The Military Pilot and the Civilian Pilot

Military pilots have to meet strict physical and mental requirements to qualify for and complete military flight training.

The government pays for this intense and excellent training. More than a million dollars are spent on training a military pilot. The government has a ceremony to praise the pilots when they complete their training. The pilot graduate is given a set of wings with his peers, loved ones, and families looking on. He is given a rank of an officer and is immediately treated with a salute an respect from all the enlisted personnel, even those who have been in the service for many years and who may have been in combat. Still the military pilot is elevated to an anointed status.

With this new status the new pilots gather in the Officer's Club and drink to their elevated status. They pat each other on the back to re enforce their self appreciation. The government is constantly reminding them of how important they are as "Defenders of Democracy". The civilian populace approves of their deeds and the warrior culture. Their government uniforms are designed to awe the taxpayer. The military is one of the most socialistic of government programs.

The civilian pilot has no such kind of life. The civilian pilot works a job and takes flying lessons on his time off, alone. He has to work and pay for his training. No government socialism for the civilian pilot. When the civilian pilot graduates he is handed a temporary certificate. His permanent certificate arrives in the mail. There are no graduation ceremonies. There are no peers to hang out with in the Officer's Club to remind him how great and important he is. There is no uniform. No civilian adulation.

In 2008 civilian pilots had the fourth highest occupation fatality rate. There is no government memorial for their loss.

Timon The Greek