The mechanic replies, 'It's the gauge.'ģ. The mechanic says, There's nothing wrong with it.'Ģ. It has four parts, and goes something like this:ġ. The ritual is accomplished before any work is actually done on the aircraft. Most pilots find they can't change it, and so accept it and try to practice it with some grace. Some try to take it as a joke, but it's always dead serious. They get red in the face, fume and boil, and do foolish dances. There are pilots who refuse to recognize it as a serious professional amenity, no matter how many times they perform it, and are driven to distraction by it. Older drivers feel that the pain of learning everything the hard way was so exquisite, that they shouldn't deny anyone the pleasure. New pilots are largely ignorant of the ritual because it's neither included in their training, nor handed down to them by older drivers. All mechanics seem to be aware of it, which leads to the conclusion that it's included somewhere in their training, and most are diligent in practicing it.
It takes place when a helicopter pilot approaches a mechanic to report some difficulty with his aircraft.
A long, long time ago, back in the days of iron men and wooden rotor blades, a ritual began.
