Sadly the general public is ignorant towards flying. It no longer holds the magical and mysterious thought it used to.

It's sooo true.  Ignorance angers me to no end

Ramp Monkey
A woman was looking at the animals on display in a pet store. A man walked in and said to the shopkeeper "I'll take a Ramp Monkey, please". The shopkeeper nodded and took a monkey out of a cage. He put a collar and leash on the animal and handed it the man, saying, "That'll be $5,000." The man paid and left with the monkey. The surprised woman went to the shopkeeper and said, "That was a very expensive monkey.  Most of them are only a few hundred dollars. Why did that one cost so much?"The shopkeeper answered, "Ah, that's a Ramp Monkey. He can drive tractors, load cargo, and guide aircraft into gates. All with no back talk or complaints. He's well worth the money." The woman then spotted a monkey in another cage. "That one's even more expensive! $10,000! What does it do?" "Oh, that one" replied the shopkeeper. "That's a "Flight Attendant Monkey, she's attractive and personable. She can serve drinks and meals, and even evacuate passengers from an aircraft in an emergency. A very useful monkey indeed." The woman looked around a little longer and found a monkey with a $50,000 price tag. The shocked woman exclaimed, "This one costs more >than all the others put together! What in the world can it do?" "Well," said the shopkeeper, "I've never actually seen him do anything except drink beer and play with himself. But his papers say he's a Pilot."

It is said how the public is mostly ignorant towards GA, hell, they have airports shut down due to noise! Pity there is nothing us pilots can do to change it...

People are surprised when I explain that keeping a plane right-side up is no big deal, but when I go into how much knowledge is required even to get a PP cert., any thought that it's as easy or simple  as earning the right to drive a bus is quickly dismissed. And there are a lot of weird misconceptions out there- I remember a co-worker who showed some interest in taking a ride with me, until he found out that we wouldn't be under ATC control the whole time. It wasn't that he didn't trust me specifically, he just refused to accept that a mere pilot could be responsible for navigating safely using his own knowledge and common sense. Even after another co-worker went up with me and raved to everyone about how good a pilot I was, etc., I knew not to ask this other guy if he wanted to go. I have another friend who's just leery about  putting his life in my hands, as he puts it. Doesn't think anything of climbing aboard an airliner crewed by people he doesn't even know, but just can't wrap his mind around the idea that some guy he knows could fly safely. Weird. I've found that in general, the average person takes flying for granted when it comes to airlines, but views operation of light aircraft as some sort of arcane, crazy stunt, undertaken by lunatics. So really there are opinions out there that haven't changed in 100 years, despite the everyday neature of GA operations.

Most people I talk to dont understand that getting a PPL dosnt automatically plant you in the left seat of 747 either.

I know plenty of people who think nothing of flying on an airliner but would never dream of setting foot in a light aircraft. There's also plenty of people scared stiff of flying in any sort of aircraft. When it comes down to it, pilots are ordinary people just like anyone else. Plenty of ordinary people fly nowadays & many have their own aircraft but they don't have the word PILOT tattooed on their forehead. Don't put bus drivers down, I couldn't do their job for £10,000 per week. The same goes for ramp rats.

I'm not sure OTTOL's comment is actually intended as a joke. He's a commercial pilot so I imagine he knows what he's talking about.

PS. I have no doubt that OTTOL is a competent pilot & good at his job but I've met a few in my time that should never have been allowed within 100 yards of an aircraft. On second thoughts, make that a mile.

Calm down Nexus
But i do agree with Doug, i couldnt be a bus driver for all the money in the world. It is a very difficult job and while it may not require the same level of training as a pilot position, i can assure you it is just as stressful if not moreso, for alot less money.

In todays world, of high prices and lack of airline jobs, all pilots should be kissing their aircraft and thanking the god which gave them the opportunity to be there. I can assure you there are a million other people who would love to take their place.

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Actually.......that was a joke sent from another pilot friend of mine who flies a 738 for Miami Air. He just sent it the other day in an Email and I thought the timing was appropriate. In my opinion, you shouldn't take yourself too seriously and should make yourself the butt of your own jokes on occasion.
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Thanks for the vote of confidence Doug. I haven't scratched one yet in 25 years behind the wheel (I'm knocking on my skull for good luck as I type that last sentence).
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A couple of things to ponder: I don't think he intended to offend or belittle bus drivers or any other blue collar workers. He just used a common expression, perhaps without regard for who might be offended. Since you're in the aviation training trenches yourself, I'm sure you understand the highly competitive environment that accompanies the profession by now. I've been around the business long enough to know that this level of competition often manifests itself in the form of cocky behavior and in the case of an instructor, captain or more senior pilot, an aggressive or demeaning attitude.  In plain English: a 30 hour student pilot comes off as though he's Captain of the next Space Shuttle and some flight instructors and Captains feel the uncontrollable urge to project their own mentor's harsh words upon the next generation. Finally; I don?t know how old Beefhole is (I've been fooled before on these forums and have learned not to assume too much) but I'm guessing that perhaps he is younger and personally take into consideration, the fact the just about anyone and especially a younger person, who is in the early stages of flight training and who is just beginning to experience the thrill of flying airplanes, tends to display an excessive amount of enthusiasm.
As far as public perception. I blame TV and Movies(especially the evening news) for painting a picture of a commercial and general aviation fleet that are flying time bombs ready to drop out of the sky and pilots who are overpaid and only leave the pub long enough to run to the airport, just in time for the next flight.
I was talking to a friend of mine the other day. She had just gotten home from vacation and visiting another friend who owns an airplane. She told me a story of her great adventure and how this friend took her for a ride in this "little experimental contraption". After a few minutes of prodding and questioning, I finally figured out that the plane she flew in was a Lancair (probably a IVP from the speeds she said the guy was claiming).  That's public perception.......A half million dollar four place rocket, with a 25,000 foot ceiling and  avionics that make airline captains jealous, not to mention a nearly flawless safety record,  is perceived as a rickety bucket of fiberglass that some mad scientist glued together in his tool shed.

If you're in a room full of people, how can you tell which one's a pilot?...




...He'll come and tell you...

(in the same way, if you're in a room full of pilots, you can tell who's a Harrier pilot in the same way... )

Aside from the cost of learning I shouldn't think becoming a GA pilot is any harder than being a bus driver. It's probably easier in fact cause there's far less traffic up there than down here.

What I was getting at & I'm sure what fired Nexus up was the arrogant attitude of some pilots who seem to think they're better than anyone else simply because they can fly an aircraft. I've met a lot of pilots of all shapes, sizes & abilities over the years & most of them are pleasant, ordinary people. You probably wouldn't even know they're pilots from their appearance. Unfortunately there's a element among them that strut around putting on all sorts of airs & graces & thinking they're something special. In my experience these are the very same ones that should never be allowed anywhere near an aircraft. They're unpopular even among their colleagues. Please don't get like them.

Some of the best pilots I've had the pleasure of knowing are the most modest & friendly people you could ever wish to meet.

I know rocket wasn't implying this, but for the folks who don't read every post, that's not me-I misworded my previous post.