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A pilot drew out a tribute to George Floyd using only his airplane

Jun 9, 2020, 7:10 AM

george floyd tribute...

Pilot Dimitri Neonakis drew a raised fist in the sky in tribute to George Floyd. Credit: Courtesy Dimitri Neonakis from ForeFlight

    (CNN) — A pilot drew a unique tribute to George Floyd over Canada by following a flight path in the shape of a raised fist.

Dimitri Neonakis took to the Nova Scotia sky on Thursday with his personal message to Floyd. He told CNN he chose the fist because it’s a symbol of the movement against racism.

“We all have to speak out and we have to end it,” Neonakis said. “There are no borders when it comes to racism.”

Neonakis mapped out the image on an app and then followed the line for the fist in his plane. He said it took him about two and a half hours at 150 miles per hour to finish the image.

Because the drawing was done on a flight path, only radar could detect his drawing.

FlightAware.com followed Neonakis during his entire flight and documented the completed picture when he got back to the ground.

Neonakis said the picture is simply an expression of his feelings for his own reasons and has nothing to do with politics.

“I feel the need to speak out and my way is in the air,” Neonakis said. “Even though no one is going to see it, it makes me feel good… I know it’s for them, the people oppressed over the years.”

Neonakis has drawn other images in the sky to express his reaction to tragedy, including in April when nine people were killed in a murder rampage in Novia Scotia.

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A pilot drew out a tribute to George Floyd using only his airplane