Sunday Whimsy

[grip-pipe]

:)Came across this little gem whilst doing other things. It is a lovely take on the an old WWII poem about flight.

High Flight, with CASA Supplement -[http://www.skygod.com]

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth(1),
And danced(2) the skies on laughter silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed(3) and joined the tumbling mirth(4)
Of sun-split clouds(5) and done a hundred things(6)
You have not dreamed of — Wheeled and soared and swung(7)
High in the sunlit silence(8). Hov'ring there(9)
I've chased the shouting wind(10) along and flung(11)
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious(12), burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights(13) with easy grace,
Where never lark, or even eagle(14) flew;
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space(15),
Put out my hand(16), and touched the face of God.

NOTE:
1. Pilots must ensure that all surly bonds have been slipped entirely before aircraft taxi or flight is attempted.
2. During periods of severe sky dancing, crew and passengers must keep seatbelts fastened. Crew should wear shoulderbelts as provided.
3. Sunward climbs must not exceed the maximum permitted aircraft ceiling.
4. Passenger aircraft are prohibited from joining the tumbling mirth.
5. Pilots flying through sun-split clouds under VFR conditions must comply with all applicable minimum clearances.
6. Do not perform these hundred things in front of Civil Aviation Safety Authority inspectors.
7. Wheeling, soaring, and swinging will not be attempted except in aircraft rated for such activities and within utility class weight limits.
8. Be advised that sunlit silence will occur only when a major engine malfunction has occurred.
9. "Hov'ring there" will constitute a highly reliable signal that a flight emergency is imminent.
10. Forecasts of shouting winds are available from the local BOM. Encounters with unexpected shouting winds should be reported by pilots.
11. Pilots flinging eager craft through footless halls of air are reminded that they alone are responsible for maintaining separation from other eager craft.
12. Should any crewmember or passenger experience delirium while in the burning blue, submit an irregularity report upon flight termination.
13. Windswept heights will be topped by a minimum of 1,000 feet to maintain VFR minimum separations.
14. Aircraft engine ingestion of, or impact with, larks or eagles should be reported to the CASA and the appropriate aircraft maintenance facility.
15. Aircraft operating in the high untrespassed sanctity of space must remain in IFR flight regardless of meteorological conditions and visibility.
16. Pilots and passengers are reminded that opening doors or windows in order to touch the face of God may result in loss of cabin pressure.

[Rose_Thorns]

Nice one.

I always wanted to sit down and do this to "Alice in Wonderland" the ultimate whimsy and nonsense prose and poetry.

But I also liked this as a general story line:-

The Prince of Whimsy must navigate through the technicolor intestines of the Jabberwock, collect a haphazard poem, and destroy super-cute digestion monsters while doing so!

[j3pipercub]

The notes were awesome, especially the reach out and touch the face of god...:}

[frigatebird]

20 MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

1. Why do soldiers patrolling in cities wear jungle camouflage?
2. Why is it, when the doorbell rings, the dog always thinks it’s for him?
3. How does Teflon stick to the pan?
4. How come slow down means the same as slow up?
5. How does Dracula shave if he can’t see his reflection in the mirror?
6. If I said I always told lies, would I be telling the truth?
7. Why are people in the Second World never mentioned?
8. If moths are attracted to light, why don’t they come out during the day?
9. How do we know that God likes hymns?
10. Where did the man who invented patents register his idea?
11. What is the speed of dark?
12. Why do slugs never eat weeds?
13. Why don’t people who believe in reincarnation leave their money to themselves?
14. What do occasional tables do for the rest of the time?
15. How come airline meal trays are fuller after you’ve finished eating?
16. Why are vices more habit-forming than virtues?
17. Where do people in hell tell each other where to go?
18. Why do they bother to sterilize the needle when giving a lethal injection?
19. Why is a wrong number never engaged?
20. And why do kamikaze pilots wear crash helmets?





Did you Know?

HALLOWE’EN

The ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, held on November 1st. to mark the dying of the year and return of the dead to the mortal world, was also a convenient date on which to slaughter excess farm animals before winter. Samhain fires were lit on every hilltop to fuel the sun through the dark months, and the feast included pagan rituals and games such as trick-or-treat for children.

Instead of banning these riotous goings-on, the early Christian church turned Samhain Day into All Saints, or Hallows, Day. In 1605 political opportunist King James 1 ordered the lighting of bonfires to be moved to November 5th to celebrate Guy Fawkes’ failure to blow up Parliament.

[Ixixly]

Flight is freedom in its purest form,
To dance with the clouds which follow a storm;

To roll and glide, to wheel and spin,
To feel the joy that swells within;

To leave the earth with its troubles and fly,
And know the warmth of a clear spring sky;

Then back to earth at the end of a day,
Released from the tensions which melted away.

Should my end come while I am in flight,
Whether brightest day or darkest night;

Spare me your pity and shrug off the pain,
Secure in the knowledge that I'd do it again;

For each of us is created to die,
And within me I know,
I was born to fly.

[j3pipercub]

LOW FLIGHT, allegedly penned by RAF phantom pilots

Oh! I've slipped through the swirling clouds of dust,
a few feet from the dirt,
I've flown the Phantom low enough,
to make my bottom hurt.
I've TFO'd the deserts, hills,
valleys and mountains too,
Frolicked in the trees,
where only flying squirrels flew.
Chased the frightened cows along,
disturbed the ram and ewe
And done a hundred other things,
that you'd not care to do.
I've smacked the tiny sparrow,
bluebird, robin, all the rest,
I've ingested baby eaglets,
simply sucked them from their nest!
I've streaked through total darkness,
just the other guy and me,
And spent the night in terror of
things I could not see.
I've turned my eyes to heaven,
as I sweated through the flight,
Put out my shaking hand and touched
the master caution light.

And one that seems rather apt these days...(not really)

The Co-pilot
By Keith Murray (Capt Colonial Airlines).
Written in 1941 and first published in October 1942 in
"The Airline Pilot" the monthly magazine of US ALPA.

I am the co-pilot, I sit on the right,
It’s up to me to be quick and bright;
I never talk back for I have regrets,
But I have to remember what the Captain forgets.

I make out the flight plan and study the weather,
Pull up the gear, stand by to feather;
Make out the mail forms and do the reporting;
And fly the old crate while the Captain is courting.

I take the readings, adjust the power,
Put on the heaters when we’re in a shower;
Tell him where we are on the darkest of night,
And do all the bookwork without any light.

I call for my Captain and buy him cokes;
I always laugh at his corney jokes;
And once in a while when his landings are rusty,
I always come through with, "By gosh it’s gusty".

All in all I’m a general stooge,
As I sit on the right of the man I call "Scrooge";
I guess you think this is past understanding,
But maybe some day he will give me a landing.

[SgtBundy]

Always liked this one:

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