SJS Press May 2010

At one time associated with glamour and romance of the skies, the full service airline industry has dwindled to the standard of mass transit. Passengers have seen customer service agents go away or become hostile. They have also seen stewardesses turn from dainty dames to savage beasts. Although not seen as frequently on the front line of airline travel, pilots have also changed. Contrary to the expectations of handsome military men reporting to duty, pilots today are only coming and going to report amongst their peers in the form of rants.

The most common form of ranting, other than cockpit banter, is posting on internet message boards. Pilots that post often, have blurred the line between work life and home life. Many have become internet personalities based on life on the job. Some are loved and some are despised. Whether well known or not, pilots create a stronger identity through the use of an avatar. The Press at shinyjetsyndrome.com takes an inside look at some avatars used today.

When one thinks of an Avatar, he may be imagining a blue human like creature roaming the planet Pandora in place of his own body. Although 'Miracle on The Hudson' pilot, Captain Sully, has used this type of Navi avatar for book signings and speeches, most avatars stay within the internet message boards. Avatars can range from photos of furry little pets to images of exploding A-bombs.

A common avatar in use today is that of a cute kitten wearing a helmet made from a lime peel. This one in particular appears to be suffering from a case of SJS; Shiny Jet Syndrome. Poor kitty!

Another popular avatar is the wolf in sheep's clothing. The Press concludes that this avatar represents management personnel when they say that their company's biggest asset is their employees. It may also represent the FAA inspector who says "I'm here to help."

Going away from animals, The Press gives acknowledgement to the burning parachute avatar. Nobody would want to find themself in this predicament, which tells readers of the one posting "You might not like me, but deal with it!"

Then comes avatars with motion. The Psycho Duck is solely used by a member of shinyjetsyndrome.com's Most Wanted. Going by the name ToiletDuck, The Boreds hopes for the chance of having this online blogger post on its forum. There is a dedicated topic devoted exclusively to ToiletDuck at The Boreds. A preview of ToiletDuck's messageboard prowess can be seen in response to a poster that stated "have you seen the e170? That thing is so cool it would make money empty!" ToiletDuck responds "I rest my case. In this thread alone you've stated that branded 50 seat flying is a case of SJS and well...this one is a real jewel."

Whether a shinyjetsyndrome.com favorite or another message board savant, the public is encouraged to visit, join, and post their rantings at The Boreds. With only 3 members, excluding the SJS host, who will be the first to have an avatar?

SJS PRESS