9. Floyd Bennett Field is the Home of One of Aviation’s Biggest “Mistakes”

In 1938, Douglas Corrigan was supposed to leave Floyd Bennett Field and end his journey in Los Angeles; however, he somehow got turned around and ended up in Ireland instead, earning him the nickname “Wrong Way” Corrigan. While this may seem like an astronomical mistake, Corrigan knew exactly what he was doing. He had been trying to get approval for a transatlantic flight to Ireland for years but no one thought he could do it.

Lacking funds and permission, he decided to take the matter into his own hands. Leaving Floyd Bennett Field during a Howard Hughes event, Corrigan was instructed by the owner of the airport to take off of any runway, as long as it wasn’t pointed west, and then knowingly whispered, “Bon Voyage” in the young pilot’s ear.

With the owner’s unspoken support, Corrigan took off and 28 hours 13 minutes later landed in Ireland, having consumed two chocolate bars and a couple boxes of fig bars on the way over. Despite his adamant assertion that he had made an honest mistake, the country knew the truth and cities from New York to Chicago threw ticker tape parades to honor the lovable rogue.