Out, In, and Reed All Over

A Cold War Comedy from the Flight Line

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Winston Churchill once said the Britain and the U.S. were partners, divided by a common language. For example, the USAF refers to a flyable airplane as “In Commission” or “In”, and “Out of Commission”, or “Out” if it needs maintenance. But the Canadian Forces do all their maintenance inside, so if an aircraft is “In”, it’s in the hangar and being worked on, and if it’s “out” it’s on the flight line ready to fly. - Colonel Jim Reed

About the Author, Jim Reed

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As a Captain, Jim Reed had just arrived at a new assignment as an Exchange Officer with the Canadian Forces. Based in Ottawa, one of his first activities was to take a Canadian T-33 to their unit at Cold Lake, Alberta, with a refueling stop in Winnipeg. The flight to Winnipeg was uneventful, and Jim told the ground crew he would get some lunch while they refueled the a/c, then proceed to Cold Lake.

Shortly after Jim arrived, a USAF T-33 landed at Winnipeg. The American T-33 was flown by a Canadian Group Captain, based in Washington DC and flying with the USAF. And the Group Captain had the same last name – “Reed”.

An American T-33 and a Canadian T-33 in a snowy airfield in Canada (Ai generated for illustration)

So:

-- Canadian Group Captain Reed was flying the USAF T-33, and

-- USAF Captain Reed was flying the Canadian T-33.

The Canadian T-33 had a maintenance problem and needed a couple of days of repairs. Since it was a Canadian a/c, the ground crew made a logical mistake and called the Canadian pilot, informed him of the aircraft’s condition and asked him to check in two days to see if the aircraft had been fixed. Because the American T-33 was fully serviced and ready to go, they called Jim Reed, thinking he was flying the American airplane.

Jim filed the flight plan for his Canadian T-33 and got the line taxi to go to his Canadian aircraft (which actually was in the hangar and being worked on). Unable to find the Canadian a/c on the flight line, Jim also noticed the American T-33, with a ground crew and power unit standing by, ready to go. Asking the ground crew about it, he was told that they had called the pilot and told him the a/c was “out”, but if he didn’t show up soon, they were going to take it back “in” again.

Abbott and Costello would have been proud

“Sometimes, legacy is built not just through valor, but through moments of shared laughter. This story reminds us that even in uniform, humanity—and humor—prevails.”

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📘 Flight Line Glossary

Term	Definition
In Commission (USAF)	Aircraft is operational and ready to fly.
Out of Commission (USAF)	Aircraft is grounded due to maintenance or repairs.
In (Canadian Forces)	Aircraft is inside the hangar, undergoing maintenance.
Out (Canadian Forces)	Aircraft is outside on the flight line, ready for flight.
T-33	A jet trainer aircraft used by both USAF and Canadian Forces.
Flight Line	The area of an airbase where aircraft are parked, serviced, and prepared for flight.
Ground Crew	Personnel responsible for refueling, inspecting, and prepping aircraft.
A/C	Abbreviation for “aircraft.”
Exchange Officer	A military officer assigned to serve with an allied nation’s forces.
Group Captain	A senior rank in the Royal Canadian Air Force, equivalent to a USAF Colonel.