Procedural linguistics

[Mud Man]

Great site you all have here. Recently registered to look at a wonderful collection of photos.

I have a question that's been bothering me for a few days, and Google hasn't helped me answer it yet. I thought perhaps one of you might know the answer. I suppose English-speaking pilots would shout "contact" as their props took motion -- and the French would shout "coupe," if memory serves and Snoopy can be believed -- but what did the Luftwaffe pilots of WWI say, if anything, prior to takeoff?

It might seem a small thing, hut it has been preying on my mind lately. Any help would be appreciated.

[Flamingo]

Kontakt!

[Mud Man]

Ach, du lieber...

[Barrett]

I moderated a couple of panels with Gunther Rall who had a semi-related story. He said before May 44 he started his engine, gave two thumbs-up and his Schwartzemann pulled the chocks. He closed the canopy and took off.

"After Zemke's people shot off my left thumb, I held up my right thumb, the mechanics pulled the right chock and I went around in circles to the left."

Honest!

[Gregvan]

I'm not sure about what preceded it, but a common phrase just before takeoff was:

Bremsklötze weg! meaning 'Chocks away!". Herman Köhl even entitled his book with this phrase.

Greg

[Catfish]

"Chocks off" or "Bremskloetze weg" was ordered when the engine had been already running for a while, to test revolutions or warm it up, directly before beginning to taxi, or start. So 'Contact' would have been said earlier -
'Kontakt' especially in WW1 german planes with inline engine would mean to the ground crew to stay clear from the propellor, because it would next auto-start by cranking the "Anlass-Magnetschalter" from inside the cockpit.

[Barrett]

Actually, we're being too pragmatic about A Pilot's Last Words Before Takeoff. Forget engine, startup, and chocks. The Universal Pilot's Prayer has ALWAYS been: "Please, Lord, don't let me eff up..."

Truth itself.