Author Topic: Good Luck Charms  (Read 19458 times)

Offline Mike

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Good Luck Charms
« on: September 27, 2007, 05:08:41 PM »
I just noticed something.  :o

Airtac has a little statue of Mother Mary on his dashboard.
Soccermom has "Pepe" who goes with her everywhere she goes all summer.
G-Man has that little Hawaiian dwarf on the dashboard from what I've seen in the pictures.
And Panaca Jane has fuzzy dice as well as a sticker that says "Jesus is my homeboy".

Do the rest of you have good-luck charms in your aircraft (or car) when you're on the move??
Or is this just a "fire-thing"?

Let's hear some stories!!
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Offline Rooster Cruiser

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Re: Good Luck Charms
« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2007, 05:39:46 PM »
Ah got me a Rabbit's foot on my keychain.  Does that count???   ::loony::
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Offline Fabo

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Re: Good Luck Charms
« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2007, 06:25:42 PM »
We keep Rosary chain on mirror in our car ever since I can remember.
"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."

airtac

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Re: Good Luck Charms
« Reply #3 on: September 27, 2007, 07:29:00 PM »
Gosh, I gotta admit the truth here, I don't really have a Mary (the holy one) statuette on my panel----that just came from a country western song----"I don't care if it rains or freezes--long as I got my plastic Jesus--sittin' on the dashboard of my car" ::cowboy::

I do have a highly confidential good luck ritual that I do at the start of job which involves peeing on all three wheels---among other things that I won't tell about. (cause then I'd have to kill ya)   Forgot my fuzzy dice in the last employer's airplane, going to get more soon, makes me nervous without them.

I have considered my mother-in-law's picture though, figured it might keep the other evil spirits away >:D

All kidding aside, why is it most pilots are kind of superstitious---could it be that we know something our passengers don't want to hear about ::eek::

Offline TheSoccerMom

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Re: Good Luck Charms
« Reply #4 on: September 27, 2007, 11:08:58 PM »
Pepe' surely (QUIT CALLING ME SHIRLEY!) has been good luck for me, but I also have my trusty little P&W pin that I wear on whatever hat I use all fire season....  it's been around for years...  been almost lost in a few washing machines...  and the paint is chipping off....

And, it became the topic of conversation in Pokie this summer, when a certain know-it-all mental midget who was assigned there, insisted on telling all the other pilots (as I taxied out for a fire), that the beloved White Minivan has GARRETT engines......   ::loony::

They about died in silent laughter, and every day after that, they asked me, pointedly, "Hey...  How're those Garretts running?!?"  They laughed even harder when I showed them my lucky Pratt & Whitney pin.....  heh heh heh...........   

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Don't make me come back there!!!!

Offline Frank N. O.

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Re: Good Luck Charms
« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2007, 12:02:00 AM »
LOL, that joke never gets old :D and it was said by a man with origins from Denmark (both Nielsen's parents were from Denmark).

When my brother drove a truck, and the church bus some times to England and Switzerland then he had a Garfield plushie on the dash looking out the windshield. It was there for so many years it got very pale, but it's still around some 20 years and counting. I myself got a Garfield plushie that's lying flat-out, I usually have in the pc tower-case over the powersupply so he has a warm cozy place, and where I can keep an eye on him :D But that's not a good luck charm, more of a nice companion knick knack. I also got a small Alf (tv-series from the 80s) clung-plushie that my dad gave me many years ago, I usually have that hanging on a cord near my memorabilia board as well. But again, that's not a good luck charm and more something to make the place more personal and cozy.

Frank
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— Leonardo da Vinci

Offline chuckar101

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Re: Good Luck Charms
« Reply #6 on: September 28, 2007, 04:40:29 AM »
Mines not that visible, but I carry around a two dolar bill I found right before I passed my private checkride.  make sure its with me(or close at hand) ever since
WOW I did that!

Offline G-man

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Re: Good Luck Charms
« Reply #7 on: October 05, 2007, 01:45:26 AM »
I just noticed something.  :o

Airtac has a little statue of Mother Mary on his dashboard.
Soccermom has "Pepe" who goes with her everywhere she goes all summer.
G-Man has that little Hawaiian dwarf on the dashboard from what I've seen in the pictures.
And Panaca Jane has fuzzy dice as well as a sticker that says "Jesus is my homeboy".

