Or maybe a bit of a smile, anyway, courtesy of occasional reader dwas:
Both optimists and pessimists contribute to society. The optimist invents the airplane, the pessimist, the parachute.
If helicopters are so safe, how come there are no vintage helicopter fly-ins?
Death is just nature’s way of telling you to watch your airspeed.
There are only three things the copilot should ever say:
1. Nice landing, Sir.
2. I’ll buy the first round.
3. I’ll take the fat one(ed. In fighter aviation it goes a little differently – the only things a wingman should ever say are:
1. “Two.”
2. “Mayday.”
3. “Lead you’re on fire, eject.”
4. “I’ll take the fat one.)As a pilot only two bad things can happen to you and one of them will:
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 aircraft not knowing that it is your last flight.There are Rules and there are Laws. The Rules are made by men who think that they know better how to fly your airplane than you. The Laws (of Physics) were ordained by nature. You can, and sometimes should, suspend The Rules but you can never suspend the Laws.
The ideal pilot is the perfect blend of discipline and aggressiveness.
The medical profession is the natural enemy of the aviation profession.
Altitude is speed. Speed is life. Never run out of airspeed, altitude, and ideas at the same time.
Ever notice that the only experts who decree that the age of the pilot is over are people who have never flown anything? Also, in spite of the intensity of their feelings that the pilot’s day is over, I know of no expert who has volunteered to be a passenger in a non-piloted aircraft.
He who demands everything that his aircraft can give him is a pilot; he that demands one iota more is a fool.
There are certain aircraft sounds that can only be heard at night.
The aircraft limits are only there in case there is another flight by that particular aircraft. If subsequent flights do not appear likely, there are no limits.
Flying is a great way of life for men who want to feel like boys, but not for those who still are.
An old pilot is one who can remember when flying was dangerous and sex was safe.
Son, you’re going to have to make up your mind about growing up and becoming a pilot. You can’t do both.
There are only two types of aircraft: fighters and targets.
A good landing is one you can walk away from. A great landing is when the airplane can be used again.
New FAA Motto: We’re not happy until you’re not happy.
There IS an engine setting of AUTO ROUGH…..somewhere.
The most frequent experiencing of “Auto-Rough” for me, has been over water, out-of-sight of land, with a low ceiling. It NEVER fails…
People with long faces are not pessimists, they are disappointed optimists.
A true pessimist goes about with a smile on his face and a spring in his step, because, having already assumed the worst, all his surprises are happy ones.
Regards,
Ric
1) The engine will run rough as soon as a land-based aircraft leaves sight of land. 1a) It runs even rougher if [a] it is at night [b] or in instrument conditions [c] or it is your only engine.
2) A good instrument approach means you break out over an airport. A great approach means you break out over the right airport.
Never go around. . . .we’d rather die than look bad.
“The medical profession is the natural enemy of the aviation profession.”
Anyone else here hate Flight Surgeons? I do. One sent me to an Orthopedic Surgeon who eliminated me from Flight Training in ’76. I wanted to cry. Later, I wanted to get even, but he was out of reach.
Two days after my first T-37 solo, one had me disenrolled from UPT for 19 days, ATC Surgeon General refused to consider a waiver (for eyes). I drove from TX back to USAFA to try another avenue. Took 8 eye exams in 10 days. . . .all showed my vision to be just fine. USAFA re-submitted the Flight Physical directly to the AF Surgeon General who immediately told ATC the error of their ways and had me re-admitted to my class in UPT. I was three weeks behind by then, but since my IP was also flight scheduler, I managed to catch up and graduate on time with my original class. Best guess by all concerned was that it was a typo on the original eye exam that caused all the problems. Sheeeesh.
That just had to make you a little homicidal, just a little.
Even though I was angry, I really complain too loudly under the circumstances. I grew 8″ in one year and the ligaments surrounding my right knee still hadn’t recovered sufficiently.
Didn’t make me feel any better though. I tried to keep with it for the rest of the day, but the pain just got worse. I had to go when all I could do was hobble.
Flying is an un-natural act, which is one of the many reasons why it’s so much fun. I got to fly some airplanes for a little while, and yes it was fun!
Unnatural? My friend, it’s crime against nature! That’s why we have to watch ourselves because Mother nature does not like being trifled with.