"Fly the plane"
 "Fly the plane"(projection)   | |
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| To "Fly the plane" is, knowingly or unknowingly, to open oneself to blackmail by a deep state group. Derinved from the Lolita Express, it applies much more widely as a metaphor. |
To "fly the plane" is a modern metaphor that means "to make oneself blackmailable by a deep state". Metaphorically "flying the plane" in this sense is a once only event (c.f. "crossing the Rubicon", "jumping the shark").
Etymology
The phrase derives from the "Lolita Express", Jeffrey Epstein's private plane. This flew many[How many?] people, mostly men, to one of his private islands where hidden cameras filmed them engaging in paedophilia. After the flight logs became available online in 2019[citation needed], "Did he fly the plane?" emerged as an important guide to evaluating someone's relationship with the deep state.
Tacit flying
"Flying the plane" is not necessarily a choice to do something - it may be a decision not to act, for example to keep silent and turn a blind eye to deep state corruption. Although not as incriminating as active collaboration, tactic agreement with deep state plans is easier and can lead to active collaboration later on. Mark Gorton suggests that Ronald Reagan flew the plane when he agreed to the October Surprise.
Clarification
The phrase is a metaphor, not a literal reference to travel aboard the Lolita Express. Some people might have had flights on Epstein's plane without having opened themselves to deep state corruption. Many more matephorically "flew the plane" -- whether through knowing collaboration with the deep state or ensnarement in its honeytraps.
