The iconic comic strip, The Far Side, is celebrated for its unique ability to distort the mundane into the utterly absurd, transforming everyday scenarios into fantastical misadventures. Whether it involves a simple outing to the grocery store or the rigors of air travel, each comic invariably culminates in an outrageous twist, often laced with dark humor. A notable subset of these comics centers on the realm of aviation, featuring pilots in scenarios that starkly highlight their incompetence. Below, we take a closer look at the 10 most amusing Far Side comics featuring the world’s worst pilots.
10 Mountain Goat
These Far Side Pilots Don’t Realize They’re About to Fly Right Into a Mountain
In this comic, two pilots are cruising through cloudy skies when they spot a mountain goat seemingly floating among the clouds. One pilot expresses confusion about how the goat could be in such a high location, totally oblivious to the looming disaster as their plane hurtles directly toward a mountain’s peak. This scenario humorously underscores their incompetence, not only for misunderstanding cloud dynamics but also for being dangerously inattentive to their primary duty as pilots.
9 Losing His Hat
This Far Side Pilot is More Concerned About His Hat Than the Real Problem
This comic humorously depicts a dire situation where the entire cockpit top is missing, exposing the pilots to intense winds. Instead of focusing on the calamity at hand, one pilot’s primary concern is retrieving his lost hat, showcasing his obliviousness to the gravity of the situation, thus marking him as one of the worst pilots imaginable.
8 Freezing Under Pressure
This Far Side Pilot is So Bad, He’s Literally a Snowman
In yet another calamity, this time it’s the pilot’s sheer panic that leads to a bizarre twist: his copilot literally transforms into a snowman out of fear. The ambiguity left in this scene raises questions—did he become so frightened that he turned into snow, or was he simply a non-sentient snowman from the start? Regardless of the interpretation, his frozen state is emblematic of his utter inadequacy as a pilot.
7 Dumbo Attacks
These Far Side Pilots are Taken Out by Dumbo
In this comic, Dumbo the elephant unleashes his frustration on the unsuspecting pilots. Although it’s an exaggerated portrayal, it humorously reflects how even innocent human behavior can provoke a fierce response from a misunderstood character, further complicating the pilots’ already dismal situation.
6 Alien Pilot
This Far Side Pilot isn’t Even from Earth, & They’re Still Terrible
In a crossover of comedy and sci-fi, a human and an alien pilot find themselves plummeting to Earth after a collision. Despite wielding advanced technology, the alien fails to ensure a safe distance from the human’s craft. This oversight not only makes both pilots culpable for the crash but also illustrates that reckless flying can transcend planetary boundaries.
5 ACME Wingbaby
The Far Side Pilots for This Plane have Dangerous Ways of Handling Crying Babies
In a laughable and alarming depiction, a baby is shown precariously hanging from the aircraft’s wing as a solution to quell in-flight cries. The absurdity of this scenario serves to highlight the pilot’s utter negligence, emphasizing that any pilot who endorses such antics is undoubtedly among the worst possible.
4 Lost Contact Lenses
These Far Side Pilots Both Lost Their Contact Lenses at the Same Time
In a shocking lapse, both pilots have misplaced their contact lenses mid-flight, leaving them unable to operate the aircraft. This scenario presents a dual threat: not only are they unmanned at the controls, but their lack of preparation and awareness showcases the epitome of poor piloting.
3 Pretending to Fly
This Far Side Pilot is Pretending to Fly… While He’s Actually Flying
In one hilariously absurd scenario, a pilot is found standing in his cockpit, arms outstretched, imitating the act of flying while neglecting control of the aircraft itself. This moment epitomizes a whimsical fantasy, underscoring that daydreaming while operating an airplane is a catastrophic error.
2 Causing a Panic
This Far Side Pilot Causes a Panic for No Reason
In a comedic twist, one pilot mistakenly believes that a warning light signifies a fuel shortage and spirals into an irrational panic, exclaiming that they’re all going to perish. His error leads to chaos in the cabin, creating a ripple effect of fear among passengers—a quintessential demonstration of how not to handle emergencies.
1 Turbulence
These Far Side Pilots Create Their Own Turbulence (for Fun)
Finally, the most egregious of all: these pilots actively create turbulence for their own amusement, jokingly informing passengers of a supposed rough ride. This irresponsible behavior not only puts the passengers at risk but also exemplifies an utter disregard for the responsibilities of flying. Their childish antics firmly establish them as some of the most reprehensible pilots in The Far Side.