donkey n.— «Contrary to myth, a helicopter doesn’t necessarily fall out of the sky when the engine, affectionately known among pilots as the “donkey,” stops. The machine can glide to a survivable landing (albeit a brick-like...
wig-wags n.— «Part Two of Question: What are the yellow flashing lights that move from side to side on the runway? They put you in the mind of caution lights. If these are caution lights, why would they be on the runway or taxiway...
toe-in n.— «Gunsauls decided a closer extraction was necessary. He lifted off again, approached the children’s location and balanced the front tips of the helicopter’s landing skids against the sloping hillside what pilots refer to as a...
stick the landing v. phr.— «But Retton, who uncharacteristically failed to stick the landing of one of her tumbling passes, was able to put it all into perspective.» —“Gymnastic silver disappoints” in L.A. Valley...
sticking the landing v. phr.— «“We don’t got no bands no more,” the doorman answers, pulling off a triple negative and sticking the landing. “Just DJs.”» —“Northgate’s movie-to-music transformation...
stick the landing v. phr.— «Iowa State kept it until the fourth quarter, when Dailey started sticking the landing on his passes. Through three quarters, he had completed only 13 of 33.» —“Cyclones keep North anyone’s...