A pilot has made headlines after using a routine test flight to spell out the words 'I'm bored' in the sky above Liverpool, with the aerial message spotted on flight tracking website Flightradar24.
Flight Details and Message
The cheeky message was picked up by Flightradar24 after the Ravenair aircraft departed from Liverpool at 11:30am on Saturday, tracing a path over the Wirral peninsula, Cheshire and north Wales. Flight tracking data revealed the Piper Tomahawk spent approximately 20 minutes meticulously crafting the message before returning to Merseyside around 1:30pm following a two-hour flight.
Pilot's Explanation
Ravenair later verified that the aircraft had been conducting a standard test flight following the replacement of one of its engine cylinders. Operations manager Wayne Barrett spoke to the BBC, saying: 'I think the pilot was literally a bit bored as it was just a test flight. Mind you it was pretty skilful flying.' He clarified that the aircraft had been taken aloft to confirm it was safe to return to service post-maintenance.
Skill and Concentration
Mr Barrett stated: 'I think the part was a cylinder that needed replacing. So when this happens we take the plane up for a test run to make sure everything is OK, which it was.' Despite the pilot's jest about being bored, Barrett suggested that crafting the message would have demanded considerable focus. 'He was a bit bored but he probably had to concentrate a lot in the end to spell out the words so he was probably anything but,' he commented.
No Disciplinary Action
He also reassured that the flying instructor, who is in his 20s, was 'not in trouble' despite the playful aerial antic. He stated: 'He's not in trouble but we have had a lot of attention from it. The plane is now safely back in the hangar and the pilot is on his day off.'
