How do you tell another pilot he is being an idiot?

I just get out of his way, it’s nice to listen and avoid, but chit chat achieves little.

I think the answer depends on whether you keep a plane at the airport in question

I would advise where you are and what you are doing and hope he does the right thing. If in the circuit, he should remain clear of you.

A number of years ago. I had just recently gained my PPL. I did it my De Havilland Chipmunk, and was gaining experience, and feeling quite proud of myself. I was in the circuit, a blustery day, and an eminent display pilot was being checked out on a Harvard. He was in front. I gave him plenty of space. He landed, after calling out a go around, turned to back track on the runway, and stopped, he later told me to practice ground handling. I was on final, and had declared this clearly. I called six times and continued my approach. He did not respond. With hindsight I should have gone around, but I was inexperienced and thinking that this idiot should have cleared the active. I was about 10 feet off the runway when he saw me, decided he better quickly vacate, and I landed. The pair of them stormed up to me, me still sitting strapped in the aeroplane. The shouting match, where I think he suggested I may be the idiot, only stopped when I clearly told him to **** off or I would get out and punch him.

The incident did however bother me. Everyone at some stage is a sky god, where everyone else is the idiot. Who was in the wrong here? Who was the idiot? Were both he and I idiots? It is easy to blame someone else, not so easy to look inward at your own actions and learn. What I did learn was to expect the unexpected at all times. There are serial idiots out there all set to ruin your day if they can

BeechBaby wrote:

The incident did however bother me. Everyone at some stage is a sky god, where everyone else is the idiot. Who was in the wrong here? Who was the idiot? Were both he and I idiots? It is easy to blame someone else, not so easy to look inward at your own actions and learn. What I did learn was to expect the unexpected at all times. There are serial idiots out there all set to ruin your day if they can

It is a very good example. I try to remember that even if I think someone else is behaving stupidly, that does not give me a free pass to do the same. In your case the accident report would have primarily blamed the Chipmunk pilot for continuing the approach to land knowing that there was an aircraft on the runway. While it obviously was not the case, he could have blown a tyre or had a problem you weren’t aware of.

BeechBaby wrote:

The incident did however bother me. Everyone at some stage is a sky god, where everyone else is the idiot. Who was in the wrong here? Who was the idiot? Were both he and I idiots?

As you yourself noted: “I should have gone around”. Stopping on the runway to practise ground handling with another aircraft on short final is “idiotic” — but that doesn’t matter as regards your actionsl. And he could have had a legitimate reason.

It’s a long tale, which I already had written, should you care to read through you’ll see the part about telling to other pilot he’s been an idiot:

Club 172 with the rebuilt wings

I got a phone call on day from the Director of Maintenance at the Flying Club. He introduced himself, and said the he had a problem, and had been told I could help. Apparently one of the club 172’s, had been run off the runway some time ago and badly damaged. In the interim, the former Director of Maintenance (whom I did know) had built up a set of wing jigs, and rebuilt the wings. During this time, he requested an inspection from Transport Canada, but TC declined, saying that it was not necessary. The wings were removed, and the jigs disassembled.

Fast forward a number of months, and the new DoM asked the new Transport Canada Inspector for flight authority for the now complete aircraft. The Inspector inquires about the geometry of the repaired wings, and DoM says “you had your chance when they were in the jig, now it’s too late.” Not good enough…So a Mexican standoff begins, and there is no solution. Apparently, the TC Inspector sought the insight of TC Engineering, who directed everyone to me. So this was DoM asking me what I could do to bring resolution to the whole problem.

I had an idea, and I told the DoM, that I could take care of it. I discussed my plan with the TC Engineer, who agreed, and said that he would recommend it to the TC inspector. So we all met at the airport the next week. I brought along my theodolite, suitable measuring equipment, and an Excel spreadsheet which I’d drafted, which summarized the Cessna maintenance manual wing geometry dimensions. I set the whole thing up with the plane in the hangar, and prepared to take all of the required measurements. But, of course, lunchtime came along, so we adjourned to the restaurant.

After a pleasant lunch, we all walked back across the main apron. We all watched with amusement as the club’s Piper Archer cut right across the airport at 200 feet, cutting off a plane on final, and generally disrupting everyone in the air. I asked two TC staff if they were inclined to comment to the pilot about his demonstration of flying judgment. They said that though inclined to, they were not supposed to – not their specific role at TC. I said that I could, unless they did not want me to… they both smiled and said “go ahead”.

So we began our measuring, while I watched for the Archer to finish circuits. Eventually the Archer pulled on to the main apron, and I was there at the wing flap to greet the pilot. As the door opened, and the right seat occupant exited, I asked who was in charge for the flight. The fellow kicked into guy smilely mode, and asked if I was his next student… “No” I said “just another pilot”. I went on to explain that I had seen the odd maneuver, and that “it did not look very good from the ground”. The instructor became very defensive, and started justifying his flying. I explained that I was not too interested in the details, I just wanted him to know that I had seen it, and it had not looked good. I added that when I learned to fly at that same club in the mid 70’s, we’d tell another pilot if something did not look too good. He went on again, so I repeated that it had not looked good to me, nor the two Transport Canada inspectors who were standing watching me talk to him. Well, that changed his tune, he got quiet then!. I told him that I was not there to make a fuss, just to let him know what I had seen. With that, I returned to my measuring.

