Aviation is one of the most interesting industries, and it is also one of the more complex; ever since immemorial times, the human dreamed of flying like the birds, of conquering the skies and being closer to the gods. It took some thousands of years of evolution to master this caprice, but we finally did it, and there was no stopping us from that point. Numerous people gave their lives trying experimental flying machines, and their only fears were that they mightn’t succeed. Today, we can travel abroad, to any corner of the world, and even to outer space, but that’s another story. Our stories are about some of the funniest aviation adventures in recent history.
The following aviation adventures tell various stories related to planes, airports, pilots and anything to do with flying. All of them are supposed to be real, but for most it is impossible to verify, so they may just be urban legends, or based on less spectacular real events. Nevertheless here they are, and we hope you find them entertaining:
- The Gourmand Pilot – Our first story relates that a Northwest Airlines pilot was preparing to fly a plane one evening, but became displeased when he heard what food they would serve on the plane. He immediately decided to go search for better food through the airport, but when that didn’t work he left the airport behind as well. When he came back 90 minutes after the passengers had already been seated, the pilot was fired for abandoning the plane.
- By any means! – A man who was late for his flight had the “ingenious” idea of calling in a bomb threat on his plane. The flight was delayed of course, and searches were being done on the plane and its passengers, which gave the caller enough time to get to the airport and be searched himself. Unfortunately, the authorities traced the call back to his mobile phone, and after he was charged, he was released and left to take his flight, which was only 30 minutes late.
- Sleeping Beauty – A pilot flying a cargo plane was forced to fly in circles over the Nice Airport from France because the air traffic controller responsible with giving him permission to land had dozed off. The pilot tried repeatedly to get in contact with the controller, but to no avail. It took 30 minutes for officials to get to the controller and wake him up, and the plane was able to land safely.
- A little hiccup – This has to be one of the most amusing aviation adventures, because it is based on misunderstandings. Reportedly, a customs officer wanted to see whether his drug-sniffing dog could detect marijuana in people’s bags, which is why he hid almost one pound of it in a passenger’s luggage. All this was going on in Tokyo, Narita, and when the passengers landed, it was impossible for the dog to sniff out the marijuana; the officer didn’t manage either, so the passengers had to be asked one at a time to search their bags for the culprit. However, it was not legal for the officer to hide the marijuana without marking the bag.
These are just some of the aviation adventures and stories that circulate in modern times; they may not have mythical or legendary valences, but they are amusing nonetheless, and they show us there’s a bright and funny side to anything.
