aviation clichés
Aviate, Navigate,
Communicate.
Truly superior pilots are
those who use their superior judgment to avoid those situations where they
might have to use their superior skills.
Rule one: No matter what
else happens, fly the airplane.
Flying is hours of
boredom, punctuated by moments of stark terror.
Fly it until the last
piece stops moving.
It's better to be down
here wishing you were up there, than up there wishing you were down here.
An airplane will probably
fly a little bit overgross but it sure won't fly without fuel.
Believe your instruments.
Think ahead of your
airplane.
I'd rather be lucky than
good.
The propeller is just a
big fan in the front of the plane to keep the pilot cool. Want proof? Make it
stop; then watch the pilot break out into a sweat.
If we are what we eat,
then some pilots should eat more chicken.
I'd rather be a chicken
than a turkey.
Without fuel, pilots
become pedestrians.
Regards engine power:
Lots is good, more is better, and too much is just enough.
If you're ever faced with
a forced landing at night, turn on the landing lights to see the landing
area. If you don't like what you see, turn 'em back off.
A checkride ought to be
like a skirt, short enough to be interesting but still be long enough to
cover everything.
Standard checklist
philosophy requires that pilots read to each other the actions they perform
every flight, and recite from memory those they need every three years.
Experience is the
knowledge that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
(The wisdom that enables
us to recognize as an undesirable old acquaintance the folly that we have
already embraced. — Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary, 1911)
There are some flight
instructors where the student is important, and there are some instructors
where the instructor is important. Pick carefully.
Speed is life, altitude
is life insurance.
No one has ever collided
with the sky.
Lack of planning on your
part does not constitute an emergency on mine.
It's better to be down
here wishing you were up there, than to be up there wishing you were down
here.
One peek is worth a
thousand instrument cross-checks.
Experience is a hard
teacher. First comes the test, then the lesson.
Always remember you fly
an airplane with your head, not your hands.
Never let an airplane
take you somewhere you brain didn't get to five minutes earlier.
If it's red or dusty
don't touch it.
Don't drop the aircraft
in order to fly the microphone.
An airplane flies because
of a principle discovered by Bernoulli, not Marconi.
Cessna pilots are always
found in the wreckage with their hand around the microphone.
If you push the stick
forward, the houses get bigger, if you pull the stick back they get smaller.
To go up, pull the stick
back. To go down, pull the stick back harder.
Hovering is for pilots
who love to fly but have no place to go.
Flying is the second
greatest thrill known to man.... Landing is the first!
Every one already knows
the definition of a 'good' landing is one from which you can walk away. But
very few know the definition of a 'great landing.' It's one after which you
can use the airplane another time.
Definition of 'pilot':
The first one to arrive at the scene of an aircraft accident.
The probability of
survival is equal to the angle of arrival.
There are two types of
tailwheel (or retractable gear) pilot, those who have ground-looped (landed
gear up) and those that will.
If you've got time to
spare, go by air.
(More time yet? Go by jet.)
IFR: I Follow Roads.
There are old pilots, and
there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots.
You know you've landed
with the wheels up when it takes full power to taxi.
If you don't gear up your
brain before takeoff, you'll probably gear up your airplane on landing.
Navy carrier pilots
regards Air Force pilots:
"Flare to land, squat to pee."
Air Force pilots
regards Navy carrier pilots:
"Next time a war is decided by how well you land on a carrier, I'm sure our
Navy will clean up. Until then, I'll worry about who spends their training
time flying and fighting."
Navy pilots regards
Air Force formation flying skills:
"Same way, same day."
The three best things in
life are a good landing, a good orgasm, and a good shit. A night carrier
landing is one of the few opportunities to experience all three at the same
time.
A kill is a kill.
He who sees first, lives
longest.
Fighter pilots make
movies, attack pilots make history.
In thrust I trust.
Jet noise: The sound of
freedom.
I had a fighter pilot’s
breakfast - two aspirin, a cup of coffee and a puke.
Those who hoot with the
owls by night, should not fly with the eagles by day.
Fly with the eagles, or
scratch with the chickens.
