Flying High

Video of the day.

I found it difficult to talk to the guy at the end of the bar. I could never remember his name though he had the ability to remember everything about everyone he ever met in there. He knew my name, what I drank, what I did, everything. He was pleasant enough. He smiled a lot. I thought he was probably in sales.

He'd be in there for three or four nights and then he'd disappear for a few weeks. Whenever he was in there he'd drink too much. Not that he ever caused any problems for anyone. He didn't. He just got very drunk and smiled a lot.

Then I asked someone what he did and was told that he piloted planes, not the big commercial jets but the smaller, business Learjet kind of plane. Now that did worry me because the thought of him flying around overhead after a beer sodden night in the Hole didn't exactly make me feel comfortable.

I haven't seen him around for some time now. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he just moved out of the area. I haven't read any recent reports of accidents or pilots being sacked for being hung over on duty. Hope he doesn't just drop in on me one day - if you see what I mean.

Merl tells me

Merl tells me that modern planes are so automated that they all but fly themselves and that they will soon have just a pilot and a dog on the flight deck. The dog will stop the pilot from touching the controls and the pilot will make sure that the dog has regular food and water.

First jump

A parachutist on his first jump was heading towards the earth at high speed and pulling like mad on his rip cord but all to no avail. To his amazement he spotted a man approaching him rapidly from below - heading in the opposite direction.
"Oi!" shouted the parachutist, "Do you know anything about parachutes?"
"Not a thing!" came the reply, " Do you know anything about gas cookers?"

It's amazing what you hear in a bar.