OTD: 40’ Flying Pig Shuts Down Heathrow
OTD in 1976, Algie, the 40 foot pig broke loose from its mooring during the photoshoot for the Animals album. Ironically, a marksman was hired to fire at the balloon in case it escaped. Weather conditions prohibited the shooting of the album cover for that day, and the marksman was not hired for the next day - ultimately resulting in the pig floating over Heathrow Airport and grounding flights. It ended up in a farm miles away. ⠀ "Moments after the skyward swine escaped, Heathrow officials received several communiqués from pilots in passing planes matter-of-factly telling them that they’d just seen a giant pig float past their windows. After realizing that the calls weren’t a joke, all flights from the airport were grounded."
OTD in 1976, Algie, the 40 foot pig broke loose from its mooring during the photoshoot for the Animals album. Ironically, a marksman was hired to fire at the balloon in case it escaped. Weather conditions prohibited the shooting of the album cover for that day, and the marksman was not hired for the next day - ultimately resulting in the pig floating over Heathrow Airport and grounding flights. It ended up in a farm miles away. ⠀ "Moments after the skyward swine escaped, Heathrow officials received several communiqués from pilots in passing planes matter-of-factly telling them that they’d just seen a giant pig float past their windows. After realizing that the calls weren’t a joke, all flights from the airport were grounded."