Looking for funny aviation pranks.
- Thread starter zondap13
- Start date
Oh its all good! Just some completely unrelated levity for the thread. No one is immune...there are those that have, and those that will; me included!
CFIT99
I'm probably commenting ironically...
this one is fairly easy:
need: retractable gear aircraft, 1 novetly (semi good looking) "easy" button, 1 non pilot friend
Told him that if anything thing goes wrong including weird alarms and sirens, just hit this button and it corrects the situation. Then in the air I pulled the throttle back to have the gear horn go off...and told him "HIT THE BUTTON, HIT THE BUTTON!" he freaks out and starts slamming button yelling, "ITS NOT WORKING...OH MY GOD...ITS NOT WORKING"
...i started laughing...he punched me in the stomach when we were on the ground....worth it...
need: retractable gear aircraft, 1 novetly (semi good looking) "easy" button, 1 non pilot friend
Told him that if anything thing goes wrong including weird alarms and sirens, just hit this button and it corrects the situation. Then in the air I pulled the throttle back to have the gear horn go off...and told him "HIT THE BUTTON, HIT THE BUTTON!" he freaks out and starts slamming button yelling, "ITS NOT WORKING...OH MY GOD...ITS NOT WORKING"
...i started laughing...he punched me in the stomach when we were on the ground....worth it...
fish314
Well-Known Member
Here's a few that I've actually pulled:
Around Halloween time I bought a plastic severed arm prop and left it in a guys' Number 1 intake before he started his walk-around.
I once taxied into Nellis AFB to pick up the Thunderbirds ground crew wearing an Elvis wig and a giant pair of sunglasses. Threw on the same thing when T-Bird #1 and 2 were on the wing for the refueling flight to the airshow we were supporting.
I've put vis-a-vis marker on I don't know how many sets of headset ear-cups. That's always good for a giggle when someone takes off their headset after a good 5-6 hour flight.
I left a four foot tall inflatable penis in the pilot seat of a (female) friend's jet. Mr. Winky was wearing her headset, and I drew a big smiley-face on it.
I once wrote "Insert penis here" backwards on the inside of a quick-don oxygen mask near the mouth area. It didn't transfer to my copilot's face as well as I thought it would, but it was ok.
I once put about 20lbs. of cargo chain into someone's personal bag as they were getting ready for deployment... they didn't find it until they had dragged that back half-way across the world, and all the way to their room (in the desert... in a tent.. in summer).
I once helped some boom operators in my squadron palletize the Chief Boom's Ford Pinto. (Palletizing means "placing on a pallet, covering with plastic, and strapping the whole thing down with cargo netting and straps.")
I've had students "test the pitot system," (by blowing in the pitot tube).
I've had new boom operators or new maintainers do a "radar test" - involves them holding up a large metal garbage can lid in front of the airplane and moving around to different locations and ranges... "No, we need more like a 60 degree azimuth... keep moving left!"
I once was on a month-long temporary duty in another state with my crew and about 5 others. Each crew had their own rental car, and one of the three crews was all-female (the co was a friend of mine). Once day down town I was strolling along in a mini-mall past an auto-parts place on the way to lunch and saw a license-plate border that read, "Sometimes I go topless." Somehow, it wound up on the license-plate of their car. It took them a long time to realize why they kept getting honked at driving around town.
Pulled on me:
On one airplane I've been on, it was possible to put the interphone system into emergency mode, so that an interphone panel at one station could be controlled from another station. When I was a brand new copilot, someone set mine up without my knowledge such that I thought I was transmitting to ground, but I was actually transmitting on interphone to the rest of the crew. I called for IFR clearance, and another crew member disguised his voice a little and read me back the most convoluted full route clearance you can imagine. I kept getting it wrong, so I had to read it back about 4 times before they finally let me know I hadn't been transmitting the whole time.
Once had my eyebrows shaved off.... yeah, first one to pass out a party. It wasn't really flying related, except that it was guys in my squadron who had done it. This was actually the thing that led to the prank war that begat many of the above.
I've had the ear-cup thing pulled on me before.. several times.
