A Ravenair pilot spelled out the words 'I'm bored' in the sky over Merseyside during a test flight on Saturday, July 11, 2026. The cheeky message was detected by flight tracking website Flightradar24 after the aircraft departed from Liverpool at 11:30 AM.
How the Message Was Created
The Piper Tomahawk flew over the Wirral peninsula, Cheshire, and north Wales, spending approximately 20 minutes meticulously tracing out the letters. The flight lasted two hours in total, touching back down at Liverpool around 1:30 PM. Ravenair confirmed the flight was a routine test following the replacement of one of the aircraft's engine cylinders.
Company Response
Wayne Barrett, operations manager at Ravenair, told the BBC: 'I think the pilot was literally a bit bored as it was just a test flight. Mind you it was pretty skillful flying.' He explained that the test was necessary to verify the aircraft was safe to return to service after maintenance. '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,' Barrett added.
Pilot's Skill and Status
While the pilot joked about being bored, Barrett noted the task required concentration and precision. '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 said. The flying instructor, in his 20s, is not in trouble despite the lighthearted escapade. '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,' Barrett confirmed.