It only takes two things
to fly, airspeed and money.
Forget all that stuff
about thrust and drag, lift and gravity, an airplane flies because of money.
Do you see that
propeller? Well, everything behind it revolves around money.
The similarity between
air traffic controllers and pilots?
If a pilot screws up, the pilot dies.
If ATC screws up, the pilot dies.
The difference between
a duck and a co-pilot?
The duck can fly.
I'm from the FAA, and I'm
here to help.
A smooth touchdown in a
simulator is as exciting as kissing your sister.
A helicopter is a
collection of rotating parts going round and round and reciprocating parts
going up and down - all of them trying to become random in motion.
Helicopters can't really
fly - they're just so ugly that the earth immediately repels them.
Helicopters don't fly.
They beat the air into submission.
Chopper pilots get it up
quicker.
Helicopters don’t fly,
they just vibrate against the earth and the earth rejects them into the air.
Helicopters are for
people who want to fly but don't want to go anywhere.
A four-time loser: the
fellow who went to Texas A&M, joined the Marines, flew helicopters, and was
hired by Braniff.
It's better to break
ground and head into the wind than to break wind and head into the ground.
The owner's guide that
comes with a $500 refrigerator makes more sense than the one that comes with
a $50 million airliner.
If it doesn't work,
rename it. If that doesn't help, the new name isn't long enough.
Federal Aviation
Regulations are worded either by the most stupid lawyers in Washington, or
the most brilliant.
Flying is not Nintendo.
You don't push a button and start over.
The six P's:
Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.
The future in aviation is
the next 30 seconds. Long term planning is an hour and a half.
Life is lead points and
habit patterns.
Gravity: killer of young
adults.
I'm not speeding officer
-- I'm just flying low.
The only thing that
scares me about flying is the drive to the airport.
Young man, was that a
landing or were we shot down?
Sorry folks for the hard
landing. It wasn't the pilot's fault, and it wasn't the plane's fault. It was
the asphalt.
Learn from the mistakes
of others. You won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.
Three things kill young
pilots in Alaska - weather, weather, and weather.
Please don't tell Mum I'm
a pilot, she thinks I play piano in a whorehouse.
Pilots believe in clean
living. They never drink whiskey from a dirty glass.
Never ask a man if he is
a fighter pilot. If he is, he'll let you know. If he isn't, don't embarrass
him.
FAA Regulations forbid
drinking within 8 feet of the aircraft and smoking within 50 hours of flight.
Or is it the other way around?
'Please see me at once'
memos from the Chief Pilot are distributed on Fridays after office hours.
Fly low and slow and
don't tip on the turns.
An accident investigation
hearing is conducted by non-flying experts who need six months to itemize all
the mistakes made by a crew in the six minutes it has to do anything.
Things which do you no
good in aviation:
Altitude above you.
Runway behind you.
Fuel in the truck.
A navigator.
Half a second ago.
Approach plates in the car.
The airspeed you don't have.
It is far better to
arrive late in this world than early in the next.
You start with a bag full
of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of
experience before you empty the bag of luck.
The more traffic at an
airport, the better it is handled.
If man were meant to fly,
God would have given him baggy, Nomex skin.
If God meant man to fly,
He'd have given us bigger wallets.
If God had meant for men
to fly he would have made their bones hollow and not their heads.
What's the difference
between God and pilots? God doesn't think he's a pilot.
Will Rogers never met a
fighter pilot.
To err is human, to
forgive is divine; neither of which is Air Force policy.
Flying is not dangerous;
crashing is dangerous.
You can land anywhere
once.
Flying is the perfect
vocation for a man who wants to feel like a boy, but not for one who still
is.
There are four ways to
fly: the right way, the wrong way, the company way and the captain's way.
Only one counts.
A good simulator check
ride is like successful surgery on a cadaver.
Asking what a pilot
thinks about the FAA is like asking a fireplug what it thinks about dogs.
Crime wouldn't pay if the
FAA took it over and would go bankrupt if an airline management did.
I want to die like my
grandfather did, peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming in terror like his
passengers.
