# What kind of aircraft is flying over Germany? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 5, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-aircraft-is-flying-over-germany/146781 "2003-01-05T16:09:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-aircraft-is-flying-over-germany/146781/1 "2003-01-05T16:09:12Z")
I’m watching CNN, and there is a man flying a stolen private aircraft who is threatening to fly into the Euro Bank tower. I missed the city, but I think I heard Frankfurt. CNN is calling the aircraft a “Cessna” (of course; because _all_ “little airplanes” are Cessnas, right?). Actually the anchor says it looks more like a glider with its long wings. But she’s still calling it a Cessna because that’s what the German police are calling it. The aircraft looks like a German-made motor-glider. Long wings, and a skinny empanage with a T-tail. I haven’t been able to see if it’s a trike or a taildragger. The name is on the tip of my tongue, but it’s just not coming. Can any of you tell what kind of aircraft it is? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-aircraft-is-flying-over-germany/146781/2 "2003-01-05T16:12:57Z")
Two bits of info: 1. It looks like a trike. 2. It has landed at Frankfurt airport. But I’m still curious as to what what it is. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-aircraft-is-flying-over-germany/146781/3 "2003-01-05T16:41:53Z")
1. The pilot has been arrested. ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-aircraft-is-flying-over-germany/146781/4 "2003-01-05T16:52:23Z")
Wow, if you’re going to do something that mind-numbingly stupid, you should be sure to carry out your threats. ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-aircraft-is-flying-over-germany/146781/5 "2003-01-05T17:01:11Z")
The plane was a Mid-Atlantic Diamond Eclipse. [http://www.midatlanticdiamond.com/eclipse\_features.html](http://www.midatlanticdiamond.com/eclipse_features.html) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-aircraft-is-flying-over-germany/146781/6 "2003-01-05T17:03:19Z")
I think I found it. It looked like a [Diamond Katana](http://www.airshow.net/aircraftads/6981-1l.jpg), which is the name that was on the tip of my tongue. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-aircraft-is-flying-over-germany/146781/7 "2003-01-05T17:04:36Z")
Thanks, **RSA**. Well at least I got the maker right, if not the model. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-aircraft-is-flying-over-germany/146781/8 "2003-01-05T17:22:56Z")
If Cecil doesn’t post to this thread, I’m going to fly a [(paper) airplane](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_017.html) into the Straight Dope World Headquarters! ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-aircraft-is-flying-over-germany/146781/9 "2003-01-05T18:55:26Z")
Reuters reports that the pilot performed his act to bring attention to the fact that Judith Resnik died in the Challenger accident in 1986. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-aircraft-is-flying-over-germany/146781/10 "2003-01-05T18:56:47Z")
> [@](#): > > of course; because all “little airplanes” are Cessnas, right?. Only in Europe. In the U.S., all small planes are Piper Cubs. - ::: g, d, & r ::: \*