who qualifies to be a "captain"

[seasonaldriver]

I think that, unless I travel outside of N.America, that I'll remain "the pilot" and leave the captain title alone for a while.

Although it would be kind of fun to wear epaulets long enough that i couldn't fit through a door except sideways, just to impress my 7 or 8 passengers. lol

[jjj]

Edited. C'mon jjj, you can do better than that.
JJJ

You got me.

Thought I was in the clear using sufficient blanks and pronouns.

JJJ

[KK7]

Fly outside of Canada/USA and you will be called "Captain" by everyone....the uniform is much more respected across the globe than it is here

Ahhhh we are the modest Canadians who think that the only way to demonstrate your suitability to fly for a company is to work the ramp for them. and what would that do to a nice uniform?
and yet at the same time, think after 250 hours of flight school, we are sufficiently experienced to become a productive crewmember on a heaby jet.

FWIW.. It is routinely put on business cards outside North america, but is seen as pretenious inside north america except by those who have reached the lofty positions others only dream of.
We are so bloody left wing it is amazing.

Now Captains....get back out on the ramp and prove your worth....it is the only way we know how to assess your suitability, and has nothing to do with having a ready pool of wannabees for our screw them-rotating door employment policy.

Yes, but my experience has been that those outside N. America who refer to themselves as "Captain" and put this on their business cards also carry the high and mighty attitude to go with it. There are exceptions of course, but just an observation.

[JohnnyHotRocks]

Wow, why isn't anyone proud of this profession anymore?
Yes, the guy who flies the Caravan is the "Captain"

What gives around here?

Captain John

[lilflyboy262]

I fly vans and I wouldn't consider myself a captain....

Honest answer, maybe when you start flying anything from a Dash 8 upwards?
Wouldn't go putting it on a business card or demand to be called it though?

[Nark]

Sometimes I'm Captain Nark. Like trips to Mexico.
Sometimes I'm not. Like trips to Iowa.
Let the situation dictate.


When I wanted a ride in a seat, I'd address the the person up front as "Captain." After he/she introduces them self, it's a first name basis.

[trey kule]

Yes, but my experience has been that those outside N. America who refer to themselves as "Captain" and put this on their business cards also carry the high and mighty attitude to go with it. There are exceptions of course, but just an observation.

I suppose you are right...Canadian pilots sure dont have a high and mighty attitude.

[JohnnyHotRocks]

I fly vans and I wouldn't consider myself a captain....

Don't want to pick on you lilflyboy but I think that is a digraceful attitude to have....

I can see how the profession has gotten to this stage....
Pilot says to company owner, "Its a bit pretentious to call me Captain. After all, we are not really professionals...anyone can do it...you don't have to pay me much either and I will pay for training!"

Come on guys...to be treated as professionals, we need to look at ourselves as professionals, AND act like professionals.

[iflyforpie]

No, in order to be paid and treated as professionals we need to stop working for crappy wages and in crappy conditions. My lack of uniform and rank doesn't make me lack in those other areas.

I think this whole 'captain' business is like a lot of other made up jobs titles where you are required to wear uniforms, like sanitation engineer and sandwich artist. Sometimes the public buys into the BS, but most are smart enough to call a spade a spade.

Then you get funny reactions from the public. I was chatting with an Albatross crew that just dumped off a high roller and their 'uniforms' resembled mine more than a typical corporate aircrew's. They explained that these high rollers usually fawn over the white shirts and bars, until they realize it just makes them look like a fractional owner. If the crew is casual, it looks like they own the plane and the crew is on their payroll. They specifically request no uniforms to keep up this image....

[FL500]

Wow, why isn't anyone proud of this profession anymore?
Yes, the guy who flies the Caravan is the "Captain"

What gives around here?

Captain John

I don't really care who calls themself Captain or any of this but I often wonder why so many pilots in N.America are not proud of what they do Why do something you will not take pride in

[FL500]

I fly vans and I wouldn't consider myself a captain....

Come on guys...to be treated as professionals, we need to look at ourselves as professionals, AND act like professionals.

+1

[Meatservo]

It doesn't bother me if someone calls me "captain" while I'm at work. It also doesn't bother me if they don't, as long as they understand that I AM the captain. It would be a little odd outside of work.

I do kind of agree though, that it's in all of our best interest to cool it with the exaggerated self-deprecation that some pilots seem to take pride in. I don't really care one way or the other if a pilot wants to think of him or herself as a "driver" but I'm not crazy about having the term applied to myself, particularly by non-pilots. It seems insulting, somehow.

[jeta1]

.

[Colonel Sanders]

When I hear "captain", I think of

1) a commissioned officer of the Army that wears railroad tracks and commands a company, or
2) an old grey-haired guy with four bars that drives a boat

It's a somewhat grandiose title when applied to the PIC of a J-3, but whatever floats your boat.

I'm a pilot. Always have been, always will be. Well, except for when my licence gets suspended, and then I have to find someone I can strap in who will be PIC in the journey log. You'd be amazed at how few people there are, that want to log free PIC time!

