Test Pilot

1. From reader Jerry Griggs: When Charles Lindbergh traveled to Paris, France, to represent Pan American Airways at a conference of airline executives during the 1960s, what was famously asked of him by a hotel representative that caused so much laughter and embarrassment?
2. True or false? When viewed from above, the rotors of American- and British-made helicopters rotate in a counterclockwise direction.
3. The world’s first female combat pilot was
   A. German.
   B. Israeli.
   C. Russian.
   D. Turkish.
4. A subsonic airplane flies slower than the speed of sound, and a supersonic aircraft flies faster than Mach 1.0. What is the speed capability of a hypersonic airplane?
5. From reader John Schmidt: An ace is a military pilot who has shot down five enemy aircraft. How closely can you estimate the total number of American aces there have been (beginning with World War I)?
6. What pair of famous brothers, who also were machinists, built the first successful man-carrying aircraft?
7. Why are the meals served aboard airline flights more heavily spiced than usual?
8. Which of the following does not belong?
   A. 12-horsepower engine.
   B. No ailerons.
   C. 220 feet.
   D. 12 seconds.

Test Pilot Answers

1. “Welcome, Mr. Lindbergh. Is this your first trip to Paris?”
2. True. The rotors of Russian- and French-made helicopters, however, rotate in a clockwise direction.
3. The answer is D. Sabiha Gökçen was the adopted daughter of the founder and first president of Turkey and became a combat pilot in 1936, at the age of 23. She was qualified in fighters and bombers, logged 8,000 hours, and flew 32 combat missions.
4. A hypersonic aircraft can fly at five times the speed of sound (Mach 5.0).
5. There have been approximately 1,450 American aces but fewer than 70 are alive today. There were approximately 178 aces in World War I, 1,228 aces in World War II, 42 in the Korean War, and only two in the Vietnam War. Because of the nature of modern warfare, it is possible that there will never be another American ace.
6. The Montgolfier Brothers, Jacques and Joseph, built and launched a man-carrying balloon over Paris in 1783.
7. Increased spicing of airline food is intended to compensate for the reduction of our sense of taste caused by reduced cabin pressure.
8. The answer is C. The first powered flight of an airplane, the Wright Flyer, flew a distance of 120 feet, not 220 feet.

Just for fun

High-flying humor

where would any of us be without jokes and laughter to brighten our spirits?

Q: How do you know there’s a pilot in the room?
A: He or she will tell you.

Q: What noise does a 747 make when it bounces?
A: “Boeing, Boeing, Boeing!”

Q: What’s the difference between a pilot and a pepperoni pizza?
A: A pepperoni pizza can feed a family of four.

Q: Why was the little airplane sent to his hangar?
A: Bad attitude.

Q: Who built an airplane that couldn’t fly?
A: The Wrong brothers. 

Q: What happens to a bad airplane joke?
A: It never lands.

Q: What’s the difference between God and a pilot?
A: God doesn’t think he’s a pilot.

Q: What do airplane builders say about their job?
A: It’s riveting.

Kid: “I want to be a pilot when I grow up!”
Parent: “You can’t do both!”

Airline pilot to passengers: “Ladies and gentlemen, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is we’re lost. The good news is we’re making good time.”

Grandchild: “I want to die in my sleep peacefully like my grandfather, not screaming in terror like his passengers.”

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