Top Ernest K. Gann Quotes - Quotesmemo.com

Ernest K. Gann Biography

Ernest Kellogg Gann (October 13, 1910 – December 19, 1991) was an American aviator, author, sailor, and conservationist. He is known for his novels Island in the Sky and The High and the Mighty and his classic memoir of early commercial aviation Fate Is the Hunter, all of which were made into major motion pictures.

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Ernest K. Gann Quotes

As the years go by, he returns to this invisible world rather than to earth for peace and solace. There also he finds a profound enchantment, although he can seldom describe it. He can discuss it with others of his kind, and because they too know and feel its power they understand. But his attempts to communicate his feelings to his wife or other earthly confidants invariable end in failure.

Confidants, Describe, Know, Profound, Wife, Years

He knew that we gave constant lip service to the dictates of safety and howled like Christians condemned to the arena if any compromise were made of it. He knew we were seekers after ease, suspicious, egotistic, and stubborn to a fault. He also knew that none of us would have continued our careers unless we had always been, and still were, helpless before this opportunity to take a chance.

Arena, Careers, Christian, Compromise, Lip, Opportunity

Flying is hypnotic and all pilots are victims to the spell. Their world is like a magic island in which the factors of life and death assume their proper values. Thinking becomes clear because there are no earthly foibles or embellishments to confuse it.

Clear, Embellishments, Islands, Life And Death, Thinking, Victims

There are airmen and there are pilots: the first being part bird whose view from aloft is normal and comfortable, a creature whose brain and muscles frequently originate movements which suggest flight; and then there are pilots who regardless of their airborne time remain earth-loving bipeds forever. When these latter unfortunates, because of one urge or another, actually make an ascension, they neither anticipate nor relish the event and they drive their machines with the same graceless labor they inflict upon the family vehicle.

Views, Forever, Bird, Anticipate, Aloft, Drive

There is no more alluring airspace in the world than the slit up a China girl's dress.

Airspace, Alluring, Dress, Dresses, Girl, World

MaCleod, since you've flown the SeaBee a lot you'll understand when I say it was the only airplane I ever owned that you could put in a dive, loose a cylinder and stall out!

Airplane, Cylinders, Dive, Funny, Stall, Understand

There are two kinds of airplanes - those you fly and those that fly you. . . You must have a distinct understanding at the very start as to who is the boss.

Airplane, Airplanes, Boss, Fly, Start, Two

Fear breeds upon itself because it is a hermaphrodite capable of endless reproduction. Fear is a contagious disease, spreading from its first victim to others in the vicinity until it is powerful enough to take charge of a group, in which event it becomes panic. Fear is the afterbirth of reason and calculation. It takes time to recuperate from fear.

Capable, Disease, Fear, Firsts, Powerful, Vicinity

If we slide into one of those rare moments of military honesty, we realize that the technical demands of modern warfare are so complex a considerable percentage of our material is bound to malfunction even before it is deployed against a foe. We no longer waste manpower by carrying the flag into battle. Instead we need battalions of electronic engineers to keep the terrible machinery grinding.

Honesty, Military, Battle, Technical, Grinding

Nobody who gets too damned relaxed builds up much flying time.

Flying, Aviation, Great Aviation, Gets, Nobody

Anyone can do the job when things are going right. In this business we play for keeps.

Aviation, Business, Jobs, Play, Things

Are we lost, or are we found at last? On earth we strive for our various needs, because so goes the fundamental law of man. Aloft, at least for a little while, the needs disappear. Likewise the striving. In the thoughts of man aloft, food and evil become mixed and sometimes reversed. This is the open door to wisdom. Aloft, the earth is ancient and man is young, regardless of his numbers, for there, aloft he may reaffirm his suspicions that he may not be so very much. This is the gateway to humility.

Humility, Men, Needs, Numbers, Suspicions

Rule books are paper - they will not cushion a sudden meeting of stone and metal.

Book, Paper, Stones, Metal, Rule

I am drawn to the new chart with all of its colorful intricacies as a gourmet must anticipate the details of a feast. . . I shall keep them forever. As stunning exciting proof that a proper mixture of science and art is not only possible but a blessed union.

Art, Blessed, Forever, Gourmet, Intricacies, Drawn

Electronics were rascals, and they lay awake nights trying to find some way to screw you during the day. You could not reason with them. They had a brain and intestines, but no heart.

Brain, Heart, Lay, Night, Way

And he supposed it might not be the best of days. But then, he was flying the mails and was not expected to squat on the ground like a frightened canary every time there was a cloud in the sky. If a pilot showed an obvious preference for flying only in the best conditions he soon found himself looking for work. This was the way of his life and he had always ascended when others had found excuse to keep their feet on the ground.

Canary, Clouds, Feet, Sky, Supposed

During this period Steen and Fox were killed trying a single-engine instrument approach at Moline. Then Campbell and Leatherman hit a ridge near Elko, Nevada. In both incidents the official verdict was 'pilot error,' but since their passengers, who were innocent of the controls, also failed to survive, it seemed that fate was the hunter. As it had been and would be.

Approach, Errors, Fate, Nevada, Official, Safety