Back when I was flying for a freight company in the DC 8 we used to have curriers on board from time to time. Often they would be young and innocent.

If we found out that the guy was a newbie we'd sometimes have to "pull" start the DC-8.

It went something like this.

Hey is that damn starter motor out again? Yep we're going to have to pull start it. After running the "pull" start abnormal checklist one of us would grab a hand mic cord so that you could only see the cord part and start yanking on it in an exaggerated fashion, the other guy would hit the stick shaker test repeatedly.

In the mean time you've started an engine so when the noise of the stick shaker stops magically an engine is running. And you usually got a comment like "unbelievable I had no idea you could start a jet like that!"


The other one I used to like to play on new FA's was the wing off switch briefing in the 737. On the 737 the wing light says on on top of the switch and wing off on the bottom or visa versa I can't remeber. In any case we'd call in a new FA and give her the full safety briefing when we got to the "wing off" portion of the briefing I'd place my finger so it would cover the on marking.

When the poor FA looks at the switch it says wing off. And of course we'd explain why you NEVER, NEVER touch the wing off switch in flight!

I'm surprised nobody has brought up the "moon port viewer". Again on the 737 and with a new FA of course, turn your map light almost all the way down and then explain how we use the moon as our primary source of navigation. Because it doesn't matter where you are on the planet the moon viewer always keeps the moon in sight.

Almost without fail the FA wants to see the moon through the viewer. They lean way over and look into the dimmed map light. Some even claim to be able to see the craters on the moon when they look.