Comments on: Ask the Pilot Christmas, 2025

By: Patrick

Patrick — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 18:49:28 +0000

In reply to Dennis Wheatley. Singapore Airlines puts up little wreaths and garland-y things at Christmastime.

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 17:04:03 +0000

You would appreciate this bit from John Mulaney, about Tom Jones’ “What’s New Pussycat” instead of Christmas music — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw7Gryt-rcc

By: Jim Moriarty

Jim Moriarty — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 17:01:36 +0000

And Merry Christmas to you, Cap’n.
I hate flying.
Waitaminnit…
I hate airports.
I hate the seating.
But more often than not, the FA’s are incredible. They make it bearable. They take a miserable four or five hours and turn it into something nice.
***
Sorry, but Little Drummer Boy is one of my faves. Isn’t it remarkable how wildly different good people can vary in opinions.
I hope; no, I pray (ever since 9/10 I’ve been praying…) that you, those close to your heart, and every single person reading this has an epic 2026 filled with joy, prosperity and hope.

By: Dennis Wheatley

Dennis Wheatley — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 23:22:25 +0000

Your article reminded me of the late 1950’s and early 60’s when I was flying transatlantic (BOAC) on a fairly regular basis. The cabin was decorated with holly leaves and conifer fronds and mince pies were served to the passengers. Oh Happy Days!

By: Jeff vdD

Jeff vdD — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 21:10:54 +0000

Your mention of the density of fruitcake got me thinking–how sophisticated a machine is required to tell the difference between that delicacy and C4?

Would it be worth your time to update the book? I used to give it as a gift, and now that I’m reminded of it, may continue to do so even un-updated. But I’d love to see a new edition!

Cheers, longtime fan, and one-time visitor to a photo showing at your home
Jeff
Cambridge MA

By: Jim Klay

Jim Klay — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 17:04:08 +0000

My mother in law is in the process of dying. She turned 104 last September.
Why would you care? She is one of only 2 WASPs still alive. Might be the last one at this point, actually. In 1940, at the age of 19, she took flying lessons in an act of rebellion against a challenging upbringing in central Texas. A couple of years later she was at the air base in Sweetwater, TX joining the WASPs as a member of what would be their final class. She spent nearly a year ferrying military aircraft around to different bases domestically, often with very little instruction on the particular aircraft she was being asked to fly. And often flying aircraft that were being sent somewhere for repairs. When the war ended, she and her classmates were dropped off at the highway entrance to the base and wished good luck. She went straight to American Airlines in Dallas seeking employment as a pilot. Between chuckles, they told her she would make a fine stewardess. She told them she was a pilot and they said women don’t fly planes for American. Did not go over well with her. It took a long time to get recognition, but the surviving WASPs were eventually granted military benefits and later they were given Congressional gold medals at a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda. I always enjoy reading you and I thought you would like to hear from one of your readers from back in the Salon days.

By: wilson

wilson — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 19:06:35 +0000

Pilots have notoriously bad memories so it should come as no surprise that Patrick the pilot/moderator forgot to mark British Airways Flight 2069 of December 29, 2000.

“The strange fate of Flight 2069” By Kate Mossman, The New Statesman December 11, 2025

https://www.newstatesman.com/long-reads/2025/12/the-strange-fate-of-flight-2069

Patrick also forgot to mention of sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald but that was boat so he gets a pass on that.

Fun fact about December 11, 2025: it was a good day airline publishing. Consider

“In France, birds of prey are improving flight safety” Deutsch Welle, December 11, 2025

https://www.dw.com/en/in-france-birds-of-prey-are-improving-flight-safety/video-75037941

Be careful out there. Up there.

By: Speed

Speed — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 22:18:56 +0000

From the references to “The Little Drummer Boy Explained” …

Also in 1981, a pop punk/hard rock version served as the final track on Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’s album I Love Rock ‘n Roll. Jett’s version includes a return of the traditional lyrics of “ass and lamb” instead of “ox and lamb”, and another line, traditionally “Mary nodded”, is rendered in apparent nonsense words. Besides these and a climactic electric guitar breakdown, the song is otherwise performed fairly earnestly.

Justin Bieber released a version of the song, simply named “Drummer Boy”, with Busta Rhymes on his 2011 Christmas album, Under the Mistletoe, adding rap verses. The song is listed among the Greatest of All Time Holiday 100 Songs chart by Billboard.

https://everything.explained.today/The_Little_Drummer_Boy/

By: Gimlet Winglet

Gimlet Winglet — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 03:15:52 +0000

I’m with you on treacly christmas carol earworms (managed to escape this season with only one lodged in my head, screw you sportsball broadcast). But… Ron Thompson, blues musician with some legit chops, did an instrumental cover of little drummer boy, playing it in a style somewhere between delta blues and heavy metal, pacing very slow giving him time to move fingers for lots of range, eddie van halen would have given an approving nod. Like a funeral dirge, and it works, it’s actually good. It would likely purge the treacly version from your mind.

Band was Ron Thompson & the Resistors (sometimes “and his Resistors”), saw him live once and was impressed, but it was his interpretation of Cadillac Walk that got me to buy the CD on the spot. Not sure which century that was. There’s a wikipedia page, played with some names you’d recognize. Anyways, just dug through umpteen boxes to find the CD and am now digitizing for convenience. of course it was in the biggest most buried box.

Album is probably unobtanium at this point, but FWIW it was Magic Touch. PBR145 on label Poore Boy Records.