Trust your captain ....
but keep your seatbelt securely fastened.
An airplane may
disappoint a good pilot, but it won't surprise him.
Winds aloft reports are
of incomparable value - to historians.
Any pilot who relies on a
terminal forecast can be sold the Brooklyn (or London) Bridge. If he relies
on winds-aloft reports he can be sold Niagara Falls (or The Tower of London).
The difference between
flight attendants and jet engines is that the engine usually quits whining
when it gets to the gate.
The friendliest
stewardesses are those on the trip home.
Out on the line, all the
girls are looking for husbands and all the husbands are looking for girls.
The most nerve-wracking
of airline duties: the flight engineer's job on a proving run flown by two
chief pilots.
Good judgment comes from
experience and experience comes from bad judgment.
Being an airline pilot
would be great if you didn't have to go on all those trips.
Aviation is not so much a
profession as it is a disease.
The nicer an airplane
looks, the better it flies.
Why did God invent women
when airplanes were so much fun?
Remember when sex was
safe and flying was dangerous?
If it fly's, floats, or
fucks; it's always cheaper to rent than to buy.
Renting airplanes is like
renting sex: It's difficult to arrange on short notice on Saturday, the fun
things always cost more, and someone's always looking at their watch.
Jet and piston engines
work on the same principle: Suck, squeeze, bang, blow.
Modern air travel would
be very enjoyable ... if I could only learn to enjoy boredom, discomfort and
fatigue.
You can always depend on
twin engine aircraft. When the first engine quits the second will surely fly
you to the scene of an accident.
The real value of twin
engine aircraft is it will double your chances of engine failure.
CAUTION: Aviation may be
hazardous to your wealth.
If it ain't broke, don't
fix it; if it ain't fixed, don't fly it.
A mechanics favorite:
It's not a leak, its a seep.
And another: If it won't
budge force it. If it breaks, it needed replacing anyway.
If it’s ugly, it’s
British; if it’s weird, it’s French; and if it’s ugly and weird, it’s
Russian.
The worst day of flying
still beats the best day of real work.
A male pilot is a
confused soul who talks about women when he's flying, and about flying when
he's with a woman.
About aerobatics: It's
like having sex and being in a car wreck at the same time.
New FAA motto: We're not
happy, till you're not happy.
A grease-job landing is
50 percent luck; two in a row are entirely luck; three in a row and someone's
lying.
There are three simple
rules for making a smooth landing: Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.
It's a good landing if
you can still get the doors open.
First, listen to the
question the student asked, then listen to the question he didn't ask and
then figure out the question he really meant to ask.
Airspeed, altitude, or
brains; you always need at least two.
A groundschool instructor
understands piloting the way an astronomer understands the stars.
Every groundschool class
includes one ass who, at 5 minutes before 5, asks a question requiring a
20-minute explanation.
Gravity, it's not just a
good idea, it's the law.
The Law of Gravity is not
a general rule.
You can only tie the
record for flying low.
Flying at night is the
same as flying in the day, except you can't see.
It at first you don't
succeed, well, so much for skydiving.
Is that a fuel cup in
your pocket or are you just happy to see me?
It is easier to cope with
a single in-flight problem than a series of minor ones. Real trouble must be
swallowed in small doses.
It's no wonder England
serves beer warm, Lucas manufactures most of their refrigeration equipment.
It is said that two
wrongs do not make a right, but two wrights do make an aeroplane.
When starting an aviation
career it is not unusual to be overwhelmed, terrified, suffer from lack of
confidence and be just plain scared. As experience grows, self confidence
replaces fear . . . but after a time, when you think you have seen it all,
you realize your initial reactions to flying were correct.
Passengers prefer old
captains and young flight attendants.
A captain with little
confidence in his crew usually has little in himself.
The only soul more
pitiful than a captain who cannot make up his mind is the copilot who has to
fly with him.
The sharpest captains are
the easiest to work with.
The only thing worse than
a captain who never flew as copilot is a copilot who once was a captain.
Be nice to your first
officer, he may be your captain at your next airline.