Once had my office bricked... basically I opened the door and someone had built a big cinderblock wall (no mortar) just inside the door frame. That was a good one.
Around Halloween time I bought a plastic severed arm prop and left it in a guys' Number 1 intake before he started his walk-around.
I once taxied into Nellis AFB to pick up the Thunderbirds ground crew wearing an Elvis wig and a giant pair of sunglasses. Threw on the same thing when T-Bird #1 and 2 were on the wing for the refueling flight to the airshow we were supporting.
I've put vis-a-vis marker on I don't know how many sets of headset ear-cups. That's always good for a giggle when someone takes off their headset after a good 5-6 hour flight.
I left a four foot tall inflatable penis in the pilot seat of a (female) friend's jet. Mr. Winky was wearing her headset, and I drew a big smiley-face on it.
I once wrote "Insert penis here" backwards on the inside of a quick-don oxygen mask near the mouth area. It didn't transfer to my copilot's face as well as I thought it would, but it was ok.
I once put about 20lbs. of cargo chain into someone's personal bag as they were getting ready for deployment... they didn't find it until they had dragged that back half-way across the world, and all the way to their room (in the desert... in a tent.. in summer).
I once helped some boom operators in my squadron palletize the Chief Boom's Ford Pinto. (Palletizing means "placing on a pallet, covering with plastic, and strapping the whole thing down with cargo netting and straps.")
I've had students "test the pitot system," (by blowing in the pitot tube).
I've had new boom operators or new maintainers do a "radar test" - involves them holding up a large metal garbage can lid in front of the airplane and moving around to different locations and ranges... "No, we need more like a 60 degree azimuth... keep moving left!"
I once was on a month-long temporary duty in another state with my crew and about 5 others. Each crew had their own rental car, and one of the three crews was all-female (the co was a friend of mine). Once day down town I was strolling along in a mini-mall past an auto-parts place on the way to lunch and saw a license-plate border that read, "Sometimes I go topless." Somehow, it wound up on the license-plate of their car. It took them a long time to realize why they kept getting honked at driving around town.
Pulled on me:
On one airplane I've been on, it was possible to put the interphone system into emergency mode, so that an interphone panel at one station could be controlled from another station. When I was a brand new copilot, someone set mine up without my knowledge such that I thought I was transmitting to ground, but I was actually transmitting on interphone to the rest of the crew. I called for IFR clearance, and another crew member disguised his voice a little and read me back the most convoluted full route clearance you can imagine. I kept getting it wrong, so I had to read it back about 4 times before they finally let me know I hadn't been transmitting the whole time.
Once had my eyebrows shaved off.... yeah, first one to pass out a party. It wasn't really flying related, except that it was guys in my squadron who had done it. This was actually the thing that led to the prank war that begat many of the above.
I've had the ear-cup thing pulled on me before.. several times.
Once had my office bricked... basically I opened the door and someone had built a big cinderblock wall (no mortar) just inside the door frame. That was a good one.
fish314
Well-Known Member
NICE!... I may throw that one into my bag of dirty tricks!
flymike
Well-Known Member
The image I have in my head of this is hilarious.. thanks
ppragman
FLIPY FLAPS!
Can't really do this with people on board, but we did this to one another flying cargo. Position your seat so that you're really close to the yoke, gradually and sneakily apply more and more left or right rudder, do it gently enough so that whoever you are flying with doesn't realize you're adding it. After he's corrected with trim and your leg can't really take it anymore, especially if the guy is about to fall asleep, release the centering pressure, and look over at him confused.
ChasenSFO
hen teaser
I've always been a prankster. As hard as I tried not to let it fade into my work life, it has. Horribly. There are a lot of pranks I'd be willing to share over a beer, but these are the one's I can share online off the top of my head.
