pilots say, as i fly through the valley of the shadow of death, i shall fear no evil for i am at 60 000ft traveling at mach 2.6! no evil shall touch me for i am evil itself from the sky! "hell's angel" meaning fearless pilot! "as i walk through the valley of the shadow of death i shall fear no evil... for i am 30,000ft and climbing." Impressions of a Pilot Flight is freedom in its purest form, To dance with the clouds which follow a storm; To roll and glide, to wheel and spin, To feel the joy that swells within; To leave the earth with its troubles and fly, And know the warmth of a clear spring sky; Then back to earth at the end of a day, Released from the tensions which melted away. Should my end come while I am in flight, Whether brightest day or darkest night; Spare me your pity and shrug off the pain, Secure in the knowledge that I'd do it again; For each of us is created to die, And within me I know, I was born to fly. Gary Claud Stokor "All who take to the sky, regardless of weather they are friend or foe, thier co urage? cannot be questioned." Lord of thunderhead and sky Who place in man the will to fly Who taught his hand speed, skill and grace To soar beyond man's dwelling place You shared with him the Eagle's view The right to soar, as Eagles do The right to call the clouds his home And grateful, through your heavens roam May all assembled here tonight And all who love the thrill of flight Recall with twofold gratitude Your gift of Wings, Your gift of Food. Father John MacGillivary, Royal Canadian Air Force Off we go into the wild blue yonder, Climbing high into the sun; Here they come zooming to meet our thunder, At 'em boys, Give 'er the gun! (Give 'er the gun now!) Down we dive, spouting our flame from under, Off with one helluva roar! We live in fame or go down in flame. Hey! Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force! Additional verses: Minds of men fashioned a crate of thunder, Sent it high into the blue; Hands of men blasted the world asunder; How they lived God only knew! (God only knew then!) Souls of men dreaming of skies to conquer Gave us wings, ever to soar! With scouts before And bombers galore. Hey! Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force! Bridge: "A Toast to the Host" Here's a toast to the host Of those who love the vastness of the sky, To a friend we send a message of his brother men who fly. We drink to those who gave their all of old, Then down we roar to score the rainbow's pot of gold. A toast to the host of men we boast, the U.S. Air Force! Zoom! Off we go into the wild sky yonder, Keep the wings level and true; If you'd live to be a grey-haired wonder Keep the nose out of the blue! (Out of the blue, boy!) Flying men, guarding the nation's border, We'll be there, followed by more! In echelon we carry on. Hey! Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force! I'll run my hand gently over the wing of a small airplane and say to him, "This plane can teach you more things and give you more gifts than I ever could. It wo n't get you a better job, a faster car, or a bigger house. But if you treat it w ith respect and keep your eyes open, it may remind you of some things you used t o know that life is in the moment, joy matters more than money, the world is a b eautiful place, and that dreams really, truly are possible." And then, because a irplanes speak in a language beyond words, I'll take him up in the evening summe r sky and let the airplane show him what I mean. Lane Wallace, 'Eyes of a Child,' Flying magazine, February 2000. Be like the bird in flight . . . pausing a while on boughs too slight, feels the m give way beneath her, yet sings knowing yet, that she has wings. Victor Hugo