A copilot is a knothead
until he spots opposite direction traffic at 12 o'clock, after which he's a
goof-off for not seeing it sooner.
A captain is two flight
engineers sewn together.
Everything in the company
manual - policy, warnings, instructions, the works - can be summed up to
read, 'Captain it's your baby.'
Nothing is more
optimistic than a dispatcher's estimated time of departure.
Clocks lie; an 18-hour
layover passes much quicker that an 8-hour day.
Any pilot who does not
privately consider himself the best in the game is in the wrong game.
As a pilot only two
bad things can happen to you and one of them will be:
a. One day you will walk
out to the aircraft knowing that it is your last flight.
b. One day you will walk out to the airplane not knowing that it is your
last flight.
It is always better to
have C sub "t" greater than C sub "d". Or more plainly, thrust should exceed
drag.
Definition of a Goonie
Bird pilot: A man with an interest in aviation but a basic fear of flying.
For those who don't care,
fly military air.
Without ammunition the
USAF would be just another expensive flying club.
Unofficial grading
standards for low level navigation:
You can't be lost if you don't care where you are.
Jets airplanes are just
an expensive way of changing JP-4 into noise.
It's best to keep the
pointed end going forward as much as possible.
Assumption is the mother
of all fuck-ups.
If assholes could fly,
this place would be an airport.
The average pilot,
despite the sometimes swaggering exterior, is very much capable of such
feelings as love, affection, intimacy and caring. These feelings just don't
involve anyone else.
Gravity is bullshit: The
Earth sucks.
It's better to die than
to look bad, but it is possible to do both.
Death is a small price to
pay for looking shit hot.
Work hard, fly hard, play
hard, and stay hard.
If something hasn't
broken on your helicopter, it's about to.
Helicopters are really a
bunch of parts flying in relatively close formation; all rotating around a
different axis. Things work well until one of the parts breaks formation.
Flying is better than
walking. Walking is better than running. Running is better than crawling. All
of these however, are better than extraction by a Med-Evac helicopter, even
if this is technically a form of flying.
If God had intended man
to fly he would have given him enough money for a Bonanza.
If God had wanted me to
fly, he would have made me flush riveted.
Two of the most dangerous
things in the world are a South Georgia pulpwood truck, and a doctor in a
split tail bonanza.
The three most dangerous
things in aviation are a doctor in a Bonanza, two captains in a DC-9, and a
flight attendant with a chipped tooth.
What do you call a
pregnant flight attendant? Pilot error.
Son, you let a stew ride
your lap, next thing you know she'll want to talk on the radio. Then she'll
want to land the plane. Give a woman an inch, she'll want the whole twelve.
Thank God.
Nothing flies without
fuel,
so let's start with some coffee.
One of the beautiful
things about a single piloted aircraft is the quality of the social
experience.
What separates flight
attendants from the lowest form of life on earth? The cockpit door.
The three most common
phrases in airline aviation are "Was that for us?" "What'd he say?" and "Oh
Shit!" Since computers are now involved in flying, a new one has been added:
"What's it doing now?"
If an earthquake suddenly
opened a fissure in a runway that caused an accident, the NTSB would find a
way to blame in on pilot error.
Tell someone you work for
another airline and he'll tell you how much better yours is.
The most sensitive
mechanism in modern aviation is the shower control in a layover hotel.
If flying were the
language of man, soaring would be its poetry.
You only need a glass
ship to make up for the wooden pilot.
Gliding is to power
flying as seduction is to rape.
Any attempt to stretch
fuel is guaranteed to increase headwinds.
Any comment about how
well things are going is an absolute guarantee of trouble.
A terminal forecast is a
horoscope with numbers.
A thunderstorm is never
as bad on the inside as it appears on the outside. It's worse.
Below 20, boys are too
rash for flying; above 25, they are too prudent.
Son, I was flying
airplanes for a living when you were still in liquid form.
I give that landing a 9 .
. . on the Richtor scale.
Most airline food tastes
like warmed-over chicken because that's what it is.
I hate to wake up and
find my co-pilot asleep.
