'If the enemy is in range, so are you.' - Infantry Journal
------------ --------- --------- ---------
'It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed.' - U.S. Air Force Manual
----------- --------- --------- ---------
'Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons.' - General MacArthur
------------ --------- --------- ---------
'You, you, and you ... Panic. The rest of you, come with me.' - U.S. Marine Corp Gunnery Sgt.
------------ --------- --------- ---------
'Tracers work both ways.' - U.S. Army Ordnance
------------ --------- --------- ---------
'Five second fuses only last three seconds.' - Infantry Journal
------------ --------- --------- ---------
'Any ship can be a minesweeper. Once.'
------------ --------- --------- ---------
'Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do.' - Unknown Marine Recruit
------------ --------- --------- --------- ---------
'If you see a bomb technician running, keep up with him.' - USAF Ammo Troop
------------ --------- --------- ---------
'Though I Fly Through the Valley of Death, I Shall Fear No Evil. For I am at 80,000 Feet and Climbing.'
------------ --------- --------- ---------
'You've never been lost until you've been lost at Mach 3.' - Paul F. Crickmore (test pilot)
------------ --------- --------- ---------
'The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.'
------------ --------- --------- ---------
'If the wings are traveling faster than the fuselage, it's probably a helicopter -- and therefore, unsafe.'
------------ --------- --------- ---------
'When one engine fails on a twin-engine airplane you always have enough power left to get you to the scene of the crash.'
------------ --------- --------- ---------
'Even with ammunition, the USAF is just another expensive flying club.'
----------- --------- --------- ---------
'What is the similarity between air traffic controllers and pilots? If a pilot screws up, the pilot dies; If ATC screws up, .... The pilot dies.'
------------ --------- --------- --------- ---------
'Never trade luck for skill.'
------------ --------- --------- ---------
The three most common expressions, (or famous last words), in aviation are: 'Why is it doing that?', 'Where are we?' And 'Oh S...!'
----------- --------- --------- ---------
'Airspeed, altitude and brains. Two are always needed to successfully complete the flight.'
------------ --------- --------- --------- -
'Mankind has a perfect record in aviation; we never left one up there!'
----------- --------- --------- ---------
'Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it.'
------------ --------- --------- ---------
'The Piper Cub is the safest airplane in the world; it can just barely kill you.' - Attributed to Max Stanley (Northrop test pilot)
------------ --------- --------- ---------
'There is no reason to fly through a thunderstorm in peacetime.' Sign over squadron ops desk at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 1970
------------ --------- --------- ---------
'If something hasn't broken on your helicopter, it's about to.'
------------ --------- --------- ---------
'You know that your landing gear is up and locked when it takes full power to taxi to the terminal.'
------------ --------- --------- ---------
As the test pilot climbs out of the experimental aircraft, having torn off the wings and tail in the crash landing, the crash truck arrives, the rescuer sees a bloodied pilot and asks, 'What happened?'
The pilot's reply: 'I don't know, I just got here myself!' - Attributed to Ray Crandell (Lockheed test pilot)