Illustration - Wisdom From Military Trainers (Part #2)

"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."

"Blue water Navy truism: There are more planes in the ocean than submarines in the sky." (from an old carrier sailor)

"When one engine fails on a twin-engine airplane you always have enough power left to get you to the scene of the crash."

"Without ammunition, the USAF would be just another expensive flying club."

"What is the similarity between air traffic controllers and pilots? If a pilot messes up, the pilot dies; If ATC messes up . . . the pilot dies."

"Never trade luck for skill."

"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)