# Rapid unscheduled disassembly and other rocket scientist jokes **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 16, 2015, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapid-unscheduled-disassembly-and-other-rocket-scientist-jokes/710028 "2015-01-16T23:55:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapid-unscheduled-disassembly-and-other-rocket-scientist-jokes/710028/21 "2015-01-17T23:30:30Z")
when Bill Knapp’s (MI-based restaurant chain, known as a favorite of senior citizens) was still around, we used to refer their locations as “Heaven’s waiting room.” ETA: And before it was phased out, some of us referred to the Mercury Grand Marquis as “Heaven’s taxi cab.” ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapid-unscheduled-disassembly-and-other-rocket-scientist-jokes/710028/22 "2015-01-18T00:37:14Z")
I don’t know if clouds have silver linings, but some of them are definitely full of aluminum and should be avoided. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapid-unscheduled-disassembly-and-other-rocket-scientist-jokes/710028/23 "2015-01-18T01:38:53Z")
“At ignition, a thousand different things can happen- all but one of them are bad”. ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapid-unscheduled-disassembly-and-other-rocket-scientist-jokes/710028/24 "2015-01-18T01:50:40Z")
> [@PatriotGrrrl](#): > > Then there’s Controlled Flight into Terrain, which implies that the aircraft wasn’t damaged or out of control, but the pilot was disoriented or otherwise unaware of their altitude or the presence of an obstacle. Back in the 70’s I read a crash report that reported the last words on the flight recorder were from the co-pilot “Hey! Minimum Safe Altitude is …” (End Recording). Everytime I think of that report it makes me feel queasy. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapid-unscheduled-disassembly-and-other-rocket-scientist-jokes/710028/25 "2015-01-18T05:04:57Z")
In model airplanes we called crashing “re-kitting.” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Holdsworth\_Effect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/848f3c/32.png) [@The\_Holdsworth\_Effect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Holdsworth_Effect)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapid-unscheduled-disassembly-and-other-rocket-scientist-jokes/710028/26 "2015-01-18T16:11:34Z")
I remember the NTSB description of the demise of the Swearingen SX300 my dad built- he sold it, and it was resold to a guy who took it up on a Sunday without preflighting it. “Engine failure” was caused by an empty fuel tank, two days of search from “non functional” emergency locator (he had turned it off), and death from “blunt force trauma/exposure”- he left the scene of the crash with a badly broken leg. Dad was pissed. He spent a lot of hours on that thing. I had to remind him not to speak ill of the dead. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapid-unscheduled-disassembly-and-other-rocket-scientist-jokes/710028/27 "2015-01-18T16:40:44Z")
> [@The\_Holdsworth\_Effect](#): > > I had to remind him not to speak ill of the dead. Is calling someone a Darwin Award candidate speaking ill? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Holdsworth\_Effect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/848f3c/32.png) [@The\_Holdsworth\_Effect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Holdsworth_Effect)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapid-unscheduled-disassembly-and-other-rocket-scientist-jokes/710028/28 "2015-01-18T16:49:01Z")
That was my (unvoiced) thought. The guy had 11 hours on the plane, had always had a mechanic preflight it for him, apparently, and belonged to a social class where it is assumed minions did the work. Wealthy ophthalmologist with multiple offices. FWIW I never rode with Dad in the Swearingen. It had a stall speed of 75 mph and used a LOT of fuel. (I think it had a 300 horse engine ? and wings the size of ironing boards.) He flew it until he was 77. I was really worried about RUD and had small children. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapid-unscheduled-disassembly-and-other-rocket-scientist-jokes/710028/29 "2015-01-18T18:08:53Z")
The pilot experienced Rapid Thermal Exfoliation. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapid-unscheduled-disassembly-and-other-rocket-scientist-jokes/710028/30 "2015-01-18T18:26:54Z")
I hesitated about putting this here because its more a family joke but --------- Uncle Fred, whenever he did something, would say “Well, I’m no rocket scientist”. The joke was that he did work for NASA but in electrical systems and not rocket science. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapid-unscheduled-disassembly-and-other-rocket-scientist-jokes/710028/31 "2015-01-18T22:49:00Z")
