--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: By day, or on a cloudless night, a pilot…" description: "\"By day, or on a cloudless night, a pilot may drink the wine of the gods, but it has an earthly taste; he's a god of the earth, like one of the Grecian ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02f/charles-a-lindbergh-2-169561_aviation_by-day-or-on-a-cloudless-night-a-pilot-m_2170668.jpg" --- # By day, or on a cloudless night, a pilot may drink the… ![“By day, or on a cloudless night, a pilot may drink the wine of the gods, but it has an earthly taste; he's a god of the earth, like one of the Grecian deities who lives on worldly mountains and descended for intercourse with men. But at night, over a stratus layer, all sense of the planet may…” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02f/charles-a-lindbergh-2-169561_aviation_by-day-or-on-a-cloudless-night-a-pilot-m_2170668.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02f/charles-a-lindbergh-2-169561_aviation_by-day-or-on-a-cloudless-night-a-pilot-m_2170668.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02f/charles-a-lindbergh-2-169561_aviation_by-day-or-on-a-cloudless-night-a-pilot-m_2170668.jpg) > “By day, or on a cloudless night, a pilot may drink the wine of the gods, but it has an earthly taste; he's a god of the earth, like one of the Grecian deities who lives on worldly mountains and descended for intercourse with men. But at night, over a stratus layer, all sense of the planet may disappear. You know that down below, beneath that heavenly blanket is the earth, factual and hard. But it's an intellectual knowledge; it's a knowledge tucked away in the mind; not a feeling that penetrates the body. And if at times you renounce experience and mind's heavy logic, it seems that the world has rushed along on its orbit, leaving you alone flying above a forgotten cloud bank, somewhere in the solitude of interstellar space.” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The pilot experiences a dual reality: lofty imagination versus grounded reality, highlighting the tension between mind and body. **In simple terms:** Dreams feel divine, but reality is solid. Key Takeaway Balance imagination with practical awareness. Themes creativity perception duality Mood contemplative melancholic Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - pilots - artists - philosophical Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - When does imagination hinder action? - How to stay grounded while dreaming? A Different Perspective Dreams may detach you from tangible responsibilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aviation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aviation/) ## Related quotes > [By day, or on a cloudless night, a pilot may drink the wine of the gods, but it has an earthly taste; he's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/by-day-or-on-a-cloudless-night-a-pilot-may-drink-the-wine-of-the-gods/) [Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/) > [“On a cloudless night, inky dark, with only a rind of a moon above, the Golem and the Jinni went walking together along the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helene-wecker/on-a-cloudless-night-inky-dark-with-only-a-rind-of-a-moon-above-the/) [Helene Wecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helene-wecker/) > [Have you ever, on a cloudless night, looked down from a passing aircraft flying over Canada? Endless, glowing strings of cities, towns, and homesteads.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-martin/have-you-ever-on-a-cloudless-night-looked-down-from-a-passing/) [Paul Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-martin/) > [“Young she was and yet not so. The braids of her dark hair were touched by no frost; her white arms and clear face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/young-she-was-and-yet-not-so-the-braids-of-her-dark-hair-were-touched/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [The brightest star on a cloudless night Some kind of miracle, almost empty sky... Just as the bite of the blade wakes the absent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-matthews/the-brightest-star-on-a-cloudless-night-some-kind-of-miracle-almost/) [Dave Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-matthews/) > [“On a cloudless night, ink dark, with only a rind of a moon above, the Golem and the Jinni went walking together”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helene-wecker/on-a-cloudless-night-ink-dark-with-only-a-rind-of-a-moon-above-the/) [Helene Wecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helene-wecker/) > [You know why God put you on earth. . . because he didnt want you up there!..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-why-god-put-you-on-earth-because-he-didnt-want-you-up-there/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God put me on Earth to accomplish a certain number of things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-put-me-on-earth-to-accomplish-a-certain-number-of-things/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Thus saith the Lord God; When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thus-saith-the-lord-god-when-the-whole-earth-rejoiceth-i-will-make/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God put me on earth to accompish a certain number of things. Right now I am so far behind, I will never die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-put-me-on-earth-to-accompish-a-certain-number-of-things-right-now/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I live because God put me on Earth for a reason. Even if I mess up sometimes. There is always a bigger picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-live-because-god-put-me-on-earth-for-a-reason-even-if-i-mess-up/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The meaning of earthly existence lies not, as we have grown used to thinking, in prospering but in the development of the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-meaning-of-earthly-existence-lies-not-as-we-have-grown-used-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Above or Love, Hope, Hate or Fear, It lives all passionless and pure: An age shall fleet like earthly year; Its years in moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/above-or-love-hope-hate-or-fear-it-lives-all-passionless-and-pure-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you give your soul up to anything earthly, whether it be the wealth, or the honours, or the pleasures of this world, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-give-your-soul-up-to-anything-earthly-whether-it-be-the-wealth/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I know there's a lot of money in aviation because I put it there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-know-there-s-a-lot-of-money-in-aviation-because-i-put-it-there/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Aviation quotes > [There is something more important than any ultimate weapon. That is the ultimate position-the position of total control over Earth that lies somewhere out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/there-is-something-more-important-than-any-ultimate-weapon-that-is/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [I'm getting housemaid's knee kneeling here gulping beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelia-earhart/i-m-getting-housemaid-s-knee-kneeling-here-gulping-beauty/) [Amelia Earhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelia-earhart/) > [I am alive. Up here with the song of the engine and the air whispering on my face as the sunlight and shadows play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-coonts/i-am-alive-up-here-with-the-song-of-the-engine-and-the-air-whispering/) [Stephen Coonts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-coonts/) > [A thing of orchestrated hell-a terrible symphony of light and flame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-r-murrow/a-thing-of-orchestrated-hell-a-terrible-symphony-of-light-and-flame/) [Edward R. Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/) > [Splutter, splutter. Yes - we're off - we're rising. But why start off with an engine like that? But it smooths out now, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/splutter-splutter-yes-we-re-off-we-re-rising-but-why-start-off-with/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [If the Wright brother were alive today Wilbur would have to fire Orville to reduce costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-kelleher/if-the-wright-brother-were-alive-today-wilbur-would-have-to-fire/) [Herb Kelleher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-kelleher/) > [Aviators live by hours, not by days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white-2/aviators-live-by-hours-not-by-days/) [T. H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white-2/) > [This strongly asserted but ill-defined license to kill without accountability is not an entitlement which the United States or other states can have without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-alston/this-strongly-asserted-but-ill-defined-license-to-kill-without/) Philip Alston > [Every flyer who ventures across oceans to distant lands is a potential explorer; in his or her breast burns the same fire that urged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-batten/every-flyer-who-ventures-across-oceans-to-distant-lands-is-a/) Jean Batten > [When you get to know me, I don't despair - I just get up, clean up, and start again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avi-arad/when-you-get-to-know-me-i-don-t-despair-i-just-get-up-clean-up-and/) [Avi Arad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avi-arad/) > [Be Luke Skywalker, not Darth Vader. Ultimately love is stronger than evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-burr/be-luke-skywalker-not-darth-vader-ultimately-love-is-stronger-than/) Don Burr > [Had I been a man I might have explored the Poles or climbed Mount Everest, but as it was my spirit found outlet in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-johnson/had-i-been-a-man-i-might-have-explored-the-poles-or-climbed-mount/) [Amy Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-johnson/) > [As a fighter pilot I know from my own experiences how decisive surprise and luck can be for success, which in the long run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-galland/as-a-fighter-pilot-i-know-from-my-own-experiences-how-decisive/) [Adolf Galland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-galland/) > [The way I see it, you can either work for a living or you can fly airplanes. Me, I'd rather fly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/len-morgan/the-way-i-see-it-you-can-either-work-for-a-living-or-you-can-fly/) Len Morgan [Browse all 977 Aviation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aviation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "By day, or on a cloudless night, a pilot may drink the wine of the gods, but it has an earthly taste; he's a god of the earth, like one of the Grecian deities who lives on worldly mountains and descended for intercourse with men. But at night, over a stratus layer, all sense of the planet may disappear. You know that down below, beneath that heavenly blanket is the earth, factual and hard. But it's an intellectual knowledge; it's a knowledge tucked away in the mind; not a feeling that penetrates the body. And if at times you renounce experience and mind's heavy logic, it seems that the world has rushed along on its orbit, leaving you alone flying above a forgotten cloud bank, somewhere in the solitude of interstellar space.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anonymous" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/by-day-or-on-a-cloudless-night-a-pilot-may-drink-the-wine-of-the-gods-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Aviation" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/by-day-or-on-a-cloudless-night-a-pilot-may-drink-the-wine-of-the-gods-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02f/charles-a-lindbergh-2-169561_aviation_by-day-or-on-a-cloudless-night-a-pilot-m_2170668.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02f/charles-a-lindbergh-2-169561_aviation_by-day-or-on-a-cloudless-night-a-pilot-m_2170668.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02f/charles-a-lindbergh-2-169561_aviation_by-day-or-on-a-cloudless-night-a-pilot-m_2170668.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“By day, or on a cloudless night, a pilot may drink the wine of the gods, but it has an earthly taste; he's a…” — Anonymous", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anonymous", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "By day, or on a cloudless...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/by-day-or-on-a-cloudless-night-a-pilot-may-drink-the-wine-of-the-gods-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/by-day-or-on-a-cloudless-night-a-pilot-may-drink-the-wine-of-the-gods-2/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```