Russian Pilots and a Certain Capitalist

[Typhoon1244]

Ever flown with a Russian? I've known a few.

I must tell you all my favorite Russian pilot story:

Back around '87 or '88--before the strike--when my father was a DC-9 captain at Eastern, he and his crew were riding in a hotel van in N.Y.C. with an Aeroflot crew. The Russian first officer had just given them a thumbnail sketch of what it was like to fly for the state airline: lousy schedules, little ramp support, no dispatch support, dirt and gravel runways, spotty maintenance, untrained flight attendants, etc, etc. Dad's first officer whistled and said, "man, you guys've really got it rough!"

The Aeroflot captain shrugged and said, "it beats working for Frank Lorenzo."

 

[Timebuilder]

Now THAT'S funny!

Nothing like having a worldwide reputation!!!

 

[mar]

Here's mine:

A few years ago, in a past life, I was a Metro systems instructor. We had a Russian new-hire in the class, an older gentleman, pretty low time, but claimed to have flown a Mig of some sort over 20 years ago in the Soviet military.

As I get to know him better he tells me about his wife and seven children (ages 3-18). He shows me a picture, lovely family indeed.

So I'm trying to put the whole story together from being a young man in the Soviet military and flying Migs to raising a family for almost twenty years....

...so I ask him, "What were you doing between the time you left the military and raising a family?"

(In a thick Russian accent) "Ah, you know, I worked underground. Yes, underground."

Me, thinking to myself: KGB!?! Too cool! This guy is gonna be great to fly with. Can you imagine all of the stories?

So I push a little harder: "Underground? What do you mean 'underground'?"

Him: "You know, underground, underground, I worked in a coal mine."