Flying Instructors using the title Captain
 

I've noticed at a few flying schools that some instructors use the title
Captain xxxxx and like to be addressed by that title. I find it pretentious and nauseous, it doesnot sit right when you then see Capt xxxxx climb into a C152. There is nothing wrong in being a C152 instructor but calling yourself Captain xxxxx seems rather arrogant and would put me off if I was a student.
What does everyone else think?

To be honest anyone who insists on being called Captain needs a dose of reality. Ego problems I reckon.

Anyway I much prefer my title of Grand High Poo-Bah. Conveys the right message I think.

Captain! Honestly....... You'll be telling me they wear 4 gold bars next! Oh ......

At the school I'm at, trial lesson students get a certificate saying that Captain Whirlybird took them flying, and though nobody's commented on the fact that I don't wear four gold bars, I'm sure they'd be delighted if I did. I'm told that helicopter trial lesson students like it - it's often a one off, a big day, and the more razmatazz the better. I remain unconvinced, but like I said on another thread somwhere, if the the school wanted me to wear a teddy bear outfit I'd probably comply. :)

And actually I don't think I'd be that surprised either,

You may also find some instructors are actually Airline Captains instructing in their spare time and entitled to the rank (Though I suspect most of these are not the ones that insist on it being used:p ):hmm:

This raises a couple of questions: is the term "Captain" a position or a title? what makes a Captain a Captain?

too many years ago i was on my solo cross country from sherburn to donnington [east midlands ] when i arrived there i heard a announcement on the pa systems that Will the captain of the cessna 150 reg XXX that has just landed please report to the tower


i walked over to the tower 6 inches taller that day

steve

There was a Jewish businessman who spent his whole life working 18 hours a day, until the day came when he could sell his business for millions of pounds.

He went down to Camper & Nicholson and ordered a state of the art yacht, teak decks, and all the toys. Some months later the boatbuilders rang to say the boat was finished. Off he went to Savile Row, where he had himself fitted out with a Captain's uniform, two rows of buttons. lots of gold, and white trousers, and of course a cap.

He turned up at his old mother's house, resplendently attired, and burst into the sitting room.

"Look Momma, your boy's a Captain".

Momma looked.

"Son" she said "By you you're a captain. By me you're a captain. But by a CAPTAIN you're a captain?

Hugh,

I got told that once you had a CPL you were entitled to call yourself "Captain". Always found it a bit odd - I had less than 200 rotary hours and no job at the time! Come to think of it, I still find it odd. But if other people want to call me Captain, what do I care - I've been called worse.:)

Of course, this means that most fairly recent instructors - since JAR anyway - are Captains. But those with grandfather rights aren't, unless they happen to be airline Captains. it also means that most First Officers are Captains, even if they're not called that. Confusing or what??? :confused: :confused: :confused:

Captain in the airline sense is an honorific: something that other people call you out of respect, but it is not a title or rank. People who actually care about such things would consider it rather pompous to use an honorific to describe yourself. Most people couldn't care less :)

Traditionally, senior military officers can retain their rank as a title once they leave the services, but army Captains are not high enough rank to do this (didn't stop Captain Mark Phillips though). Navy Captains, on the other hand, are - so, formally, the only people that should call them Captain Bloggs are current Army officers or current or ex-navy Officers.

In the real world, you can call yourself anything you like as long as you don't attempt to obtain advantage through it, so if you want to call yourself Captain then why not? A CPL or ATPL has nothing to do with it (although you would be considered a real pratt if you called yourself Captain Bloggs if you weren't a Captain of any sort, and Captian of a C152 barely counts).

Most things in aviation were copied from the Navy, airline pilots wear by tradition Naval unifroms, Captain and first officer are essentially Naval ranks. In fact lot's of names and words used in aviation stem from the old sea dogs. I suppose that anyone who is in charge of a vehicle is a Captain whether that be a ship, rowing boat, 747 or c152!

However actually using the rank Captain when your flying a little plane is perhaps a little pedantic! :yuk:

A CAA examiner was at our school doing a series of IR tests and decided he had time to do some sampling flights - observe some of the instructors at work. So there I am afterwards reading his report on the lesson I had given. " Capt XXXXX did this, Capt XXXXX did that etc, etc" and thought the whole thing sounded pretty rediculous, made so much worse by the fact that it hall happened in a Frasca.

In a multi-crew environment you have a subordinate on the flight deck to 'captain'. In GA that is not the case. Although you are the man in charge. As an FI you have a subordinate - the student - so yes thats me yes what the heck Im a captain...!

I think "Captain" is too pompus.......I much prefere..................."His Excellency Delta Wun-Wun" BA, DSO,MBNA, CPL,PPL,MA.CSE,BISCUIT TIN and Bar:cool:...."Oi...Do you know how important I am????"

Well, you may call me Her Royal Highness Whirlybird if you wish; I don't mind, honest! :)

Wait till you have an accident...then you find out who's called captain!

I don't call myself Captain, I prefer Vice Air Marshall myself

I believe Aer Lingus used to ask a room full of pilots attending interviews to put there hands up if they were captains. And then give a spiel about them all being captains.

When I was cfi of a school guys would phone up calling me captain x, which I hated. But when flying AOC work on PA34 I always introduced myself as captain x as it makes the punters happy.

Why do these same threads keep popping up time after time?

Should FI's wear a tie/stripes/shoes (delete as applicable) ?
should FI's be 'allowed' to call themselves captain/commander/pilot/bob (delete as applicable) ?

The old arguement about an airline pilot has 'earned' his title and uniform for having a CPL/IR. What about the FI's who have a CPL/IR AND and FI rating. They are more qualifed and choose to teach and fly in light aircraft rather than just press buttons in an airline.

As someone has already mentioned, the Captain of a small fishing boat has the same title as the Captain of the QEII

For the record, as to what my students address me as...they don't speak unless I allow them to first :O

The question maybe;
If you were sending in your cv for a job application in a different company such as an airline would you sign your name Captain xxxx or would you just use this title for the benefit of your students?
My thoughts are still that any instructor who likes to use the title Capt instead of Mr/Mrs/Miss sounds like they may have a big ego.

The question maybe:
When you are sending in your CV for an airline position such as Captain, remember who trained you to allow you to apply in the first place!