The following "flight truths" (some of them old) are from the Dec. 1 issue of CIO magazine, which credits them to Australian Aviation:

1. Every takeoff is optional. Every landing is mandatory.

2. Flying isn't dangerous. Crashing is what's dangerous.

3. It's always better to be down there wishing you were up here than up here wishing you were down there.

4. The only time an aircraft can have too much fuel is when it's on fire.

5. A propeller is just a big fan in front of the plane to keep the pilot cool. When it stops you can see the pilot start sweating.

6. A good landing is one from which you can walk away. A great landing is one after which they can reuse the aircraft.

7. The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of arrival. A large angle of arrival means a small probability of survival, and vice versa.

8. There are three simple rules for making a smooth landing. Unfortunately, nobody knows what they are.

9. A pilot starts with a full bag of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before the bag of luck is empty.