Maybe it’s the turbulence, maybe it’s the engine vibrations, maybe it’s the fear of going up in flames – whatever it is, there’s something about being in the sky that gets some of us itching for a dose of high-flying action.
It’ll probably come as no surprise that randy aerial acrobatics have been going on since the beginning of air travel. Way back in 1785, only two years after brothers Joseph Michael and Jaques-Etienne Montgolfier floated the first hot-air balloon, a reference to getting it on off the ground was made in a betting book at London gentleman’s club, Brooks. The entry tells of a wager between two ridiculously British-sounding aristocrats, Lord Cholmondeley and Lord Derby, with the former promising to pay the latter 500 guineas if he could manage to get himself into a lady’s knickerbockers on a balloon while “one thousand yards from Earth”.
And pretty much ever since, adventurous travellers looking for some extra in-flight entertainment have been applying for memberships to aviation’s only X-rated club.
As with anything even slightly risqué, part of the thrill is the risk of getting caught in the act. And for all those stealthy seducers who get away with it, there are just as many who’ve been totally busted while trying.
A few months back Tommy-Lee, famous for banging Pamela Anderson and making celebrity sex-tapes a thing was caught coming out of an American Airlines cubicle with girlfriend Brittany Furlan after a good 20 minutes. Coincidentally – or perhaps not – one of the two films his girlfriend has starred in was called How to Have Sex on a Plane. As for the Mötley Cruë drummer, seems he’s got a thing for transport debauchery – that infamous dalliance with Pam happened on a boat, after all. It’s not unusual for elderly or disabled flyers to be accompanied for bathroom breaks and while Tommy’s getting a bit long in the tooth, it’s safe to assume Furlan wasn’t wiping his arse. Though it was obvious to anyone with half a functioning brain what went down, no complaints were filed and the airline reportedly took no issue with the flying fling since there’s no policy disallowing two people from using the lavatory at the same time.
More recently, a pair of strangers found their 15 minutes when they tried to get their membership on a Delta flight from LA to Detroit. The unnamed pair, who’d only just met on the plane, were busted enjoying oral sex in the high skies. Unlike their celeb counterparts, the randy plane passengers didn’t have the foresight to smuggle themselves into the tiny toilet à la Tommy and Brittany, and instead did the deed right there in their seats. Not that we’re judging. The FBI did, however... as the encounter took place in the air, it officially falls into US federal jurisdiction and, while there’s no specific law prohibiting sex on a plane, the feds say that the frisky duo could face charges of misdemeanour or felony.
Become a mile high Member!
Welcome aboard as we get the hottest tips from our air-hostess friends on how to get your Mile High membership.
- “On the 757-300 there’s an ‘extended cabin’, the lavatories are to the front of that. The galley all the way in the back doesn’t get much action. Do with that information what you will...” – ‘L’ from an Aussie airline
- “The middle lavatories on a long-haul international flight are the best. Half of us are on break and the other half are in the aisle. It’s dark and most passengers are sleeping.” – ‘M’ from a US airline