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Date	Original Topic
3rd June 2005	"Sky pilot"--Victorian military slang? By Diana Blackwell Can anybody confirm whether the term "sky pilot" might plausibly have been used by a British soldier in 1879 to refer to a member of the clergy?
Date	Replies
3rd June 2005	Michael Boyle Diana, I could only trace it back to W W I. (Which is still 50 years older than I thought!) : http://www.anu.edu.au/andc/res/aehist/wwi/OrigS.php Prior to the invention of manned flight the term 'pilot' generally referred to either an inland waterway skipper or one broght aboard an ocean going vessel to navigate into difficult ports. I'm not sure if ballon operators were called 'pilot' but if they were then perhaps the analogy to padres could go back further than the Great War. (Though a bit of an analogical stretch I suppose any of the above could apply.) Best Michael
9th June 2005	Diana Blackwell Dear Michael, Thanks for the info! Best, Diana