Pilot Jargon

[Dev One]

"BALLS TO THE WALL" IS SOMETIMES A MISUNDERSTOOD TERM BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC. IT IS ACTUALLY A TERM IN USE BY PILOTS FOR MANY YEARS DATING BACK TO OLDER MULTI ENGINE COCKPITS WHERE THE THROTTLE LEVERS WERE TOPPED WITH SPHERICAL KNOBS FOR EASY GRIPPING. THROTTLING UP TO FULL POWER, THAT IS, PUSHING THE KNOBS FULL FORWARD TOWARDS THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS REFERRED TO AS "BALLS TO THE WALL."


Conversation between St. Louis Approach control and two inbound a/c:

St. Louis Approach: "United 122, best forward speed to the outer marker, you're number one."

United 122 (male voice): “Roger that, Balls to the Wall !

St. Louis Approach: "American 4321, you're number two behind a United 737, follow him, cleared visual, best forward speed."

American 4321 (female voice): "Well I can't do balls to the wall, ...but I can do wide open."

-Radio silence-

Unidentified Pilot (male voice): "Is American hiring?"

Keith

[airboatr]

[nigelb]

Nigel²

[Airspeed]

[adysmith]

and of course the "wall" in that phrase is the firewall, between cockpit and engine on single engined aircraft.

[Airspeed]

Are you hinting at great balls of fire, Ady?

[Archer]

and of course the "wall" in that phrase is the firewall, between cockpit and engine on single engined aircraft.

Firewall: (1) The part of the airplane specially designed to allow all heat and exhaust to enter the cockpit. (2) The act of pulling 69 inches of manifold pressure, out of an engine designed to pull 60.

— Bob Stevens, 'There I Was.'

[Dev One]

Thought you were bragging until I re-read 'manifold pressure'........mistook the last word as 'pleasure'....
Keith