Aviation Stunts: A History Lesson

Almost from the start of aviation, well before the advent social media, people have been pushing the boundaries of aircraft.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, April 26, 2022 at 03:22 PM ET

Verified

John “Auggy” Pedlar has a seat on the wing. [Courtesy: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

Aviation stunts have a long and dangerous history predating social media and regulatory bodies, often performed for publicity, entertainment, or profit.
Early feats included barnstorming, wing walking, and playing tennis on biplane wings, which were often high-risk and led to fatalities.
Some famous aviation events, like Douglas Corrigan's "Wrong Way" flight and Howard Hughes' first flight of the "Spruce Goose," were likely deliberate stunts disguised as accidents to gain attention or challenge authorities.
The increasing dangers and casualties from these early stunts eventually prompted the establishment of aviation regulations to improve safety.

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A stunt is defined as an unusual or difficult feat requiring great skill or daring, especially one performed or undertaken chiefly to gain attention or publicity.

Recently, we’ve seen two “stunts” involving aviation—the YouTuber who intentionally crashed his airplane for video views and the Red Bull midair airplane swap. The FAA has taken a dim view of both events, and there have been discussions that the stunts were encouraged by social media. However, stunts involving aircraft go back to the early days of aviation, well before the invention of social media, the computer—and the FAA.