Navigators Aren't Stupid

buzzard767

golfaknifeaholic
Gold Site Supporter
A pilot was sitting in his seat and pulled out a .38 revolver. He placed
it on top of the instrument panel, and then asked the navigator, "Do you
know what I use this for?" The navigator replied timidly, "No, what's it
for?"

The pilot responded, "I use this on navigators who get me lost!"

The navigator proceeded to pull out a .45 and place it on his chart
table. The pilot asked, "What's that for?"

"To be honest sir," the navigator replied, "I'll know we're lost before
you will."
 

Leni

New member
Indeed it is. Too bad the TWA pilots in the family are no longer with us. They'd get a kick out of that.
 

Leni

New member
Yes plural. My grandfather Captain Evan Lewis who was in the top ten in seniority when he retired, and my uncle Captain William Cooper who was his copilot at one time. My father was a weatherman for the airline and my aunt and cousin were hostesses for TWA. My other cousin had his pilots license and was accumulating hours so he could fly passengers when the engine failed on takeoff. My sister applied but at 6' feet she was too tall. Same for me.

My grandfather started by flying the mail in a bi-wing and ended his career flying 707's.
 

Leni

New member
Yes it is.

He was one of those natural pilots and it was great to fly with him. He once took off from LAX in a DC3 and one engine caught fire. The tower told him to go to Burbank since the field was now zero zero. He told them that he'd never make it. He had to land there. He landed in fog so thick that the fire engines could not find him. He and his crew stood and watched the plane burn to the ground. The only way that they knew he had landed safely was when passengers started coming into the terminal.

I have the front section of the Los Angeles Times with this headlined and pictures to prove it.

P.S. Because of the union they had to offer jet training to the senior pilots first. Most of them declined. When asked why he didn't he said 'I've always wanted to fly a jet.'
 

buzzard767

golfaknifeaholic
Gold Site Supporter
P.S. Because of the union they had to offer jet training to the senior pilots first. Most of them declined. When asked why he didn't he said 'I've always wanted to fly a jet.'

That part I don't understand. I'm unsure of the specifics of pilot contracts prior to the 60's, but since then it has been the bigger the equipment, the bigger the paycheck, and bidding has always been by seniority whether it be plane, seat, crew base, or vacations.
 

Leni

New member
"That part I don't understand. I'm unsure of the specifics of pilot contracts prior to the 60's, but since then it has been the bigger the equipment, the bigger the paycheck, and bidding has always been by seniority whether it be plane, seat, crew base, or vacations."

That's very true. From what I was told most of the senior pilots did not want to have to go through all of the training in order to qualify for jets. I don't know how long it took Evan to qualify but knowing him, if it had wings he wanted to fly it.
 

buzzard767

golfaknifeaholic
Gold Site Supporter
It's a great story, Leni. I know a couple of old farts around 80 who are still building and flying their own planes. The DC-10s they retired from weren't enough. :)
 

Leni

New member
That's probably around the age of the pilots who fly out of Van Nuys airport here in the Valley. They fly AT6 Texans every weekend. Then we have a B17 that had been based in Van Nuys but has moved to Burbank.
 
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