who qualifies to be a "captain"

[seasonaldriver]

It's rather vague in my mind as to whom may preface their name with the title of "Captain". Is there a convention of minimum size of aircraft, number of engines or what?

Any ideas or knowledge people here may have would be appreciated.

Thanks

[LisaS]

No sir. It's and attitude.

[seasonaldriver]

That's too bad...I've never met a pilot with an attitude. lol

[Rowdy]

If you are in COMMAND of an aircraft proffesionally. You my friend are a CAPTAIN! Regardless of size/configuration.

[HavaJava]

Everybody's got a little "Captain" in them!

[Prairie Chicken]

Some a little more than others, HavaJava!

[seasonaldriver]

We may all have a bit of the "Captain" in us(The Kraken is better) but doncha think the pilot of, say a 185, calling him(her)self "Captain" just a tad pretentious?

[KK7]

Some aircraft have Aircraft Flight Manuals provided by the manufacturer that refers to the left seat occupant as the "Captain" and the right seat as either "Co-pilot" or "First Officer". Further to that, some companies make this reference in their Standard Operating Procedures and/or Company Operations Manual.

But in general, I think the term Captain is primarily used when there are two pilots in a two crew airplane or operation. In a single pilot airplane, the pilot is usually referred to as just "the pilot", or if you really want to sound important to your passengers, the "PIC".

[Colonel Sanders]

Gavin Macleod on "Love Boat" will always be my Captain!

[N2]

Everyones favorite Captain!

[trey kule]

Hmmmmm ..here I always thought it had to do with the size of the sunglasses and watch.

Seriously, in some cultures it is a mark of respect. I can recall flying a twin otter in a different country, and being referred to as Captain even when out of uniform. And there was an expectation to act appropriately. A captain who decided to compete with the locals for sleeping space under the table at the bar, would have a serious problem with the CP the next day. In the north in Canada, he could simply wake up, under the table and talk to the CP under the next table.

Canadian aviaition is much different.. And structured like nowhere else..Instructor...lowest...single engine land. light twin or floats, turbine multi, heavy.
We pay lip service to those "below" but dont dare expect them to call themselves captain.
Time we smartened up and started respecting the profession. That lowly instructor (in some people opinion) is the person who is teaching the people we will fly with, or will keep general aviation alive. They deserve Captain. So do the single pilot floatcaptains.. Most of them actually fly a hell of a lot better than your typical heavy driver after a couple of years of watching TV in the cockpit for a living.
But, alas, it is the Canadian way to bash ourselves. Yes there will always be the pretentious ones. A fact of life. But Canadian pilots really need to start doing things to earn the respect they deserve.
But then, it is really only in Canada that a new CPL would even consider ramping as an actual career path, or a way to demonstrate their attributes to a company that cannot seem to do it any other way..

[robertsailor1]

well said

[Cough Syrup]

[jeta1]

.

[Big Pistons Forever]

doncha think the pilot of, say a 185, calling him(her)self "Captain" just a tad pretentious?

a tad and a bunch... Whomever said it was a sign of "respect" was right... there is no formal or official glossary or definition of a "Captain" epithet before a person's name for aviation personnel. Most aviation personnel who use that, particularly the likes of ALPA officials, or ICAO officials, all call themsleves Captain so and so. I always laugh at joe know-it-alls at ICAO who call themsleves Captain Hugh MacGarrett the THIRD, or such crap. It is all gibbrish and upmanship, as it says nothing else than this person at one point of their life was PIC of an aircraft - any aircraft. Heck - we all earned the "right' when we first solo'ed!!! There is no formal accreditation ANYWHERE for the term. In fact anyone can call themselves Captain as long as they rode a tricycle or a golf cart. The only people who deserved to be called Captain so and so are our brave military officers of that particular rank, or police Captains who have earned that rank.

In the Military there are 2 kinds of "Captains"

"Hey You" captains, that is 2 stripers in the Army or Air Force, and

"Excuse me Sir" Captains, that is 4 stripers in the Navy

[Go Juice]

My Captain!

[jjj]

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

[seasonaldriver]

"a tad and a bunch... Whomever said it was a sign of "respect" was right... there is no formal or official glossary or definition of a "Captain" epithet before a person's name for aviation personnel. Most aviation personnel who use that, particularly the likes of ALPA officials, or ICAO officials, all call themsleves Captain so and so. I always laugh at joe know-it-alls at ICAO who call themsleves Captain Hugh MacGarrett the THIRD, or such crap. It is all gibbrish and upmanship, as it says nothing else than this person at one point of their life was PIC of an aircraft - any aircraft. Heck - we all earned the "right' when we first solo'ed!!! There is no formal accreditation ANYWHERE for the term."


My point exactly. Thank you jeta1.

Now, should I get the word "Captain" in 64 or 72 point letters on my especially sized business card? Just kidding. really.
Even though I fly a turbine I'm just the driver and only called captain when someone is buying me a beer in the bar.

[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

[Colonel Sanders]

Even though I fly a turbine I'm just the driver

Me too. I fly turbojet, flat/round/turbocharged/geared piston,
they're all the same to me. They just push air behind the aircraft.

I don't get the god-like aura around turbines - they're a heluva
lot easier to operate than piston. Would you call a Caravan
driver "Captain"?!

[niss]

I demand that everyone who flies in my ship refer to me as Captain. Anyone who sits left seat gets called 'Number 1'.

[Colonel Sanders]

My passengers always call me:



Just last week, a sweet little old lady getting off after a flight
complimented me on my landing. She said, "Did we land,
sonny, or were we shot down?"

[iflyforpie]

I see it's time to pull out my five bar epaulettes and show you guys the only real Captain flies centerline thrust aircraft with opposed piston engines in the mountains off tarmac!



Seriously though, I was giving this kid of three or so their first airplane ride, and here I am in my Hawaiian shirt and bluejeans, and the Fire Chief is standing next to me (he spends more time here than at the Fire Hall) in his full uniform. This kid goes wide-eyed and points to the Fire Chief, obviously thinking his five bars (yes, Fire Chiefs get five) made him the pilot.

[Beefitarian]

The only way to tell the G.I. Joe that was the pilot was from the flight suit.

[trey kule]

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.