Birds of a Feather Flock Together
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There are some interesting phenomena that occur when pilots of similar types of aircraft coalesce into a group. Some of it is really good and some of it is not so good. But let’s examine an often taboo subject and see where it leads us.
I’ll use the term type club because that’s how we often think of these groups, but not all of them are formally organized. One example, my beloved RV clan, in spite of its sheer mass of almost 10,000 flying airplanes, it has no formal structure like COPA (Cirrus) or ABS (Bonanza), etc.
Let’s start with the bad…
Formal type clubs are businesses and as such they need to make money or at least break-even to exist. This creates some financial drag on the membership. Also, they can be like small governments, with bureaucracy and red tape prevailing. This doesn’t serve the membership and paints a sour picture to outsiders. Luckily most, if not all, have structures and programs that return a ton of value to their members.
Type clubs are exclusive by nature and many times they aren’t bashful about it. I have literally seen this in action as the “snob factor” kicks in at the local FBO when someone mentions what they fly. Of course, this really just comes from pride. Certainly if you worked your ass off to get into an airplane that you really love, why wouldn’t you be proud? But often the message that gets transmitted to everyone else, is “my airplane is way cooler than yours” or “you should be honored to be in the presence of greatness!”
This creates an immediate turnoff and also proliferates into a stereotype for the brand. Bonanza drivers are often lumped into this group, but really any club can get a little too precious about their breed and spoil their image. RV drivers are prone to this too. RV folks will preach the super versatility and efficiency with such evangelistic fervor that no one in their right mind should fly anything else. As an RV guy myself who has flown a lot of different airplanes, I can tell you that almost every airplane has its attributes and I’m never one thumb my nose – there’s always something bigger or faster or cooler out there.
Like the attitudinal issues above, we run into more birds of a feather flock together issues. One buzz job by an RV and they are all reckless wild men. One self-appointed airport police type that happens to fly a Cherokee… One braggart in a Mooney… You get the point. If someone that flies a certain type does something that can be judged, the verdict ultimately falls on the whole group. This becomes more unfair stereotyping that is fodder for airport bums across the nation. “Hey, did you hear about that RV guy that ran Bob out of the pattern on a straight in yesterday? Those guys are a bunch of cowboys!” or “I saw a Cirrus scud running out of here last week when the weather was crap and I know he didn’t have an IFR clearance!” and so the stories go.
[pullquote]I try to take the tact to always complement folks on whatever they are flying and not come off as stuck up. Due to the stigma that exists behind RVs, I have even tried to limit how much I mention my airplane on this site to avoid sending people away before they get to know me. Isn’t that silly?[/pullquote]
It doesn’t matter what we fly, the point is we are flying and because of that we are a brotherhood. Nuff said!
Let’s end with the good…
Luckily these organizations are often very valuable. Not only to the constituents inside the club, but potentially to outsiders.
Type clubs demonstrate the power of an organization to affect change. Through their numbers some of these have been helpful, along with other alphabet groups, to affect legislation or keep an airport open, etc.
They can also provide targeted training and currency processes that enhance safety and can be a template for others to use. Cirrus has been particularly aggressive in this area.
Benefits to the members can include discounts for all sorts of goods and services. Often the insurance discount is worth the price of admission if you go through their sanctioned safety courses or other programs.
They also benefit from the power of sharing information and this is one of the biggest benefits of all. Virtually nothing goes unnoticed when you put thousands of pilots into a group focused on one airplane. It’s unlikely you’ll be the first to encounter anything. This is like tech/customer support supercharged.
OEMs should love these groups because they ultimately help sell the product by virtue of the value the club brings.
The camaraderie is a big draw for many. I am personally in that camp. I love the feeling of belonging to a group. It’s like a family, we don’t always agree, but we can all relate. Is that why they call them relat-ives?
In the final analysis…
If you add everything up, the pros far exceed the cons when it comes to these groups. The good news is the negative aspects are correctable if we all worked on cleaning up our images and kept each other in check. Save the buzz job for the air show circuit; save the snobbish demeanor for your golfing buddies; and check the attitudes at the door.
As pilots we are all ambassadors and we need to seek to be as inclusive as possible to anyone that shares our love for this great avocation.
by Brent Owens (click my name to email me)
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Pilots are certainly a proud group of people. When you take a step back and look at it from the macro perspective, pilots always seem to find each other at parties or large gatherings of people and become instant friends. That’s the way it should be! As a military pilot I find we have our “type clubs” as well. There is something awesome about getting together with other folks who fly your bird and can relate to your stories of complicated EPs where others would fall asleep. As I start my reintegration into GA over this coming year (yes, it’s a 2014 goal!) I plan on picking me an aircraft on which to focus, if not buy, and join a type club. I’m going to need all the help I can get! Thanks for the great post!
Thanks Rob! Great point! There’s certainly a fraternity that naturally occurs and it’s one of the best parts of GA.
Brent
It is very true Rob that the same types of cliques form in the military. In the Air Force you have the flyers and non-flyers, and even amongst flyers people group into fighters/bombers versus mobility. It really is unfortunate the amount of negative crap that happens amongst the groups that should all be on the same page.
We had the opportunity to take a F-16 pilot on one trip and he got to witness his first short-field dirt strip landing. It really opened his eyes to the work that we do and how different it is. It was really fun to see his reaction because he was willing to listen and learn, and just be a part of our crew.
To me that is the secret, we have to be willing to let other people in. We are in a unique group of people that clicks like few others and we need to build each other up at all times. If people see the good side of aviation, its people, then they will be far more inclined to join us.
Awesome Dave! Thanks for the comment.
I’ve been thinking about this recently Brent. There has got to be a way using the internet to bring pilots and these niche aviation communities together, instead of separating ourselves in closed in, archaic forums. I’d really love to build something to bring the aviation community together.
Kevin,
I like where you’re coming from. I think ultimately the people are the key. If folks rush to judgement they are doing themselves and their fellow aviator a disservice.
OSH does the best job of bring us all together, even if just for a week, to focus on the collective good of flying.
Brent
One might assume that hang glider pilots by virtue of the type/style of aircraft we fly encounter the negativity you mentioned. Especially given that in the flat lands of Ohio we often share airfields with GA pilots where there is ample opportunity to commingle. Yet I’ve not seen it. Typically there is a mutual respect and admiration. Within the HG community we fly gliders with different levels of performance depending on the pilot’s level of experience. Yet still, there is no snobbery. I’m not sure why this is exactly (no complaints) but I can’t help wondering if at least some of this may be due to our reaction to encountering a person with a bigger, bader, cooler toy than our own and our insecurities getting the better off us. No right or wrong answer but it certainly couldn’t hurt to be mindful of the dynamics at play when such encounter take place.
Now, who’s free to tow me up 😉
Sri,
I’m not surprised by your observation. I think folks in a particular genre of aviation are pretty cohesive. It’s when groups form within the group that differences emerge.
I’ll get a tow kit for my -8, I would be the only kid on the blog with a glider tower RV. What’s your max speed again?
Brent
Just by virtue of their membership size and breadth, you’d think AOPA, EAA, and other such organizations would have the best online forums anywhere on the interwebs. But I haven’t found that to be true. In EAA’s case, their software is pretty slow. AOPA’s forums have a signal-to-noise ratio that doesn’t quite work for me. The type specific forums have always drawn my focus for some reason. To each his own, as they say! I do agree that type clubs are the best money an owner can spend. CPA saved me untold sums when I owned my Skylane!
Ron,
That is very true on both counts. I don’t frequent the forums as much as I used to, but they can be a source of info (with a grain of salt). As for saving money, no question.
Brent