>"It ain't the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop at the end....."

Somehow that reminds me of a pilots' saying, "Take offs should equal landings."

Which in turn reminds me of a (true) trivia question, "Why has Air Force 1 taken off one more time than it's landed?"

"Why has Air Force 1 taken off one more time than it's landed?"

President Obama is currently going some place?

(I just like saying "President Obama")

Some president died while in flight?


"Jokes don't humor people. Punchlines humor people."

The best humour has a grain of truth to it.

My first thought was 1963, but that was more likely to have made for an extra landing.

(Not posting the answer since I had to look it up, but it doesn't involve a death, or Obama.)

Hint:
Air Force One is the designation for the Airplane when the president is on it. So if there is not a president on board it's call sign is no longer Air Force One.

Daniel has provided an accurate, relevant factoid.

President Obama is currently going some place?

Jerry, when that is true, the Air Force has 2 more take offs than landings.

>Some president died while in flight?

Something did occur during the flight. It has only occurred once in USA history.

Kennedy's last flight landed, so that's the same number of landings as takeoffs

Johnson was sworn in in flight. So when he took off it was air force 2, but when it landed it was air force 1

Isn't air force 1 the plane that's transporting the president and air force 2 the one carry the vice president?

I could google it but that would spoil David's fun

Next clue: Checkers.

Maybe air force 1 took off with Kennedy's body, then Johnson was sworn in so that plane was no longer air force 1?

Not Kennedy, Jerry. Try a little later in history.

No, the plane took off with Kennedy's body, Johnson (and Jackie) - Johnson wasn't sworn in yet so maybe Kennedy was still officially president so that would have been air force 1. Then Johnson was sworn in with Jackie in the background in iconic photo, and then the plane landed but it would be air force 1 at that point.

Okay - checkers - that would be Nixon

He must have taken off as president, then Ford sworn in...

Jerry's got it - Nixon resigned effective the next day at noon on August 9, 1974. He was on Air Force flying to California at noon, Ford took his oath of office back in DC, and that jet plane was no longer Air Force 1 when it landed.

Prize?

At least we're not having a flame war about gun control?

Reminds me of my elderly neighbor who flew 26 1/2 bombing missions over poland and germany in WW2. He had to walk
home once.

You probably smile when you see those uneducated foreigners whipping themselves into a frenzy.
You probably smile when you hear about 'terrorists' blowing themselves up because they think they are about to be rewarded with countless virgins in paradise.
I smile when i see anti-Darwinism being taught in US schools.
I smile when i see US creationism theme parks on the TV.
Give everyone in the US guns. :-)

"I smile when i see anti-Darwinism being taught in US schools"

Not universally true. Maybe in Mississippi.

>Prize?

>At least we're not having a flame war about gun control?

Exactly. Thread drift is not always a bad thing.

"Today the Newtown Board of Education made the only choice any parent can: It voted to put armed guards in its schools:"

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/02/01/Newtown-Votes-To-Put-Armed-Guards-In-Schools

"I smile when i see anti-Darwinism being taught in US schools."

Fear not, Mike. Darwinism is alive and well in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. To reach a wider audience, they're holding outdoor seminars these days:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/01/sports/snowmobile-rider-caleb-moore-dies-from-x-games-injuries.html?_r=0

"Give everyone in the US guns."

Gotta prepare all them Christian Soldiers for Armageddon, old boy. It's gonna make the Gunfight at the OK Corral seem like a water pistol fight. Stay tuned, it's coming soon to a big screen near you. ;0)

Edited by ouzel on 02/01/2013 17:25:21 MST.