Does anyone have any rituals, superstitions, or stories about aviation?

Speaking of Anthropology ! That brings an old friend to mind. he was a pilot for UAL for many years and he was known for his pranks and humour. His name was Jack Leffler, a captain and checked out in everything that had wings.
He was flying a DC-4 from SFO to the east coast and told the flight crew that they were transporting a live animal but told them not to say anything to the " Stews". Which they promptly did. He knew that they would do that, too.
Shortly before take off he donned a realistic rubber gorilla mask , opened the pilot's window to take the loading manifest which as handed up to him by the dispatcher, and made a full display of his "new look".
Shortly after take off he called the stew for coffee to be brought up. Meanwhile, he secreted himself between the radio racks, still wearing the gorilla mask. As soon as the stew came forward with the coffee and past him, he tapped her on the shoulder and grunted. Of course, the stew screamed, threw the tray of coffee in the air , shorting out the radios in the overhead panel, and she ran down the passenger aisle with Jack in the gorilla mask pursuing her yelling " Wait! It's me, it's me! " He told me that he came within 1/32nd of an inch of being fired since they had to make a 180 to return to the airport.

True story. I have another of one of his JEMS. Maybe two.
Bob

 

Before each takeoff, I say to myself, "Please Lord, don't let me **** this up." I got it from the movie "Right Stuff," and it seems appropiate for me.

Bob Wassam

 

Post flight for me its off to Old Chigaco for Pizza and Spaten Optimator. Kind of a post flight ritual.

 

I suppose this counts: My headset used to be my dad's, it's a david clark old school one complete with wire boom and green domes. The mic and cables had to be replaced (it sat in the attic for about 20 years oxidizing.) I bought a headset when I started flight training that has more whistles and bells, but I feel more confident with the old green domes on. I suppose it's because I remember wearing them around my house when I was a wee lad playing pilot, of course the earcups fit more around my jaw than my ears then.

 

I always make a small prayer as I enter the runway for take off.

 

Old Air Force superstition immortalized in a song.
Before a taking off on a difficult mission, they would throw a nickel on the grass, the rule being, they would have to come back and pick it up.....
I personally saw and did this myself as late as the the first Gulf War, although grass was in short supply. Don't think the kids do or sing this much in today's PC Air Force.

Here's one verse of the song; it gained verses every war:

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Throw a nickel on the grass save a fighter pilot´s ass
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Throw a nickel on the grass and you´ll be safe!

Well, I´m cruising down the Yalu, doing
six-and-twenty per
When a call came from the Major, " Oh, won´t you save me, Sir!
Got two big flak holes in my wings, my engine´s
outta gas!
Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! Got six MIG´s on my ass!"

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Throw a nickel on the grass save a fighter pilot´s ass
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Throw a nickel on the grass and you´ll be safe!

 

Around the time of the First World War there was a superstition regarding having photos taken before take-off. Some say that it began when the Red Baron had a photo of himself taken just before his final flight. Others say it started earlier. Either way, there was (and possibly still is) a superstition among German pilots that you should never have a picture of you and your aircraft taken before going flying.