This question will permanently mark me as a twit, no doubt, but how did the illusionist David Copperfield fly?
You’re not a twit; that’s how the man makes his living (and a damn good one, too), he’s an illusionist.
“Illusionist” means that he fools people.
Of course for him to do this successfully it means that he has to be very very good at it . . . and that you have to be willing to temporarily suspend disbelief. It’s the unspoken contract made between artist and observer, and is at the heart of every magic trick in the world.
When you DO know how it’s done, all the magic goes away. To quote from Abb Dickson, one of my favorite magicians . . . “Magic is like a butterfly. You can give a 5-year old boy a butterfly, and he can look at it, admire it and marvel at its beauty, and then he can let it go. Or he can pull the wings and the legs off of it, to see how it works. . . and all he will have left is a dead butterfly. . .and he still won’t know how it works.”
your humble TubaDiva
Nothing up my sleeve
Frankly, I’d be more amazed to know how he does it. I know it’s an illusion, but until I know how he does it, it’s just an annoying mystery rather than anything especially wondrous.
I asked this question a few months ago, and didn’t get many responses… and the inevitable snide “wire, duh!” from at least one poster.
I hope you have better luck than I did Matt, cuz I still want to know!!!