[JohnnyHotRocks]

Fly outside of Canada/USA and you will be called "Captain" by everyone....the uniform is much more respected across the globe than it is here

True, quite true, but if you look close enough, you will find that many of those same countries that tend to do that are often those who have marginal human rights records in terms of respect towards women, democracy, freedom of speech and heck, the environment. Essentially those countries that profess cultures that hang-on to old ideological archtypes (did I say "backwards?). India, China, pretty much any country in Africa, Afghanistan, South America, all middle-east countries, to name a few. Even Eastern Europe is some 50 years behind in many respects. So what's left? Nordic and Western Europe, and Australia maybe? So we have a long way to go yet.

What does this have to do with anything?

[Blakey]

The PIC is the "Captain" of the aircraft. Always!

This can be:

Good http://www.rafbombercommand.com/people_ ... ns001.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... light.html

or bad: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferguson_v._NTSB

The Captain gets named as the hero or as the goat. It doesn't matter who does something; YOU are the Captain. If you're unclear on what this means, ask your insurance company or TC.

[ea306]

This is an interesting question....

The Captain is the PIC
The First Officer is the SIC.

If you have been given the title, no need to be embarrassed or uncomfortable with the title.  Be proud of your assignment and respect the responsibility you have been given.  Having pride is not the same as being prideful or arrogant.  

There are countries that recognize an aircraft pilot as being a profession like an engineer, lawyer, doctor. As a professional they can do things such as sign for passport applications etc.  In Britain a pilot is considered a recognized profession and the title Cpt is viewed as a professional title. 

Canada does not recognize us in the same manner. We are pilots.  If we are a captain, that is what our job title is.  Kind of like a teacher and a school principle.  They both are teachers, however one of them is responsible for the entire operation.... 

It is good to be modest.  We are all pilots.  We all have been Pilot in Command and if you fly multi crew; Pilot in Command or Second in Command.

As for being a meaningful crew member on a transport category aircraft with low time as mentioned earlier in this thread;  this summer in Europe I flew with young 21 year old First Officers with 300 hours total time for an airline flying B737NG.  They were very skillful and knowledgable, not to mention keen and humble.  A pleasure to fly with. They hold a frozen ATPL and have gone through much training to earn the license.  I always referred to them as First Officers to my passengers and they referred to me as Captain.  Same with the cabin crew.  It is what we do and what we are.  Of course in Europe their license gives them the recognition as a professional in the fullest sense of the word.


There is a difference in my mind between having a title as a Dr. In front of your name with a bunch of letters behind your name and having a title as Cpt.  Maybe here in Canada we are a little less pretentious, or do not give ourselves the recognition we perhaps should?

[Cat Driver]

In Britain a pilot is considered a recognized profession and the title Cpt is viewed as a professional title.

Actually in Britain we are referred to as the " Aircraft Commander "

The title Captain is no longer used.

[JohnnyHotRocks]

In Britain a pilot is considered a recognized profession and the title Cpt is viewed as a professional title.

Actually in Britain we are referred to as the " Aircraft Commander "

The title Captain is no longer used.

Look out Cat! That one sounds even more pompous than "Captain"!

[ea306]

Hi .,

Maybe so... And you are correct! But when I am in Britain...or Belgium as was the case this year... Was still just a captain...lol.



David

[KK7]

Come on guys...to be treated as professionals, we need to look at ourselves as professionals, AND act like professionals.

I fail to see how a title has anything to do with being and acting professional, and having pride in what one does. Whether I am a "Captain" or not I do the job the best that I can and conduct myself like a professional.

The problem I sometimes see is that using the title "Captain" sometimes reduces the professionalism of some of our less experiences pilots.

IMHO, a Captain is a rank indicating a position of authority where there are other crew involved. It's a symbol to the other crew and passengers to indicate that you're in command with respect to all the crew members on board. A Captain can pilot an aircraft. If there are no other crew, whose Captain are you, you're the only one piloting the aircraft?

[iflyforpie]

[jeta1]

.

[Beefitarian]

Daryl Dragon for sure qualifies.

[FL500]

This is an interesting question....

The Captain is the PIC
The First Officer is the SIC.

If you have been given the title, no need to be embarrassed or uncomfortable with the title.  Be proud of your assignment and respect the responsibility you have been given.  Having pride is not the same as being prideful or arrogant.  

There are countries that recognize an aircraft pilot as being a profession like an engineer, lawyer, doctor. As a professional they can do things such as sign for passport applications etc.  In Britain a pilot is considered a recognized profession and the title Cpt is viewed as a professional title. 

Canada does not recognize us in the same manner. We are pilots.  If we are a captain, that is what our job title is.  Kind of like a teacher and a school principle.  They both are teachers, however one of them is responsible for the entire operation.... 

It is good to be modest.  We are all pilots.  We all have been Pilot in Command and if you fly multi crew; Pilot in Command or Second in Command.

As for being a meaningful crew member on a transport category aircraft with low time as mentioned earlier in this thread;  this summer in Europe I flew with young 21 year old First Officers with 300 hours total time for an airline flying B737NG.  They were very skillful and knowledgable, not to mention keen and humble.  A pleasure to fly with. They hold a frozen ATPL and have gone through much training to earn the license.  I always referred to them as First Officers to my passengers and they referred to me as Captain.  Same with the cabin crew.  It is what we do and what we are.  Of course in Europe their license gives them the recognition as a professional in the fullest sense of the word.


There is a difference in my mind between having a title as a Dr. In front of your name with a bunch of letters behind your name and having a title as Cpt.  Maybe here in Canada we are a little less pretentious, or do not give ourselves the recognition we perhaps should?

+1 Very well said