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

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

Key Takeaways:

Aviation stunts, defined as daring feats for attention, have a long and storied history dating back to the early 20th century, well before the advent of social media or modern aviation authorities.
Early aviation saw dangerous acts like barnstorming, wing walking, and mid-air transfers performed for public entertainment and income, sometimes involving deception or leading to fatalities, eventually prompting safety regulations.
Notable historical "stunts" included Douglas Corrigan's unauthorized transatlantic flight and Howard Hughes's "accidental" first flight of the H-4 Hercules, both demonstrating a pattern of pilots deliberately defying or circumventing authorities for publicity or to prove a point.

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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.