When do Pilots become Aviators?

[jayemm]

"Aviator" sounds more grand than "Pilot".

I've always described myself as a Pilot (some may choose to question this of course ).

What should I do to become an Aviator?

Discuss.

[High Wing Drifter]

How about:

An aviator will find an excuse to go flying. A pilot needs a reason

[dublinpilot]

How about this?

I think you're a pilot from the moment you start to plan a flight, and continue to be a pilot, until the moment you put the airplane safely into the hangar, and completed the paper work.

But you're also an aviator, from the moment the main wheels defy gravity and leave the ground behind, until your wheels and the ground make up, and gently kiss again.

To me being a pilot is about professionalism, and being an aviator is about the passion of flight. Though I'm sure my dictionary would disagree

dp

[BEagle]

No difference - it's just something the US navy thinks sounds cool!

It doesn't.

[Vee One...Rotate]

Yes it does

V1R

[FlyingForFun]

Dublinpilot, I think there's a contradiction in your post.

I bet there are quite a few of us who have spent hour after hour passionately staring at charts, wondering where to go, drawing up our plogs and double-checking the figures - not only for flights we are going to do, but also for fantasy flights that we just can't afford right now but maybe next month.....

So if the passion starts well before the wheels leave the ground, and being an aviator is about passion, then you must start being an aviator from the moment you open your flight bag? No???

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

[effortless]

My dad was a Spitfire pilot. He says that he became an aviator when he left his kite...... at fifteen thousand.

[fireflybob]

Firstly, we need to include the term "aviatrix" now defined as a "woman aviator"!

Dictionary definitions:-

Pilot - Someone who is licensed to operate an aircraft in flight.

Aviator - Someone who operates an aircraft.

[dublinpilot]

FFF,

You have a point there

dp

[LondonJ]

By that definition this absolute genius would be an aviator

[VisaGeeza]

Proves that even an idiot can fly a chopper!

[Maxflyer]

effortless,

while people like your Father are around I would never dare to call myself an aviator.

[Vee One...Rotate]

LondonJ,

That video is bloody fantastic

V1R

[jayemm]

Someone PM'd me to say:

you married? to become a aviator you need to get divorced xxxjoke

Not sure about the xxx

Maybe if you become an Aviator you WILL be divorced

[Windy Militant]

I'd say that you become an Aviator when your contemporaries gather round to admire your wisdom and skill, rather than to take bets on what dumb @rse c*ckup your going to make next!

I'm sorry to say I'm still firmly in the second category

[El Quiso Grande]

WHAT HAPPERNED TO THE GUY IN THE VIDCLIP IN THE CHOPPER??

wOOPS... CAPLOK AGAIN!!