Typical governmental do-gooder ignorance of the facts. Initially, the word cockswain is used to describe the person in charge of a small vessel. The title comes to us from “cock,” an Old English term for a small boat, and “swain,” which means servant. A cockswain is a boat servant. Over time, this title led to the steering compartment of smaller boats, where the cockswain sat, being called a cockpit. As many nautical terms were adopted to a fledgling aviation community, this is most likely the reason for the use of the word today. They have to justify not only their jobs, but their existence.