I've almost got that many hours myself, and I'm just a dork in a
Cessna.....

Disagree. Not a dork. Just another guy building his experience. Same as I
did. Same as every real pilot did, and does, on a a daily basis....And we
**** up, all the time, but we learn from those mistakes so as not to do them
again.

We never "know it all", and anyone who says he does is the real dork, and a
hazard to air navigation.

Some may quote what NASA says is an "astronaut", but NASA has no
regulatority authority, but the FAA does, and by the FAA definition, one
must have actually piloted a spacecraft to earn an "Astronaut" rating. That
don't mean a "mission specialist".

Now, some may take offense to this fact, but nevertheless, it is the fact,
and to those who may have some political and/or other axe to grind I say
this....WHO FLYS THE MACHINE????

Answer = ASTRONAUT!!!!!\

Anybody else is just along for the ride, despite whatever job they have to
do.. Might as well be a guy operating a deep sea remotely operated
submersible. That don't make them a "saturation diver", does it?

OL