And the Winner is…

Just a little over a week ago, as part of our “Blogging in Formation” series, I posted 11 Insane (but true) things about Aviation (plus an extra “untrue” one) and held a contest for all 12 of my readers to guess which one was untrue.

Most guesses chose item number 10 as the untrue one – and indeed that was correct! Below, find more information, including pictures and links, about all of the items – even the “false” one (which is actually true – I just changed the name of the award)!

 

I used Random.org’s Sequences generator to put in the folks who had the correct answer in the comments by the deadline, and our winner is Bill Scharff!  Bill – I’ll be in contact with you via the email you entered in the comment to get your your fancy-schmancy antique magazine issue (hope you like it)!

1) Man files flight plan from New York, NY to Long Beach, CA – but ends up in Ireland!

Aviation trivia and history buffs will know that “Wrong Way” Corrigan was indeed a real person: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Corrigan

2) The first pilot’s license did not belong to one of the Wright brothers!

Followers of Smart Flight Training on Twitter may have seen the following tweet: “Ever seen the first pilot license Issued In The US? Here’s your chance: http://GoSFT.us/q” linking to an image of US Pilot License #1.

3) The first aircraft to be intentionally shot down by another aircraft went down on October 5, 1914, when the observer in one plane shot the pilot in another plane with a hand gun.

This is true, as well… check out some history on flyers in WWI here.

4) The remains of Bert Hinkler’s glider CANNOT BE DESTROYED!

Okay, well, it PROBABLY can be, but it has shown much resistance to it in this bizarre story which is actually true: click here to read all about it!

5) The deadliest accident in aviation history actually occurred on the ground!

Read about the Tenerife accident on wikipedia

6) Inspiration can come from anywhere: My Little Pilot: Flying is Magic

This is quite possibly my favorite fact on the list! And it is quite true. Read about it on Daily Dot.

7) In the “Man Bites Dog” Category – Someone actually ATE a Cessna 150

This is completely true. He also ate several bicycles and shopping carts, among other things.

8) A Hopping Rocket?

Also true, and the videos are pretty incredible!

9) An over-under, makeshift four-engine biplane

This is also true, and similar things have happened since! Maybe Mr. Lotito should have eaten these airplane sandwiches instead of just the C150!

10) The Bungle Award – an award you DON’T want to win

This is the false one – though not entirely… I simply changed the name of the ACTUAL awards that pilots received from Blunder Trophies to Bungle Awards… read all about them (and see some) here.

11) The Hughes H-4 Hercules – a.k.a. The Spruce Goose

The amazing Spruce Goose! If you chose this one as the false one, you need to bone up on your aviation history (and watch The Aviator)!

12) Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need “roads.”

This is completely true, and might I add, very ambitious, considering the Transition is not even through its certification process yet…