Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihuxx.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!mgnetp!ihnp4!ihuxx!ignatz
From: ignatz@ihuxx.UUCP (Dave Ihnat, Chicago, IL)
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Subject: Solo ritual survey...
Message-ID: <749@ihuxx.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 18-May-84 19:27:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxx.749
Posted: Fri May 18 19:27:25 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 19-May-84 07:06:38 EDT
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 26

Ok, folks...here's your chance to settle a friendly dispute (and,
incidentally, maybe save/cost someone a shirt.)

I, and many others, have always thought the ritual of having your
shirttail cut off after your first solo to be a wide-spread thing.  A
friend of mine who just soloed swears by all that's holy (and most
that isn't) that this is balderdash, and it must just be a military
thing.  His fiancee backs this, claiming that 'no one at Palwaukee has
ever done this', or at least that she knows of.  Meanwhile, the chief
pilot, and all the staff, at Air Aurora maintain, 'oh, yeah...you're
right.  We do it all the time.'

Who's right?  Is it some arcane ritual spawned in the sodden brains of
the military zoomies?  Or is my friend mistaken (and trying to save
his shirttail), and it's a time-honored tradition?

Please mail to me, indicating whether you've ever heard of this
ritual, where (military/civilian aviation), and is it still practiced
where you normally fly.  If anyone else is interested, let me know and
I'll send you the results after the responses trickle to a halt; as
usual, if enough want the results, I'll post them.

	Thanks for helping,

			Dave Ihnat
			ihuxx!ignatz