airtraffic

Author Topic: Good General Aviation Forums?  (Read 7646 times)

Offline SJ30

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 34
Good General Aviation Forums?
« on: June 18, 2009, 02:32:53 PM »
Where are they?

I love this forum and use the live feed services quite a bit.  But, I wonder where are the active General Aviation Forums or Professional Aviation Forums?  I've been on JetCareers and that other Airlines Pilot forum, only to be very disappointed with the massively large dose of ego driven people, feinting to be helpful, polite and courteous.  The level of ego on those two forums in particular, is staggering and I won't waste anymore of my valuable time on those two forums in particular.  But, I've heard the same things about other "aviation" forums as well and I just don't understand this kind of "online aviation culture."

I'm just starting out getting involved with aviation from a certification standpoint, but I've been interested and involved with aviation since I was a young kid.  Most of the people I met years ago in aviation were good quality human beings.  The kind of people you would not mind going out to lunch with, or spending some time flying with occasionally - really nice people.  However, if I had never actually been out there in contact with people in the General Aviation Community and my only experience was encountering such people that you find in places like JetCareers or Airline Pilots Forum, then I'd be completely turned off from ever wanted to get involved in the business or the community.

Why is there such a huge divergence between the pilots you meet in places like JC and APF -vs- what you meet out on the ramp?  Quite frankly, with the "attitudes" that you find in places like that online, I think that they are doing themselves and the entire industry a disservice with their arrogant online behavior.

Better yet, why not just open up a General Aviation sub-forum on this site!  This is the best site I've seen thus far and for the most part, people here seem to at least show some respect for each other.  As a new guy to the certification process, I don't want to have to log-on to forums like that, with questions, nor do I want to have to seeking advice from such arrogant people as you find on some other forums.

For some reason, I just took it for granted that all the pilots in the world of aviation were descent people with good attitudes.  I guess I just hate to think that the thing I live so much (airplanes and flying) can also contain such high levels of self-centered individuals and rude attitudes.  I was hoping that the world of aviation was going to be that last great slice of humanity, where everyone involved behaved like a quality human beings - kind, polite, cordial, professional, selfless, ethically and intellectually honest - you know, descent - the way we were all reared by our parents.

Maybe I was just dream'n?  :(  

I vote for a General Aviation component to THIS forum! :)
« Last Edit: June 18, 2009, 02:42:47 PM by SJ30 »



Offline captray

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 102
  • G4 in Czech Republic
Re: Good General Aviation Forums?
« Reply #1 on: June 18, 2009, 05:39:30 PM »
Hey SJ30,
We are here, at least I am. I hang out in the background and occasionally throw in my 2 cents worth.
There is a froum on this site, where you can ask and receive questions and answers, its called the Pilot/Controller forum.
As for the attitudes at other sites, I have seen them and yes they do fly airplanes but that type of person exists everywhere and in every profession. Don't let it bother you.
As far as GA goes I have given over 3000 hours of instruction and I fly a G4 internationaly. So I may be able to answer your questions, if not I am sure that there is someone with more knowledge than me that could help you out.
Ask away my friend!

Posted from a hotel in Bordeaux France.

Offline dave

  • Site Founder
  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4597
    • LiveATC.net
Re: Good General Aviation Forums?
« Reply #2 on: June 19, 2009, 08:50:15 AM »
As captray mentioned, we do have a forum devoted to pilots and controllers.  If there is enough interest in just a plain pilot forum, I am happy to add it.  While there are a number of pilots here, the audience is much more broad than just pilots.  Since we're really about ATC and communications (primary focus), I just never really wanted to dilute the focus.  The worst thing is too many forums and very little participation in each one.  The risk of fewer forums, of course, is that too many topics get mixed up in forums they probably shouldn't belong in (off topic).

As to the people problem, this is a general internet problem that is not specific to aviation.  There have been flamers and rude people since the beginning of interaction on the net.  I've been around the 'net since the mid to late 80's and can tell you this is nothing new.  The issue centers around perceived anonymity.  When you meet some of these people in real life they are frequently nothing like their rude online personas.  There are exceptions, of course.  There are rude people and nice people, from all walks of life.

Best advice: ignore them and don't let them bother you.  If more people did that then the rude people would hopefully go away because all they really crave is attention and making other people miserable.

Good luck with your flying career.

-dave

Offline SJ30

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 34
Re: Good General Aviation Forums?
« Reply #3 on: June 20, 2009, 01:31:14 AM »
Thanks a bunch guys!  I guess the internet does give some people "license" to behave in ways that would not otherwise behave in person.  I'll note that and consider it for what it is.  I'll also be sure to formulate my questions about the training process and ask them in the Pilot/Controllers section (did not know that I could do that in there - or should do that in there).  I appreciate the help. :)

Captray:  The France hotel thing sound nice. ;)  I just hope the room is big enough.   I once had a co-worker tell me about a business trip to France.  He said that the hotel room was so small, that he could almost reach the street facing window with one foot stretched into the front door.   :-o  I take it your room is MUCH bigger than that?