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From Barroom Bet to Stolen Aircraft: The Unbelievable Flights of Thomas Fitzpatrick

From Barroom Bet to Stolen Aircraft: The Unbelievable Flights of Thomas Fitzpatrick

In September 1956, there was a man named Thomas Fitzpatrick. He had a few too many drinks in a bar in New York City. When he was drunk, he made a bet with someone that he could fly from New Jersey to New York City in just 15 minutes.

At 3 a.m., he did something very risky. He stole a small airplane from an airport called Teterboro. He didn’t turn on the airplane’s lights or radio. He flew the plane and landed it on a street called St. Nicholas Avenue, close to 191st Street, right in front of the same bar where he made the bet. The New York Times even said it was a good landing and impressive flying. But what he did was illegal, and he had to pay a $100 fine because the owner of the plane didn’t want to press charges.

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Then, in October 1958, Fitzpatrick did something even crazier. He stole another plane from the same airport and landed it on a street called Amsterdam Avenue near 187th Street. He did this because someone didn’t believe that he had done it the first time.

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For the second stolen flight, a judge named John A. Mullen sentenced him to six months in prison. When the police asked him why he did it again, he said it was because someone didn’t believe his first flight.

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Fitzpatrick had been a Marine during the Korean War and even received a Purple Heart for his service. He had a family with three sons and was married for 51 years. He worked as a steamfitter. He passed away in 2009 when he was 79 years old.

Because of his daring airplane feats, there’s a mixed drink named after him called the “Late Night Flight.”

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A 17-yr boy was arrested for making a hoax bomb threat, causing multiple flight diversions and delays.

A 17-yr boy was arrested for making a hoax bomb threat, causing multiple flight diversions and delays.

Mumbai police have detained a 17-year-old boy from Chhattisgarh who allegedly issued bomb threats to multiple international flights via social media. According to the police, the minor made the threats to settle a financial dispute by framing another person.

The incident began on Monday night when a New York-bound Air India flight, originally departing from Mumbai, had to be diverted to New Delhi after receiving a bomb threat. The flight was later rescheduled. That same evening, two other international flights operated by IndiGo, heading to Jeddah and Muscat, also received similar threats, causing delays of several hours.

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The investigation revealed that all three threats originated from posts made by the minor from Chhattisgarh, leading to his detention. He was subsequently handed over to the local Juvenile Justice Board. The Mumbai police found that the boy had used the name and picture of another individual, also from Chhattisgarh, to create a fake social media account and issue the threats. The intention, according to the police, was to frame the other person and settle a score over a financial disagreement.

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The situation escalated on Tuesday, when a total of seven flights, including one bound for the United States, received similar threats through a social media handle. Security agencies initiated counter-terrorist drills at various airports to ensure safety. Further investigation into the minor’s actions and motivations is ongoing.

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