Do the rest of you have good-luck charms in your aircraft (or car) when you're on the move??
Or is this just a "fire-thing"?

Let's hear some stories!!

Somehow missed this one.....

My "little Hawaiian dwarf" is actually a "travelling gnome" called Timothy.... he has velcro on his feet so he can switch helicopters with me.







Of course nobody has seen him from the front till now......he has been flying with me too long and had to stop off at one of his favourite places..



For a re-fill....

Life may not be the party we hoped for---but while we're here--we might as well dance..........

Offline TheSoccerMom

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Re: Good Luck Charms
« Reply #8 on: October 05, 2007, 01:59:00 AM »
Timothy, you're so.....  HAPPY, man!!  What's in that cup there, lil' bud?!?!?!   ::drinking::
 ::drinking::
 ::drinking::
 ::drinking::
Don't make me come back there!!!!

Offline G-man

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Re: Good Luck Charms
« Reply #9 on: October 05, 2007, 02:03:44 AM »
Timothy, you're so.....  HAPPY, man!!  What's in that cup there, lil' bud?!?!?!   ::drinking::
 ::drinking::
 ::drinking::
 ::drinking::

Martoonis...    
Life may not be the party we hoped for---but while we're here--we might as well dance..........

Offline TheSoccerMom

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Re: Good Luck Charms
« Reply #10 on: October 05, 2007, 02:11:12 AM »
YEAHHHHHHHHH  BABEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 ::drinking::                      ::drinking::                          ::drinking::                         ::drinking::
Don't make me come back there!!!!

Offline TheSoccerMom

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Re: Good Luck Charms
« Reply #11 on: October 05, 2007, 02:17:37 AM »
Hey, speaking of good luck charms, an old FS jumper had his best buddy "Fire Bear", a cute little teddy bear that went absolutely EVERYWHERE with him..  on every fire, every jump, every demobe...  he always had his cute little bear face sticking up out of his "dad's" leg pocket on his jumpsuit.

(And, for a while, some rowdy guys made a lot of less-than-proper jokes about what went on between Pepe' and Fire Bear, after hours, in the DC-3....  Hmmm....  Pepe' does NOT kiss and tell.......)

But, in the wild and hairy fire season of 2005, during a particularly nasty blowup on a big fire in Nevada, alas, poor Fire Bear fought his last battle..  he was burned over in the big blowout and the base was never the same....  my understanding was the entire jump base wore black armbands when they learned of his untimely demise.......  Fortunately, his dad and the other jumpers were able to make a run and get out of the way.

To Fire Bear!  (he really WAS cute)   ::angel:: 

 ::drinking::
Don't make me come back there!!!!

Offline RagDragger

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Re: Good Luck Charms
« Reply #12 on: October 05, 2007, 02:19:44 AM »
I have one, it's a little stuffed cat an ex gave me right before I started flight training.  Been riding in my flight bag ever since.  Not really a good luck charm, just sort of a knick knack I guess.  I know other banner guys who have a certain hook they like to use (they're pretty much all the same, but some guys have one that they pick better with, superstition more than logic)  and plenty of pilots have pics of wives and girlfriends in kneeboards and instrument panels.  Guess we all have just a little superstition in this line of work, huh?    
God looks out for drunks and dumb animals.  Fortunately, I qualify on both counts.

Offline TheSoccerMom

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Re: Good Luck Charms
« Reply #13 on: October 05, 2007, 02:22:29 AM »
It helps, man.   Sure easier than reading the flight manual and actually KNOWING what the hell we're supposed to be doin'......

Uhh....  "Cross 17 DME at 11 thousand and maintain 200 or greater for me..."   

"Uhm, uh, OKAY, let me just hand this over to Pepe'......"  It works every time!

 ::whistle::
Don't make me come back there!!!!

Offline TheSoccerMom

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Re: Good Luck Charms
« Reply #14 on: October 05, 2007, 02:32:02 AM »
I had a buddy (on the ground) say that on a handheld once -- I announced in the pattern, and he thought he'd be a wise guy, so said "Looks like a crosswind...  better hand it over to Pepe'!"

Of course the spotter and I cracked up, but the rather somber lady manning the unicom didn't find it so funny, I guess.  She was in a bit of a HUFF, wanting to know WHO was PEPE'.   HEEEEEEEE.   ::rofl::
Don't make me come back there!!!!