Famous Quotes made by pilots

12 July 2001, 09:28 AM

Chris,

My favorite quote was from MvR who after he was hit said " Damn ... THAT GUY'S GOOD!" ;^) Just Kidding! Folks please try not to get your knickers in a twist.

Regards,
Jim 'ACE'

12 July 2001, 09:55 AM

When someone accidentally dropped a wrench on the just installed engine in
the Spirit of St. Louis, and chipped a
cooling fin, Lindy demanded a new engine. "What for?" said a mechanic, 'We could
smooth it out with a file and paint it
and nobody will ever know the differ-
ence." Another mechanic said, "Why does
this thing have to be so perfect?"
"For two reasons," Lindbergh said,"The
first is I'm not a good swimmer.The other
reason is that I've always been taught
that perfection pays off." He got a new
engine.

Vigilant · 12 July 2001, 11:38 AM

"Talked bilge, don't like him." - Mannock on Trenchard;

"Always above, seldom on the same level, never below." - Mannock on fighter tactics;

"The scrap took place at 1,000 feet up, well within view of the whole front. And the cheers! It took me five minutes to get him to go down, and I had to shoot him before he would land. I am very pleased that I did not kill him." - Mannock on Lt. von Bartrap, 19 Aug 17.

12 July 2001, 04:36 PM

I belive Vince has it right from what I've read. (So that would make Mike right too!)

I understand that Steve Hinton said: "Tell Karen (his wife)I love her." right before he put "The Red Baron" in at Reno.

mike_baram · 12 July 2001, 06:20 PM

I heard that the most often uttered last word from Kamikaze pilots was not, surprisingly, "Banzai", but the Japanese version of "Mama!".

13 July 2001, 08:53 AM

Billy H spent the better part of 90 days at Okinawa as a gunner on a tincan: He would like to report that the kamikazes last word (or words) could not be heard, as 1) They were too far away in an enclosed cockpit before they were hit, and 2) They were in no shape to talk after they were hit, or after they hit one of our cans, in which case the explosion would have masked any comment by the pilot, and anyone who might have heard a comment would have had his eardrums blown out by the same explosion.
The Ks were called Falling Chrysantemums, and we all know that flowers haave no vocal cords.

mike_baram · 13 July 2001, 09:54 AM

Ah so deska, but they were in radio communication with their base. And radio transmissions could be intercepted.

Vigilant · 13 July 2001, 10:00 AM

And why would a kamikazi press the TX (transmit) switch to cry 'Mama', Mike?

Vigilant

mike_baram · 13 July 2001, 10:04 AM

"And why would a kamikazi press the TX (transmit) switch"
Hoping for a change in plans?

Shooter · 13 July 2001, 10:11 AM

The phrase in Japanese is something like "oka-san." I heard the same story from the History Channel.

Didn't pilots have voice-activated transmitions during the Second Big Show?

I had the unfortunate experience of witnessing the violent death of many Marines during my career. Several of the last utterences were calls to their mothers. I don't know why.

Semper Fi,

Shooter sends