Everything is
accomplished through teamwork until something goes wrong, then one pilot gets
all the blame.
In a world in which we
are all slaves to the laws of gravity, I'm proud to be counted as one of them
freedom fighters. Skydive!
If it ain't Boeing -- I
ain't going.
Let's make a 360 and get
the hell out of here!?!
Don't trust nobody and
don't do nothing dumb.
One who flies with fear
encourages fate.
It's easy to make a small
fortune in aviation. You start with a large fortune.
If it doesn't work,
rename it; if that doesn't help, the new name isn't long enough.
Pilots are just plane
people with a special air about them.
There I was at forty
thousand feet when the autopilot jumped out with the only parachute on board
and left me with nothing but a silk worm and a sewing kit.
There I was at 15,000
feet with nothing on the clock but the maker's name - and that was on the
back and peeling.
There I was, fog was so
thick I couldn't see the instruments. Only way I knew I was Inverted was my
flying medals were in my eyes. But I knew I was really in trouble when the
tower called me and told me to climb and maintain field elevation.
The RF-4E Phantom -
living proof that if you put enough engine on something . . . even a brick
could fly.
When the
last Blackhawk helicopter goes to the boneyard, it will be on a sling under a
Huey.
Flying helicopters is
like masturbating. It feels good while you’re doing it, but you’re ashamed to
tell anyone afterwards.
The three biggest lies in
Army aviation:
1. You're the only crewmember available.
2. Don't ask me; I'm not the regular crewchief.
3. Wait right here, Sir. The crew bus is on it's way.
If you don't know who the
world's greatest fighter pilot is... It ain't you.
Better to be on the
ground wishing to be in the air than in the air wishing to be on the ground.
Keep the
shiny side up and the greasy side down.
Don't forget
to keep the blue side up.
When you're
sitting in the rubber raft looking up where your airplane used to be, it's
too late to check the flight plan
A fool and
his money are soon flying more airplane than he can handle.
Some pilots will make an
emergency out of a bad magneto check. Others, upon losing a wing, will ask
for a lower altitude.
What's
the difference between a first officer and a duck?
The duck can fly.
Definition
of a complex airplane: landing a taildragger on pavement with a 20 knot
quartering crosswind.
When a
forecaster talks about yesterday's weather, he's an historian; when he talks
about tomorrow's, he's reading tea leaves.
The main
thing is to take care of the main thing.
Flying the
airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the
ground incapable of understanding it.
A
thunderstorm is nature's way of saying, "Up yours."
Learning a
little about flying is like leading a tiger by the tail -- the end does not
justify his means.
In the
aviation business, you can't something for nothing. But if you aren't
careful, you'll get nothing for something.
The last
thing every pilot does before leaving the aircraft after making a gear up
landing is to put the gear selection lever in the 'down' position.
Remember,
you’re always a student in an airplane.
Keep looking
around; there's always something you've missed.
Fuel in the
tanks is limited. Gravity is forever.
Never trust
a fuel gauge.
Try to keep
the number of your landings equal to the number of your takeoffs.
Takeoff's
are optional. Landings are mandatory.
Work hard,
fly hard, play hard, and stay hard.
Son, if
you're trying to impress me with your flying, relax. Most of the time I can't
even impress myself.
Flight Instructor Favourites
-
You don't
know what you don't know.
-
Much of
what you think you know is incorrect.
-
Together,
we must find out why you don't know what you don't know.
-
It is
practice of the right kind that makes perfect.
-
You will
never do well if you stop doing better.
-
Students
never fail, only teachers do.
-
A student's
performance is not so much a reflection on the student, as it is on the
instructor's ability to teach.
-
Learning is
not a straight line up... let the teacher set the standards of performance.
-
Much of
learning to fly is to unlearn preconceptions and habits.
-
The way you
are first taught and learn a procedure is the way you will react in an
emergency. It's important to learn right the first time.
-
Unlearning
is a very necessary and difficult part of learning to fly.
-
You learn
according to what you bring into the situation.
-
Being
prepared for a flight saves you money by saving time.
