Day with a Difference - Aug 02, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

The best things in life aren't things. - Art Buchwald

Hanna Reitsch and Third Reich

Third Reich means the Third Empire. This was the official name of Hitler's regime, which ruled from 1933 to 1945. The Nazis regarded their rule as the successor to two previous empires: the Holy Roman Empire (962 AD-1806) and the Second Reich founded by Otto von Bismarck (1871-1918).

Hanna Reitsch is one of the most celebrated women of the Third Reich. As a decorated test pilot for the Luftwaffe and a protege of Hitler, Reitsch was one of a handful of women who achieved personal success by breaking from the traditionally defined role of wife and mother in Nazi Germany. Reitsch's skills and accomplishments ultimately earned her an Iron Cross and celebrity status. A witness to the last days of the Third Reich, Reitsch visited Hitler's Berlin bunker where she received orders to deliver letters designed to rally the Luftwaffe. She left on this futile mission only minutes before Hitler's marriage to Eva Braun.

An interesting fact is that, Hannah Reisch saw a UFO speeding by at an altitude of 20,000 meters (66,000 feet) while flight-testing a forerunner of the Messerschmitt 163 Komet. The first rocket engine was developed by the Germans during World War II. Germany's first women pilot, Hannah Reisch, was the test pilot.

Expand your knowledge base

Inflight Humour

"Hello Everyone, we have a first time flyer on board today - and it is also their 50th birthday!" After everybody cheers, the flight attendant continues, "Will everyone please wish the captain a Happy Birthday!?"

After landing: "Thank you for flying Delta Business Express. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."

Pilot: "Folks, we have reached our cruising altitude now, so I am going to switch the seat belt sign off. Feel free to move about as you wish, but please stay inside the plane till we land. It's a bit cold outside, and if you walk on the wings it affects the flight pattern."

Have a memorable day!
Priya