
We've all met pilots who truly thought of themselves as God's gift to aviation. On a certain level, I don't mind that, as annoying as it is, as long as he/she can back it up with skill and knowlege. I'd prefer to see a pilot with confidence than one who lacked it, or one who did not totally believe in himself.
I've been at this line of work for a long, long time. If you enquire of my abilities, I will tell you quite frankly. I will not go out of my way to tell you how great I am, but neither do I believe in false modesty. If that comes across as arrogant or egotistical, that's your problem. So sue me. No, I'm not perfect and I recognize that I do make mistakes. I just try to catch them before they start the dominos a-tumbling. That is what makes me good.