-
Given the
choice, make the safe decision.
-
If you must
make a mistake, make it a new one.
-
One problem
is a problem, two problems are a hazard; three problems create accidents.
-
Trusting to
luck alone is not conducive to an extended flying career.
-
We progress
through repeated success; we learn through our mistakes.
-
An
instructors knowledge is proportional to the mistakes he's made.
-
Good habits
deteriorate over time.
-
Accidents
happen when you run out of experience.
-
Self
instruction is the garden that raises bad habits.
-
Our
failures teach us. If you want to increase your chances of success double
your failure rate.
-
... almost
always. Nothing is always.
-
Luck will
do for skill, but not consistently.
-
The nice
thing about a mistake is the pleasure it gives others.
-
You're only
young once, but you can be immature forever.
-
Flying,
like life, is full of precluded possibilities.
Can't do... won't do... shouldn't do...
-
What you
know is not as important as what you do with it.
Why
an Airplane is Better Than a Woman (or a Man).
-
Airplane
skin doesn't wrinkle as badly.
-
Airplanes
don't take forever to warm up.
-
Airplanes
like to do it inverted.
-
It's easier
to get 'trim' in an airplane.
-
You can
keep an airplane from stalling.
-
Airplanes
can be turned on by a flick of a switch.
-
An airplane
won't slap you for being a 'bush pilot.'
-
You don't
always have to be on top to ride an airplane.
-
An airplane
doesn't ask you to put on a raincoat before entry.
-
An
airplane's thrust to weight ratio is higher.
-
You can
easily leave an airplane before sunrise.
-
Airplane
exhaust fumes smell better.
-
Airplanes
lose weight faster.
-
An airplane
does not get mad if you 'touch and go.'
-
An
airplane's performance is seldom hindered by weather.
-
An airplane
will not get mad if you ride someone else's airplane.
-
An
airplane's cockpit is cleaner.
-
You can
calculate the peak performance of an airplane.
-
An Airplane
is easy to roll over.
-
You can
still activate a fifty year old airplane.
-
Up to five
people can ride in the cockpit of an airplane.
-
Airplane's
last longer.
-
Airplane's
don't droop after many years.
-
You can
always tell when an airplane is going to give out.
-
An airplane
moves when you tell it to.
-
An airplane
will kill you quick . . . a woman takes her time.
-
An airplane
does not object to a preflight inspection.
-
An airplane
will let you use your dip stick anytime you want.
-
Airplanes
don't make you 'pull-out' to eject.
-
You can
change the looks of an airplane.
-
Airplanes
come with manuals.
-
A 747 can
keep you up for 14 hours.
-
Airplanes
have strict weight and balance limits.
-
When you
put fuel into an airplane, it does not spit it out.
-
Airplanes
curves never sag.
-
Airplanes
last longer.
-
Airplanes
don't get pregnant.
-
You can fly
a airplane any time of the month.
-
Airplanes
don't have parents.
-
Airplanes
don't whine unless something is really wrong.
-
You can
share your airplanes with your friends.
-
If your
airplane makes too much noise, you can buy a muffler.
-
If your
airplane smokes, you can do something about it.
-
Airplanes
don't care about how many other airplanes you have flown.
-
When
flying, you and your airplane both arrive at the same time.
-
Airplanes
don't care about how many other airplane's you have.
-
Airplanes
don't mind if you look at other airplane's, or if you buy airplane
magazines.
-
If your
airplane is too loose, you can tighten it.
-
You don't
have to be jealous of the guy that works on your airplane.
-
You don't
have to deal with priests or blood-tests to register your airplane.
-
You don't
have to convince your airplane that you're a pilot and that you think that
all airplanes are equals.
-
If you say
bad things to your airplane, you don't have to say your sorry before you can
fly it again.
-
You can fly
an airplane as long as you want and it won't get sore.
-
Your
parents don't remain in touch with your old airplane after you dump it.
-
Airplanes
always feel like going for a ride.
-
Airplanes
don't insult you if you are a bad pilot.
-
It's always
OK to use tie downs on your airplane.
