Harlem Shake Craze Hits Frontier Flight, FAA Not Amused
Ah, college students. They make life interesting. Just ask their mothers and fathers. But rarely does it get as interesting as a home-made music video in flight.
Dancing in the Aisles in Mid-Air
The YouTube video below features students from Colorado College (plenty of others, too) jumping up and down the aisles aboard a Frontier plane, dancing to the Harlem Shake, as the aircraft soared above the Grand Canyon (see everyone join in at :15).
Yes, They Did Get Permission
According to a Colorado College newspaper article written by @JesseAPaul, the students planned it all ahead of time, bringing costumes onboard (note the banana in the video) and asking flight attendants for permission to shoot and dance. According to the paper, the Frontier crew enthusiastically agreed telling them only to wait until the plane was aloft and the seat belt sign was off. This they did, with some reservations. “I was concerned that it would actually create turbulence and a problem for the pilots,” one of the students involved is quoted as saying, while another remembered thinking, “I can’t believe they are going to let us do this.”
Best plane stunt ever – the sliding flight attendant
FAA Investigating
Apparently, someone with the FAA couldn’t believe it either, as they are reportedly investigating – but the agency does not comment on ongoing investigations. One of the video’s participants said he traded calls with someone claiming to be an FAA investigator but apparently they have yet to connect.
But Were They Really Dancing to the Harlem Shake?
Harlem Shake videos have pretty much become an internet cliché (meme) which is why these Colorado College students told the campus paper they were determined to make the “best ever.” Only, it didn’t quite turn out that way. The music wouldn’t play, so the sound track was added later. In reality, the passengers were dancing to the beat of – nothing. Well, nothing beyond the background noise of a stray request for an extra packet of peanuts maybe, or perhaps a screaming kid.
By the way, if the student dancers strike you as particularly athletic, it’s no wonder – many were flying to San Diego to participate in an Ultimate Frisbee tournament.
