Into the Lions' Den ?

[bladeslapper]

From time to time, one catches the gist of a conversation on another table at an airfield canteen about how some glider pilot dislikes the noisey powered aircraft or how some fixed wing pilot dispises those dreadful rotary people.

Well ?

In GA are we tolerant of each others prefered route to the freedom of the sky, or are we like those sad sailing fanatics who believe anything that relies on an engine alone is bad....bad...bad

Personally, I fly a magic carpet......can't see the need for planks attached to the cockpit :D

[formationfoto]

I count myself as a member of the aviation community and have flown rotary, single f/w, twin f/w, microlight. Long times since both gliders and balloons and am about to add autogyros. In too many places, though , I hear criticism of those who chose to reach the skies in ways which are different from the person criticising.
Pity but it is the way of things and someting people act in a way which re-inforces the prejudice.
Personally if I see a rotary pilot (for instance) doing stupid things I just think it is the individual who is wrong not the entire rotary community.

[QDMQDMQDM]

In GA are we tolerant of each others prefered route to the freedom of the sky

Nah, of course not. We are the same cross-section of bigoted, opinionated jerks and the occasional nice person as you find anywhere in society.

QDM

[FlyingForFun]

I can only speak for myself. I've never flown anything other than aeroplanes (ok, and two passenger flights in helicoptors). I'd love to try helicoptors, and gliders, and microlights. I can't say I'm too fussed about balloons. Airships would be interesting, but probably boring after a while. And I'm not sure about jumping out of a perfectly good aeroplane - seems stupid, but at the same time kind of exciting.

But I respect people who do all those other things, even if they're not things I want to try myself. I'll do whatever I can to share the air with them safely. And I expect them to offer me the same courtesy.

I also respect the wishes of people who enjoy knitting in their spare time, or gardening, or train-spotting, even though none of those hobbies appeal to me. I respect their right to make hideous-looking clothing, spread cow-sh!t around in the hope it might make their flowers look like flowers this year, or stand in my way on station platforms when I'm trying to get home from work. And I expect them to respect my right to fly. Exactly the same as I expect glider pilots to respect my right to fly powered aircraft (as long as I do so safely, of course).

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