kick the tires and light the fires

English

Etymology

From kick the tires, referring to a preflight check of the landing gear, and light the fires, referring to the ignition of the afterburners, a part of the engine which burns extra fuel for a speed boost.

Verb

kick the tires and light the fires (third-person singular simple present kicks the tires and lights the fires, present participle kicking the tires and lighting the fires, simple past and past participle kicked the tires and lit the fires)

1. (US, military slang, used by fighter pilots) To take off.
   • 1998, Jimmy Buffett, A Pirate Looks at Fifty (2000 Random House edition), →ISBN, p. 108 (Google preview):

     His face appears in the open window of the pilot's seat on the flight deck. He is ready. I am ready. It's time to kick the tires and light the fires.