-
Your
airplane never wants a night out alone with the other airplanes.
-
Airplanes
don't care if you are late.
-
You don't
have to take a shower before flying your airplane.
The
Greatest Lies in Aviation
-
I'm from
the FAA and I'm here to help you.
-
Me? I've
never busted minimums.
-
We will be
on time, maybe even early.
-
Pardon me,
ma'am, I seem to have lost my jet keys.
-
I have no
interest in flying for the airlines.
-
I fixed it
right the first time, it must have failed for other reasons.
-
All that
turbulence spoiled my landing.
-
I'm a
member of the mile high club.
-
I only need
glasses for reading.
-
I broke out
right at minimums.
-
The weather
is gonna be alright; it's clearing to VFR.
-
Don't worry
about the weight and balance -- it'll fly.
-
If we get a
little lower I think we'll see the lights.
-
I'm 22, got
6000 hours, a four year degree and 3000 hours in a Lear.
-
We shipped
the part yesterday.
-
All you
have to do is follow the book.
-
This plane
outperforms the book by 20 percent.
-
We in
aviation are overpaid, underworked and well respected.
-
Oh sure, no
problem, I've got over 2000 hours in that aircraft.
-
I have 5000
hours total time, 3200 are actual instrument.
-
No need to
look that up, I've got it all memorized.
-
Sure I can
fly it -- it has wings, doesn't it?
-
We'll be
home by lunchtime.
-
Your plane
will be ready by 2 o'clock.
-
I'm always
glad to see the FAA.
-
We fly
every day -- we don't need recurrent training.
-
It just
came out of annual -- how could anything be wrong?
-
I thought
YOU took care of that.
-
I've got
the field in sight.
-
I've got
the traffic in sight.
-
Of course I
know where we are.
-
I'm SURE
the gear was down.
Basic Flying
-
Try to stay
in the middle of the air.
-
Do not go
near the edges of it.
-
The edges
of the air can be recognised by the appearance of ground, buildings, sea,
trees and interstellar space. It is much more difficult to fly there.
Food for Thought
In days gone
by, I’ve proved my worth
By zooming low across the earth.
I’ve buzzed the valleys and the mountain ridges,
I’ve dove my craft beneath the bridges.
I’ve looped and spun and rolled my wings,
I’ve sung the songs that pilots sing.
I’ve tried most stunts, it must be said,
Yet never learnt to use my head.
So here’s a toast - To you and me!
But you drink both, I’m dead...you see.
Pilot Toast
The clouds
may float across the sky,
The bee may kiss the butterfly,
The sparkling wine may kiss the glass, and you my friend . . .
Farewell.
Here's to
the wine,
Here's to the glass,
Here's to the girl with the pretty . . .
Teeth.
Bite into my
wing and don't say anything but '2,' 'bingo,' and 'Lead, you're on fire.'
— Briefing to a novice USAF wingman: stay close, acknowledge channel changes,
tell me when you're out of gas and let me know if there is something wrong
with my aircraft. Otherwise, shut up.
Son, your
wife's legs have more time in the air than you do.
— welcome to a new co-pilot from an old captain.
Son, I've
got more time sitting on the lav in this airliner than you have total time.
— welcome to a new co-pilot from an old captain. Also heard as "I've got
more time in the flare . . . " and "I've got more time in the bunk . . ."
Throttle
back son, you're not going to make the boat go any faster.
— Air Bosses on aircraft carriers to flight students on initial carrier
qualifications who stay at maximum power after they have been jerked to a
stop by the arresting gear.
You've got
to land here son, this is where the food is.
— Unknown landing signal officer to carrier pilot after his 6th
unsuccessful landing.
Tower, <a/c
call sign>, three in the breeze, over the trees, last hop for a full stop.
— Phrase U.S. Navy student pilots in Pensacola could say on their last hop -
if they said it without messing up they'd get an 'above' rating on radio
comms.
I ran out of
altitude, airspeed and ideas all at the same time.
— When asked why he ejected. Attributed to Tony Lavier, Chuck Yeager, and
just about every other well-known test pilot.
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