# You see a man flying through the air around NYC without visible assistance - What happens? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 28, 2013, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893 "2013-04-28T06:24:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893/1 "2013-04-28T06:24:03Z")
Lets say a man is seen flying around NYC a hundred feet or so in the air. He is swooping around without visible mechanical assistance and the way the way he is moving around makes it clear he is not supported by wires or other hoisting devices. Occasionally he lands on the roof or ledge of building but then soon takes off again. Thousands of people record him via camera phones or on cell phone videos. It’s seems pretty clear he is actually flying and no obvious or detectable tricks are involved. Eventually he soars out over the water and disappears from view. So… what’s the likely reaction? Do people go nuts or assume it’s all some big scam. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893/2 "2013-04-28T09:04:46Z")
Look! Up in the sky! ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893/3 "2013-04-28T10:08:37Z")
I would assume it was one of these: [Real life flying 'Superman' soars over California - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpO1D23IWhw&feature=youtube_gdata_player) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893/4 "2013-04-28T10:15:03Z")
Maybe the rubes in Metropolis were impressed by this kind of stuff, but you’re talking about New York City here, not that big of a deal. ---
**Author:** ![Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893/5 "2013-04-28T11:58:53Z")
If I personally saw it with my own eyes I’d believe I just witnessed something miraculous. If I was reading about other people witnessing it I’d assume it was viral marketing. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893/6 "2013-04-28T12:34:43Z")
I would be expecting an announcement of the Apple iLift gravity belt, or something similar. Or, I am quite certain the National Guard would soon conduct an experiment to see if he is also bullet proof. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893/7 "2013-04-28T12:45:00Z")
I’d say, “Who turned the local gravity off for that guy!” ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893/8 "2013-04-28T12:48:56Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > I would be expecting an announcement of the Apple iLift gravity belt, or something similar. > > Or, I am quite certain the National Guard would soon conduct an experiment to see if he is also bullet proof. Pffft. You are outdated. It would be Google Gravity Belt nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893/9 "2013-04-28T13:52:38Z")
Hmmm… not bird or plane or even frog… Maybe someone just forgot to pay their gravity bill. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893/10 "2013-04-28T14:04:31Z")
I’d think it was a scam. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893/11 "2013-04-28T14:30:42Z")
I don’t know how it’s done, but I want one! That’s what I’d think. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893/12 "2013-04-28T14:37:52Z")
I’d think it was an advertisement for a new movie. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893/13 "2013-04-28T15:03:25Z")
I’d say it was a mass illusion caused by dehydration. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Made\_French\_Toast\_For\_You](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/858c86/32.png) [@I\_Made\_French\_Toast\_For\_You](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Made_French_Toast_For_You)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893/14 "2013-04-28T15:14:09Z")
It’s probably just swamp gas. Ignore it. ---
**Author:** ![NeonMadman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58f4c7/32.png) [@NeonMadman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeonMadman)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893/15 "2013-04-28T15:55:26Z")
Is this a hypothetical question? ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893/16 "2013-04-28T15:56:16Z")
I for one welcome our new Kryptonian overlords! ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893/17 "2013-04-28T16:09:01Z")
:rolleyes: Only tourists look up. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893/18 "2013-04-28T16:13:23Z")
I would expect at least a dozen impromptu Superman puns ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893/19 "2013-04-28T16:56:24Z")
I’d see if I could get some binoculars and get a closer look. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893/20 "2013-04-28T17:05:36Z")
> [@I\_Made\_French\_Toast\_For\_You](#): > > It’s probably just swamp gas. Ignore it. Or Venus. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-see-a-man-flying-through-the-air-around-nyc-without-visible-assistance-what-happens/656893.md?page=2)