Man demands his wife call him a pilot even though he's never flown a plane in his life

Editor's note: This article was originally published on February 3, 2023. It has since been updated.

It would be perfectly understandable if your partner, who is a professional pilot, expected you to call him a pilot. But what if your average, everyday, non-flying husband was asking that you call him a pilot, not just in close moments as part of some sort of aviation-inspired role-play, but also in front of family, friends, and colleagues? Take a deep breath and buckle up, as this man posted the most peculiar dilemma on Reddit’s Am I The A—hole? forum.

His question appears simple but is actually quite complicated: should he be mad at his wife for not introducing him as a pilot, even though he has never flown an actual plane? The couple has been married for five years and has never had any issues before, but this is causing him to head for divorce. “Since my wife and I have been together, I have worked as a manager for a restaurant chain,” he writes. “I am an extremely passionate aviation enthusiast in my free time. I have spent thousands of dollars on flight textbooks, and sim gear, and even built my own a330 setup. I have never actually flown a plane or started flight training, but I have considered it for a long time. Even though my skills are not a career, I still consider myself as adept or possibly more knowledgeable than the average pilot.”

“My wife and I were invited to one of her male co-worker’s houses for a barbecue,” he continued. “My wife is a senior software tech for a Covid start-up... We make our way down the line to the host of the party, a new male hire that she has grown platonically close with. We exchange casual conversation and Greg (host) asked what I do for a living. My wife chimes in with ‘He manages a [insert fast food chain], it certainly comes with some benefits (I’m assuming she’s referring to free food)’, in a voice that implied nothing was wrong with what she said.” It was evident that he wanted to take this opportunity to express his thoughts on his fictitious job.

“I very quickly corrected her and told him that I am a pilot,” he writes. “My wife already knows how insecure I am about my job and how I’d much rather be introduced to my hobby. I’ve earned the title of the pilot through my 500+ hours on and a sim and thousands of dollars put into my craft. I think it is incredibly disrespectful for her not to acknowledge my skills and training. Just because I don’t have the title of the pilot on an overpriced piece of paper doesn’t mean I’m not a pilot.”

“I laughed it off with Greg, told him under my breath that my wife was often forgetful (which I’m sure he’s realized just from working with her),” he concludes. “He seemed to brush it off casually. At this point, I’m fuming, but I don’t go much further than exchanging some nasty glances at my wife for the rest of the night. As we pack into the car to leave, the argument starts. She feels as if I don’t deserve my title as a Pilot because I’m not professional. I told her she is completely insensitive to the work I’ve done and she will never understand what it’s like to study so much. She’s currently on the couch as I type this. Am I really the asshole for asking to be respected?”

The original post has been taken down, but people haven't stopped talking about it - in fact, the comments on other social media are getting more creative and laugh-out-loud funny!