> [@The\_Holdsworth\_Effect](#): > > That was my (unvoiced) thought. The guy had 11 hours on the plane, had always had a mechanic preflight it for him, apparently, and belonged to a social class where it is assumed minions did the work. Wealthy ophthalmologist with multiple offices. … One of my favorite aviation aphorisms: “A fool and his money are soon … flying more airplane than he can handle” ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2015, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapid-unscheduled-disassembly-and-other-rocket-scientist-jokes/710028/32 "2015-01-19T00:01:38Z")
> [@The\_Holdsworth\_Effect](#): > > That was my (unvoiced) thought. The guy had 11 hours on the plane, had always had a mechanic preflight it for him, apparently, and belonged to a social class where it is assumed minions did the work. Wealthy ophthalmologist with multiple offices. Ah, the old “a fool and his money are soon flying more airplane than he can handle” scenario… ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2015, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapid-unscheduled-disassembly-and-other-rocket-scientist-jokes/710028/33 "2015-01-19T01:33:51Z")
I am sure that this is just a modification of the phrase in the OP, but in the fire alarm business we refer to it as “Spontaneous Rapid Disassembly.” ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2015, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapid-unscheduled-disassembly-and-other-rocket-scientist-jokes/710028/34 "2015-01-19T06:25:37Z")
On a slight tangent, in the USCG Electronics Technician fraternity, some electronics that needed a LOT of repairs generally failed the “Float Test”\* and were replace by new ones. \*Float Test = throw the thing over the rail. If it sinks instead of floats, it’s defective and needs replacing. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapid-unscheduled-disassembly-and-other-rocket-scientist-jokes/710028/35 "2015-01-21T00:54:24Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Lithobraking has also on occasion been planned but unsuccessful, as with the Mars Deep Impactor Probe. Which, to be fair, everyone knew right from the start had a low chance of success, but it was cheap enough to make it a good bet anyway. Those probes bug me a bit. The US has a pretty good batting average when it comes to Mars landers of various stripes, but those high-risk probes throw it off. 7/10 successes if you include them; 7/8 if you don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapid-unscheduled-disassembly-and-other-rocket-scientist-jokes/710028/36 "2015-01-21T01:03:20Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > \*Float Test = throw the thing over the rail. If it sinks instead of floats, it’s defective and needs replacing. Sounds like they could have learned from the witch trials. Their test was reversed: if you float, you’re a witch; if not, innocent. Guarantees that you’ll rid yourself of some unwanted termagant. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapid-unscheduled-disassembly-and-other-rocket-scientist-jokes/710028/37 "2015-01-21T02:15:41Z")
> [@PatriotGrrrl](#): > > Then there’s Controlled Flight into Terrain, which implies that the aircraft wasn’t damaged or out of control, but the pilot was disoriented or otherwise unaware of their altitude or the presence of an obstacle. > > When this happens to me or my friends during video game dogfights it’s quite embarrassing. It’s even more embarrassing when it happens IRL. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapid-unscheduled-disassembly-and-other-rocket-scientist-jokes/710028/38 "2015-01-21T03:12:26Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > It’s even more embarrassing when it happens IRL. Most pilots who do it never live it down… ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapid-unscheduled-disassembly-and-other-rocket-scientist-jokes/710028/39 "2015-01-21T07:29:43Z")
Another one came to mind when I was perusing some old threads. Rocket engines tend to produce a “fuel-rich” exhaust, as it turns out that a stoichiometric fuel:oxidizer ratio is usually not optimal. Certain parts of the engine may also be oxidizer-rich. However, if you have _engine-rich exhaust_, you are having a bad problem and you will not go to space today. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapid-unscheduled-disassembly-and-other-rocket-scientist-jokes/710028.md?page=1)