Measuring completed, and spreadsheet complete, I pronounced the wing geometry as conforming to Cessna’s dimensions. I would have thought that this would be enough, but the TC inspector still was not satisfied. I was surprised and disappointed. The DoM was less than impressed, and the stress of the whole situation was becoming evident in his demeanor. I felt the need to propose a final solution.

I interrupted, and said to the TC inspector “how about if I test fly it. If it flies okay, the club gets the final flight authority for the aircraft”. The inspector turned to his TC peer, and asked of that would be okay with him. He said yes without a moment’s delay. The Inspector thought for a minute, but seemed to realize that he would have trouble justifying not letting me asses the plane, when everyone else was agreeable. So he agreed. A flight permit would be issued to let me test fly it, and my word would be final. The only wrinkle, I’d need a checkout to fly the plane, I knew the club rules. The TC inspector agreed that an instructor could check me out in the plane while I test flew it. So the plan was set for the following week.

I arrived at the appointed time, and the plane was ready. So was the instructor – you guessed it, the same guy who’d cut across the field in the Archer! Well you should have seen the look on his face when he recognized me! He’d been told what was going on, and to expect me, the appointed test pilot, but he had not put together two and two from the previous week. He became rather awkward! Hello Sir this, and yes Sir that. It was easier just to let it happen, than to try to undo it.

I checked the plane over, assured myself that everything was in order, and briefed the instructor and the DoM (who was none the wiser as to my previous encounter with the esteemed instructor). In particular, I informed them both that my first run would be a high speed taxi and short hop only, so not to be alarmed to think that I aborted the takeoff.

As explained, this was what I did. A run up runway 33, with 40 degrees of flap. The instructor was more than a little surprised to see me pull the plane gently into the air, with a few peeps of the stall horn, and fly along a few feet off the ground. This afforded me the opportunity to feel the roll behavior before I was committed to the flight. As I expected, the plane was fine. As planned, I landed again, and taxied off the runway. The instructor commented that he’d never seen that done before..

I knew that rest of the flying would now be a fun hop, and the only question about the flying qualities of the plane had now been answered. It was a nice day for a flight, and the importance of the process demanded the full effect of the test flight. Thus, I flew…

After a half hour of good airwork, I pronounced the aircraft entirely acceptable. I explained to the instructor that I was finished, and that I would be very pleased if he would ask me to demonstrate any other maneuver which he would expect to see on a check ride. His response was that I flew the plane better than any of the instructors. I thanked him for the complement, but explained that I was hoping he would write me a check ride letter. He said that he would. He then paused a moment, and asked me if I would demonstrate a roll to him. I said that I was unwilling to do this, thinking to myself that this was some kind of trick to get me to break a club rule in the aircraft. He asked if the plane was capable, and I told him that it was, but I was unwilling (I never did say unable, and I think that he was picking up on this). I did offer some aggressive chandelles, and wingovers. He did seem to appreciate those.

I returned the plane to DoM, and informed him that it was fit. My entry in the journey log to that effect was all that he needed – “Test flight satisfactory”. With that, I bid my farewells, stopping to remind the instructor that I would be grateful for a letter attesting to my having demonstrated adequate flying skill. He promised that it would come, and it did a few days later.

In a final twist of irony, the instructor’s signature on behalf of the flying club, also bore the title “safety officer”. The club safety officer had buzzed the apron with a student the previous week, and asked a pilot with whom he’d never before flown, to perform a roll in a Cessna 172 with him on board. So much for safety minded safety officers!

On a positioning flight recently, I was with a LARS unit and listening to a funny conversation. The pilot was reporting as expected, but the voice didn’t exude confidence shall we say? So on hand over to a new 8.33 channel the pilot read back the wrong (OLD) frq, several times! Eventually after a brief pause the pilot responded he was unable to comply as he was “On his way to have a new radio fitted and was not 8.33 compliant!”
So there I am laughing gently at the irony of someone who must be aware of the current situation AS HE IS HAVING A NEW RADIO FITTED!
I am sorry chaps but I had to break with the radio etiquette of no chit chat, I pressed the ptt and suggestted he should have checked the NOTAMS for the route ahead? But didn’t ask, as i wanted to, which planning software, if any was used for this flight!
The controller responded with a witty remark and I am sure a wry smile!

The irony is that, this being in the UK, the “8.33” frequency was probably the same as the old one e.g. 125.005 is the same as 125.000, for practical purposes. The “005” merely tells the receiver portion of an 8.33 radio to use a narrower selectivity.