Flying Shark Startles Pilot: NZ TV Anchors vs Air Swimmer (Video)

by Jordan Yerman | January 4, 2012 at 11:32 am

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'Escaped Sharks are No Danger to Planes'

It all started when a New Zealand pilot spotted a shark... at 7,000 feet. The flying shark was not even an isolated incident: radio-controlled Air Swimmers were popular Kiwi Christmas gifts, and a few of them escaped to higher altitudes.

According to the New Zealand Air Pilots' Association, these flying sharks pose no real risk to air-traffic safety. These are Air Swimmers we're talking about; Mega Shark is a totally different story.

New Zealand's 3 News anchors Carolyne Robinson and Simon Shepherd had maybe a little too much fun with this story. It's all fun and games... until the flying shark silently lurks up behind you. Meanwhile, we're really hoping that Australia's Channel 9 anchor Karl Stefanovic gets hold of this story.

Update: no word from Karl, but the Sydney Morning Herald took a swing:

Just when you thought it was safe to re-enter Christchurch airspace this summer – shark!

A for effort, guys.

The Air Swimmer shark is 1.44 meters long; just over 4 1/2 feet. Once the controller gets more than 15 meters (45 feet) away, then your flying shark is a free agent. It's an indoor toy, or so it says on the box, even though the Air Swimmers (hideous) website shows the clownfish and shark sailing past the Moon. Mixed messages, indeed.

So, after you fill it with helium at your local party store, you have to, what, take it home on a leash? Actually, that would be pretty cool.