Dave Siciliano
Final Approach
'Twas the night before Christmas when back at the place,
We spied in the hangar an old flying ace.
Though icing reported with turbulent air,
He said “File me a flight plan, I gotta get there.”
He untied his aircraft and made ready to run,
And the old man climbed into his P-51.
“Bad weather be bothered,” he wordlessly grumbled,
His prop spun to life and the big Merlin rumbled.
He eased in the throttle, the roar shook the ground,
He taxied it out and he turned it around.
He went through the run-up and seemed satisfied,
And said to himself, “I’m in for the ride.”
So he lined it up straight and he poured on the coal,
The tailwheel came up when he started to roll.
He peeled off the runway and sucked up the gear,
And that mighty V-12 was all you could hear.
He screamed overhead with a deafening crack,
A blue flame was belching from each shiny stack.
He pulled up the nose and started to climb,
No ice on that airframe, it didn’t have time.
On top of the weather with levers all set,
He looked up above him and saw a Lear jet.
“With jet fuel and turbines there just ain’t no class,
Gimmee pistons and props and a tank of avgas!”
He heard as he sped where he needed to go,
Bad weather had covered the runway with snow.
How will he land? We just have to guess,
Because the only way in was a full I-L-S.
Then over the marker, he started his run,
The ceiling was zero, visibility none!
Still doing three hundred and he felt the need,
For an overhead break to diminish his speed.
As over the numbers he zoomed like a flash,
And into a break – we were sure he would crash.
Oh, why would he fly on this kind of night?
When over the threshold we saw his bright light.
“I’m on a short final with three in the green,
And I see enough runway to land this machine.”
As he tied down that Mustang we all heard him say
“Next year, I’m a’stickin’ with reindeer and sleigh.”
Merry Christmas all!!!
Dave
We spied in the hangar an old flying ace.
Though icing reported with turbulent air,
He said “File me a flight plan, I gotta get there.”
He untied his aircraft and made ready to run,
And the old man climbed into his P-51.
“Bad weather be bothered,” he wordlessly grumbled,
His prop spun to life and the big Merlin rumbled.
He eased in the throttle, the roar shook the ground,
He taxied it out and he turned it around.
He went through the run-up and seemed satisfied,
And said to himself, “I’m in for the ride.”
So he lined it up straight and he poured on the coal,
The tailwheel came up when he started to roll.
He peeled off the runway and sucked up the gear,
And that mighty V-12 was all you could hear.
He screamed overhead with a deafening crack,
A blue flame was belching from each shiny stack.
He pulled up the nose and started to climb,
No ice on that airframe, it didn’t have time.
On top of the weather with levers all set,
He looked up above him and saw a Lear jet.
“With jet fuel and turbines there just ain’t no class,
Gimmee pistons and props and a tank of avgas!”
He heard as he sped where he needed to go,
Bad weather had covered the runway with snow.
How will he land? We just have to guess,
Because the only way in was a full I-L-S.
Then over the marker, he started his run,
The ceiling was zero, visibility none!
Still doing three hundred and he felt the need,
For an overhead break to diminish his speed.
As over the numbers he zoomed like a flash,
And into a break – we were sure he would crash.
Oh, why would he fly on this kind of night?
When over the threshold we saw his bright light.
“I’m on a short final with three in the green,
And I see enough runway to land this machine.”
As he tied down that Mustang we all heard him say
“Next year, I’m a’stickin’ with reindeer and sleigh.”
Merry Christmas all!!!
Dave
. JK.