Twice while overflying SFO, I've called my airlines ops and said something like: "6969 is 10 out, we need a lav, bug wash, 19 wheelchairs, and 11 of them are aisle chairs. We also need maintenance for a shoe that clogged the lav". Now the first time I did it, my company was still doing our operations and a friend was working. He replied "Wait what?! 6969...are you a ferry flight? Where are you coming from I don't have you on igaps or radar". Then I just keyed the mic laughing and he laughed back, and just figured it was one of his pilot coworkers or maybe even one of our pilots kidding around. I later told him it was me, he said he liked it. After United took over our operations, I tried it again since I monitored and heard the voice of an ex-coworker who moved to United. She seriously flipped her lid that someone was messing around on frequency(when it was totally dead) and I'm pretty sure she later came the the conclusion it was me, seeing as she does hear my voice on the radio all day at work and knows I'm a pilot. Since then she's constantly trying to pin delays on me, and everyone keeps asking what I did to piss her off.
I was assigned some new-hires recently at my gate for OJT, and the first time I had either of them in the pit of a CRJ, I started screaming at them to remove the box that is bolted to the floor. They would just tug and tug and I'd keep shouting stuff like, "C'mon its a quick turn! I've seen 110 pound girls lift boxes bigger than that out here!". Finally, I come up the belt loader and go, "Look, there's your problem, its bolted to the floor". One of them got it and laughed. The other asked how we get the bolts out.
I've told new hires "The push back is dead, both of you take a wing we're gonna push this Brasilia by hand". To my surprise, they always get ready to push.
When I'm wing-walking and see people staring at me out the window in a way that looks less than friendly(usually this is a person who was rude when I took their carry-on), I start grabbing my radio pretending to scream into it pointing at the engine of the airplane, then I shrug and walk back to the nose to disconnect. Either this or as the plane taxis away I get my crew to point at it and make shocked faces.
Sometimes I take unload the last bag and put it back on the belt loader, and everytime another agent reloads it, I put it right back. By the 2nd or 3rd time, they usually start to scratch their head. Especially if it isn't a black bag.
I told some new-hires they needed to change into full rain-gear to dump a lav, and they listened.
I once told a new-hire that with the -700s, you are supposed to salute until the CA salutes you back when you marshal out the airplane after the push. Watching this poor kid stand there at attention saluting the crew for a good 20 seconds while they just look at each other waiting for the kid to move and back at me like "wtf" as I just shrug my shoulders like I have no idea either...good times.
When F/O's ask me for a lav during their walk arounds(when one wasn't called in to ops), I usually say "No, no hablo ingles senior". 1/3 of the time, they just kind of stare at me, shrug, and walk away and I actually get away with it.
At my old flight school, one time I walked in after my last solo before taking my PPL checkride and asked the owner "How did the tail get ripped off of 591?", in a very serious and curious tone. He went "WHAT?!" and almost jumped over the 4 foot counter. I told him I was kidding, and he was furious. He called both my dad and CFI and told them I had maturity issues. I guess since he looked like Obama, I just figured he'd be cooler than that.
Sometimes when we're all ready to go but we have several minutes of airplanes blocking the gate and I know the plane isn't going anywhere for a while, I put on my sunglasses and sit on the edge of the push-back, putting me near eye-level with the crew. Although I'm looking all around relaxed, it appears as though I'm intently staring at them waiting for the push signal. Its funny how quiet the cockpit is when I do that, and how many times they ask if they're clear yet.
I told some new-hires once that when flight attendants ask them for crew-meals, it's code for them hitting on them and wanting their phone number. I know of at least one ramper writing down his phone number on a cargo load report, handing it to the FA, and joyfully walking away as she no doubt stood there confused still waiting for her crew meal.
I used to send out sarcastic raves(our companies version of a "good job" letter everyone can read online) about lazy employees and how they saved the day with their hard work in elaborate detail. Sometimes I would just say things like "So as I struggled with scanning and loading 60 bags in the rain, so and so used his smart phone to keep us all up to date on current events, for which I am eternally grateful." I think a few of them complained and I was asked to stop. But most people at the station thought it was great.
That's all I have for now. Good topic though.
