spur ride
n.— «Because of the possible danger of enemy fighters returning the pilots decided to extract Burrows and Cianfrini immediately instead of waiting for further assistance so they performed what is commonly called a “spur ride.” The spur ride is an unconventional means of extraction in which the pilots clip themselves onto the outside of the aircraft using their built in safety harness and d-rings, said Burrows. Cianfrini was placed in the front seat of the Apache, and then Johnson strapped himself onto the outside of the Apache on the right, while Burrows strapped himself onto the outside of the Apache on the left. Once they gave the thumbs up to Davison who was at the controls of the Apache, said Burrows, they took off and flew the ten minutes back to Baghdad International Airport where 3/17 Cav. is based.» —“Downed pilots endure 30 minutes of intensity” by Thomas Mills Blackanthem.com Military News July 5, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Humpty-Bump Pull Top, Diamond Loop, Reverse Shark’s Tooth, Hammerhead, and Goldfish from the Top are all names of aerobatic maneuvers recorded in the Aresti System, designed by Spanish aviator Jose Luis de Aresti Aguirre as a means of...
Anthony in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is suspicious of a story about the origin of the phrase win by landslide. According to local lore, the Wyoming towns of Jackson and Kelly competed to become the county seat of Teton County. In 1927, a massive...