"balls to the wall"

[Douglas G. Wilson]

>On Celestial Wings / Edgar D. Whitcomb.  Air University Press, Maxwell AFB
>Alabama, 1995 (a biographical narrative, set during WWII)
>p. 93
>"Down, down, down it went through 2,000 feet, 1,000 feet, and leveled off
>to roar over the White House with throttles to the wall at 500 feet. "

And likewise:

Donald D. Pickinpaugh, _Pilots of Valor_  (2000), p. 42: ['nonfiction',
Vietnam era apparently] <<Lining up on the runway, I pushed both throttles
to the wall as aircraft 542 rolled down the strip at Danang Air Base.>>

Roy Boehm and Charles W. Sasser, _First Seal_ (2003), p. 292:
['nonfiction', Vietnam era apparently] <<The pilots had panicked over a few
rounds of ground fire and shoved the throttles to the wall.>>

James Neel White, _I Was a P-51 Pilot in WWII_ (2003), p. 375:
['nonfiction', WW II] <<Adrenalin pumping into his body, he snapped on his
gun switch, shoved the throttle to the wall, and zipped down the runway,
full blower.>>

... etc., etc.

-- Doug Wilson


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