Twice while overflying SFO, I've called my airlines ops and said something like: "6969 is 10 out, we need a lav, bug wash, 19 wheelchairs, and 11 of them are aisle chairs. We also need maintenance for a shoe that clogged the lav". Now the first time I did it, my company was still doing our operations and a friend was working. He replied "Wait what?! 6969...are you a ferry flight? Where are you coming from I don't have you on igaps or radar". Then I just keyed the mic laughing and he laughed back, and just figured it was one of his pilot coworkers or maybe even one of our pilots kidding around. I later told him it was me, he said he liked it. After United took over our operations, I tried it again since I monitored and heard the voice of an ex-coworker who moved to United. She seriously flipped her lid that someone was messing around on frequency(when it was totally dead) and I'm pretty sure she later came the the conclusion it was me, seeing as she does hear my voice on the radio all day at work and knows I'm a pilot. Since then she's constantly trying to pin delays on me, and everyone keeps asking what I did to piss her off.
I was assigned some new-hires recently at my gate for OJT, and the first time I had either of them in the pit of a CRJ, I started screaming at them to remove the box that is bolted to the floor. They would just tug and tug and I'd keep shouting stuff like, "C'mon its a quick turn! I've seen 110 pound girls lift boxes bigger than that out here!". Finally, I come up the belt loader and go, "Look, there's your problem, its bolted to the floor". One of them got it and laughed. The other asked how we get the bolts out.
I've told new hires "The push back is dead, both of you take a wing we're gonna push this Brasilia by hand". To my surprise, they always get ready to push.
When I'm wing-walking and see people staring at me out the window in a way that looks less than friendly(usually this is a person who was rude when I took their carry-on), I start grabbing my radio pretending to scream into it pointing at the engine of the airplane, then I shrug and walk back to the nose to disconnect. Either this or as the plane taxis away I get my crew to point at it and make shocked faces.
Sometimes I take unload the last bag and put it back on the belt loader, and everytime another agent reloads it, I put it right back. By the 2nd or 3rd time, they usually start to scratch their head. Especially if it isn't a black bag.
I told some new-hires they needed to change into full rain-gear to dump a lav, and they listened.
I once told a new-hire that with the -700s, you are supposed to salute until the CA salutes you back when you marshal out the airplane after the push. Watching this poor kid stand there at attention saluting the crew for a good 20 seconds while they just look at each other waiting for the kid to move and back at me like "wtf" as I just shrug my shoulders like I have no idea either...good times.
When F/O's ask me for a lav during their walk arounds(when one wasn't called in to ops), I usually say "No, no hablo ingles senior". 1/3 of the time, they just kind of stare at me, shrug, and walk away and I actually get away with it.
At my old flight school, one time I walked in after my last solo before taking my PPL checkride and asked the owner "How did the tail get ripped off of 591?", in a very serious and curious tone. He went "WHAT?!" and almost jumped over the 4 foot counter. I told him I was kidding, and he was furious. He called both my dad and CFI and told them I had maturity issues. I guess since he looked like Obama, I just figured he'd be cooler than that.
Sometimes when we're all ready to go but we have several minutes of airplanes blocking the gate and I know the plane isn't going anywhere for a while, I put on my sunglasses and sit on the edge of the push-back, putting me near eye-level with the crew. Although I'm looking all around relaxed, it appears as though I'm intently staring at them waiting for the push signal. Its funny how quiet the cockpit is when I do that, and how many times they ask if they're clear yet.
I told some new-hires once that when flight attendants ask them for crew-meals, it's code for them hitting on them and wanting their phone number. I know of at least one ramper writing down his phone number on a cargo load report, handing it to the FA, and joyfully walking away as she no doubt stood there confused still waiting for her crew meal.
I used to send out sarcastic raves(our companies version of a "good job" letter everyone can read online) about lazy employees and how they saved the day with their hard work in elaborate detail. Sometimes I would just say things like "So as I struggled with scanning and loading 60 bags in the rain, so and so used his smart phone to keep us all up to date on current events, for which I am eternally grateful." I think a few of them complained and I was asked to stop. But most people at the station thought it was great.
That's all I have for now. Good topic though.
R
Roger, Roger
Guest
One time a mechanic friend of mine had an aircraft come in for 100 hour with a Victoria's Secret catalog in the pocket by the pilot's seat. He returned the aircraft to service after the inspection, after glueing a wadded-up paper towel to one of the pages of the catalog.
Sounds dangerous around a spinning prop.