Warbird Information Exchange

As notified in this thread here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=52596 we sadly lost regular WIX contributor and tech font-of-knowledge 'The Inspector'. Shocking, sad, and a great loss. (His real name was Bill Downing, but he'll always be 'The Inspector' to me.)

I was thinking about The Inspector's contribution to WIX as I drove to the aircraft museum today, and I thought it would be great to collect a selection of his best zingers and gems from his many posts on WIX.

Back at home, a quick search showed we had 7,954 posts by Bill, and I'm sure among them would be a lot of people's favourites. See: search.php?keywords=&terms=all&author=the+inspector&sc=1&sf=all&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search

I'd like to collect a few and post them on my web page as a tribute to a great guy I never got to meet, but who taught me a lot and got me to thinking about some things in a different way. He had (I'm sure we'd agree) his own unique style and occasionally exasperated some (including me) but that was far outweighed by his ability to offer a remarkable insight and depth to how the whole aviation thing worked.

My fave was his 'text an airplane together', one I've used in discussion on old skills several times. Here it is;
"...never get your fingers dirty. I ran into that mindset a lot while trying to turn young people into 787 mechanics, they have no ability to 'turn things over' in their heads because all they know is 'use the game controller to do it' they are incapable of figuring even the most basic things out.

You cannot text a car or airplane together,..."

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=39157&p=391685

So folks. If you do a WIX search with 'author' as 'the inspector' and a key word in the other field of something you remember or something that struck you, and share that on this thread, that'd be great.

Or you could just browse through the list of those 7,000+ posts at random, and I'm sure you'll be reminded of some great discussions and comments - itself no bad thing in our busy world, even if you don't find something to share.

If people think it's a good idea, I'll collect a selection and post them as a tribute on my blog (link below). So please share & post.

Regards,

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Great idea for a tribute, JDK. I actually looked through some of my own posts to see that the Inspector would chime in on many of them.

I agree with the Inspector 100% that you can't text something together, and I think that's a big issue with the age of virtual reality, social media and reality TV...people have lost sight of existing in the tangible world. No Instagram can ever replicate the feeling of firing up an engine for the first time after you've done major work on it for the first time. Nor can Facebook duplicate the pain of busting your knuckles when a tool slips, or trying to clean the grease from under your fingernails.

Then again, I'm probably preaching to the choir around here. None of us would be here if we didn't believe in living in the tangible world and preserving the memories of men and machines from long ago.

Outstanding idea James, thanks for heading it up.

It may not exactly be "words of wisdom", but I remember this post of his in the GA forum and it cracked me up. He had overheard a news broadcast about a loss of separation between two airliners, and in the audio playback one captain referred to the TCAS as the "fish finder", as in "I've got him on the fish finder."

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=50063

Even though he had been in the aviation world for decades, he still found things new, entertaining, and with a sense of humor. We can get jaded after a while, like getting upset over the wrong color paint on gear doors, or too many rivets on a B-25 nacelle--and that's fine, we're purists. But I think theres a lesson in just having a love for flight, as well as the machines (and people!) who make it happen.

Anyway, just my $0.02.


-Brandon

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ATC: "Oscar 2, cleared to engage wildlife at your discretion..."

James
I am honored and humbled by your idea. Between taking care of my dads estate and drying my eyes, I have found a few moments to check in here. I am completely blown away by the positive thoughts of my dad! We had many discussions about the goings on here and he always would end the conversation on a positive note. This is one of my favorite quotes.

Yeah, and you grew up just fine, you make your old Dad proud. For those curious, his first ride was in a Mooney 20E with a member of EAA Chapter 261 in NOLA in 1977. The photo of him and his sister was a few weeks later the 50th anniversary tour of Lindbergs flight to Paris (81 years ago last week!!!) @ Lake Front Airport in NOLA (now pretty much destroyed by Katrina 'doo in a heck of a job Brownie')
The shot with Cutters Goose was after the TV show and the aircraft was undergoing maintenance @ KBFI before flying off to sink in Alaskan waters soon after. (by now, the facination with airplanes had worn off his sister as you can clearly see)
and by the way, he still has that S.E.G. and the same drive to see whats next or new And I'm proud to say 'that's my son!'

I have a life time of quotes but for now this is a start.

Thank you James!

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" excuse me stewardess I speak jive"

I always had to chuckle at some of the names Bill came up with. Example: Lockheed = "Locoweed".

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Lake Dallas, Republic of Texas

His constant reference to the Pentagon as the "5 Sided Clown Collage" always used to make me laugh out loud.

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Andrew King
Air Museum Director with no Museum to Direct
Open to Suggestions

A great loss to the forum. RIP...

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

loved his wit / wisdom / sarcasm. a pillar to this board that will be very missed. I feel bad that I never got to shake his hand. every reply from him regarding my posts no matter how smarted assed as it was, was a compliment. god bless.

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Thanks chaps - please share the quote or quotes here that made your day; have a look through those posts if you need inspiration.

We've all agreed it was The Inspector's own inimitable style that made his posts what they were, so let's go to them.

And 262crew, I'm pleased you appreciate the tribute as it's intended.

Regards,

_________________
James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

JDK,
As long as you aren't running for elected office we'll believe you, I'm bracing for the coming blasts of bloviated bombastic bovine byproduct that is about to erupt here in the next year

The Inspector
Post subject: Re: Avro Vulcan meets Lady be Good Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2011 7:20 pm

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Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas

PIC, Ford 6600 pulling Rhino batwing up and down the runway

"What happens when sour cream goes bad?" "Does it go fresh?"

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" excuse me stewardess I speak jive"

One of Bills classics.

Great idea JDK, I haven't been here very often since Bill's passing, WIX was a large part of his life after he retired and every time I come here I get misty again.

One I use all the time is another from way back when.
Any time he saw a good looking gal, it "Weell Heeelllloooo Betty" !
And if things got exciting during a race or air show ... "Hang ooonnnn Betty".

The one that hits me every day is just "2", my nickname for him (I was Bill 1, he was Bill 2 or "1" & "2" per my wife trying to keep us straight).
You are still sorely missed my Brother.

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Avoid that sinking feeling -- Check the hull plugs on your pre-flight.