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Why it's good to be in Naval Aviation
- Thread starter Gatordev
- Start date
phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
The ONLY reason...
"Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God."
Good enough for me! And no, I didn't credit it - but if you don't know, and you're on ths board... SHAME ON YOU!
"Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God."
Good enough for me! And no, I didn't credit it - but if you don't know, and you're on ths board... SHAME ON YOU!
There is a comic series called "red and rover" that did this piece. It has a calvin (from calvin and hobbs) type of character going back and forth on a swing saying that and when he gets to "put out my hand", he jumps off the swing and goes head first into the sand saying "and touched the face of god." I have that comic piece framed in my room. I love that poem.
Hmmmmm ...... Maybe I'm missing something here, but I don't see the "humor" inherent in this piece .... the author, John Gillespie Magee Jr. died a few months after he penned this singular poem ......
High Flight was composed by Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee, Jr., an American serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was born in Shanghai, China in 1922, the son of missionary parents, Reverend and Mrs. John Gillespie Magee; his father was an American and his mother was originally a British citizen.
He came to the U.S. in 1939 and earned a scholarship to Yale, but in September 1940 he enlisted in the RCAF and was graduated as a pilot. He was sent to England for combat duty in July 1941.
In August or September 1941, Pilot Officer Magee composed High Flight and sent a copy to his parents. Several months later, on December 11, 1941 his Spitfire collided with another plane over England and Magee, only 19 years of age, crashed to his death.
His remains are buried in the churchyard cemetery at Scopwick, Lincolnshire.
I have had it on my wall for 30 years ..... Let us hope most of us do as well as Pilot Officer Magee ........
phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
I've had it framed on my wall for 6 years... It helped inspire me and motivate me through flight school... And even if I've had a bad day at work, I can come back and read it - Then I remember why I'm in this gun club. However, I can see some humor in the other variations:
Low Flight
"Oh, I've slipped the surely bonds of earth
And hovered out of ground effect on semi-rigid blades;
Earthward I've auto'ed and met the rising brush of Non-paved terrain;
And done a thousand things you would never care to
Skidded and dropped and flared Low in the heat soaked roar.
Confined there, I've chased the earthbound traffic
And lost the race to insignificant Headwinds;
Forward and up a little in ground effect I've topped the General's hedge with drooping turns
Where never Skyhawk or even Phantom flew.
Shaking and pulling collective,
I've lumbered The low untresspassed halls of victor airways,
Put out my hand and touched a tree."
And, High Flight, with FAA Supplement
"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 insure 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 Federal Aviation Administration 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 FSS. 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 FAA and the appropriate aircraft maintenance facility.
15. Aircraft operating in the high untresspassed 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."
Variation
11. Be advised that pilot craft-flinging is a leading cause of passenger airsickness.
Taking our Hornets across the big pond to Okinawa, all while gasing up from an Air Force KC-135, driven by a cute USAF female Captain. Came back with Marine jets along the same route. Stopped in Hawaii, Wake Island on the way there and back.
Getting throttled on Wake (one of the best places on Earth, but inaccessible to most) just to fly out early next morning.
Spending memorable nights in HI with the cute USAF Captain
Best part: everything was paid for and then some. I love my job!
Getting throttled on Wake (one of the best places on Earth, but inaccessible to most) just to fly out early next morning.
Spending memorable nights in HI with the cute USAF Captain
Best part: everything was paid for and then some. I love my job!
Seriously? You're citing two trans-pacs as evidence of why it's good to be an aviator? Trans-pacs are miserable. You need to get out more.Taking our Hornets across the big pond to Okinawa, all while gasing up from an Air Force KC-135, driven by a cute USAF female Captain. Came back with Marine jets along the same route. Stopped in Hawaii, Wake Island on the way there and back.
Getting throttled on Wake (one of the best places on Earth, but inaccessible to most) just to fly out early next morning.
Spending memorable nights in HI with the cute USAF Captain
Best part: everything was paid for and then some. I love my job!
Brett
No, seriously, this one Transpac rocked! I was very reluctant to go on it at first (small det, 10 people max), I had my sights set on a San Diego det, but spending a combined 7 days in HI and 3 on Wake Island totally rocked. Dude, that's about ten days that you don't have to do anything but bask in the sun and drink beer. I got more than a few good sea stories out of that.
And yeah, it did have something to do with the USAF Captain too.
Sorry your Transpacs sucked so much, but don't worry, you'll get yours too.
Being a middy on cruise with the Scouts and having your only "requirements" for the whole cruise be: 1) figure out how the "T-Bar" got its name, 2) "zapping" random girls at the bars on JAX Beach with squadron lick-on-tattoos, and 3) hitting the squadron beer bong. That cruise sealed the deal for me, I vowed that if I didn't get aviation I would say I'm gay and get out of the navy, No f---ing way I was gonna be a SWO. (no offense)
-making fun if the nurse middies who had to be at work at 0730 and we didn't have to be in til 1000.
- raining "blue-death" down on some sh!t hole in Georgia
-"easy"
-making fun if the nurse middies who had to be at work at 0730 and we didn't have to be in til 1000.
- raining "blue-death" down on some sh!t hole in Georgia
-"easy"
(Don't let the following post stop anyone from the ensuing a$s-raping of our new friend)
Good things about Naval Aviation:
Getting a plane from the front office and 3 days for "airways training" that coincides with a squadron-mate's wedding in Vegas.
someday I'll have a sh!tty job with people I hate, and I'll be able to remember stuff like that.
Good things about Naval Aviation:
Getting a plane from the front office and 3 days for "airways training" that coincides with a squadron-mate's wedding in Vegas.
someday I'll have a sh!tty job with people I hate, and I'll be able to remember stuff like that.