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Originally Posted by Toddnel
(Post 1532218)
One question I gotta ask... What is the deal with United's fetish with calling the 73 the Guppy? For the most part the only pilot group I have ever heard calling it that is United. Not to mention it seems like most take a great deal of pleasure is saying it as much as they possibly can. Not that I really care just wondering.
Former Guppy Captain now Triple FO Todd |
Originally Posted by CRM114
(Post 1532273)
United was the Guppy US launch customer in 1965. At the merger right-sizing in 2009, that was 44 years of continuous guppy flying at UAL and it's always been what that airplane has been called. Why do call a car a car? Or a truck a truck? Cause that's it's name.
But . . . To the extent that one would like to create unanimity, the fact that the term Guppy evokes a negative response is cause enough in my mind, to stop using the term. Consider for a moment whether or not you would use the word "nigger". I realize the example may be extreme, but I believe the general precept is the same. Why keep using the term if you know it angers others except if your intention is degradation? |
Originally Posted by pilot64golfer
(Post 1532231)
Its not a fetish. We flew the aircraft for over 30 years. We always called it the guppy. Shuttle was "shuttle guppy". Mainline was "mainline guppy". 737-200 was "Thunder guppy". We are certainly not the only airline to call it that.
Its just what we called it. Why call the 777 the "Triple seven"? Why not the seven seven seven? We don't usually call the 747 the Whale. We call it the "400" because we used to have the 747-100 and 200 that were the "ropestart". Its certainly NOT an insult, but its amazing how many pilots get all upset when we call the airplane a guppy. I've never heard an airbus pilot get upset for falling the airbus "The Bus". |
Originally Posted by Sunvox
(Post 1532301)
I vote best reply of 2014!
But . . . To the extent that one would like to create unanimity, the fact that the term Guppy evokes a negative response is cause enough in my mind, to stop using the term. Consider for a moment whether or not you would use the word "nigger". I realize the example may be extreme, but I believe the general precept is the same. Why keep using the term if you know it angers others except if your intention is degradation? What is the hisotry of the term which ellicts such a response as you mention? And why should one group stop using if it angers another. How about the group that is angered learn to accept it? What makes one groups perception more important than the others? How about a straight up majority vote? :) |
Originally Posted by Toddnel
(Post 1532218)
One question I gotta ask... What is the deal with United's fetish with calling the 73 the Guppy? For the most part the only pilot group I have ever heard calling it that is United. Not to mention it seems like most take a great deal of pleasure is saying it as much as they possibly can. Not that I really care just wondering.
Former Guppy Captain now Triple FO Todd |
Originally Posted by Sunvox
(Post 1532301)
I vote best reply of 2014!
But . . . To the extent that one would like to create unanimity, the fact that the term Guppy evokes a negative response is cause enough in my mind, to stop using the term. Consider for a moment whether or not you would use the word "nigger". I realize the example may be extreme, but I believe the general precept is the same. Why keep using the term if you know it angers others except if your intention is degradation? Remember when the CNO tried changing the name of the BOQ (Bachelor Officers Quarters) to UOPH (Unaccompanied Officer Personnel Housing)? Everyone ignored it and still called it the BOQ or just the "Q". They stopped calling them UOPH shortly thereafter. It will always be a guppy. Even if someday I decide to downbid and fly it I'll call it a guppy. |
Originally Posted by pilot64golfer
(Post 1532365)
So if the US Navy merged with the Air Force and the Air Force called it an F-14 and thought "Tomcat" was derogatory that the Navy guys would stop calling it that?
Remember when the CNO tried changing the name of the BOQ (Bachelor Officers Quarters) to UOPH (Unaccompanied Officer Personnel Housing)? Everyone ignored it and still called it the BOQ or just the "Q". They stopped calling them UOPH shortly thereafter. It will always be a guppy. Even if someday I decide to downbid and fly it I'll call it a guppy. UOPH (though I don't remember that) might have died, but CBQ - Combined Bachelor's Quarters - is alive and well. |
When I flew the guppy at America West we called it a guppy. When I came over to United my first airplane was a guppy.
When I flew DC-8's they were called cable carts or Dinosaur 8's nobody got their little feel feels hurt by that. If calling the 737 a guppy hurts your little feel feels maybe you need to look deep inside your soul and find your inner masculinity. Or take plan B and just get over it. Kind of one of those first world problems like this... http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18...pse66e208d.jpg For a full explanation look here. First World Problems - YouTube |
A little history.. The first person to call the 737 a guppy?
Bill Boeing. |
Originally Posted by Slats Extend
(Post 1532521)
A little history.. The first person to call the 737 a guppy?
Bill Boeing. Makes them not feel like they are flying a big airplane. |
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