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The flying toothbrush

Léa Langumier, 4, is all business in the cockpit—until the Gs start building, that is. Then the giggles start.

The daughter of Raphaël Langumier, a charter and test pilot based in Quebec, got her first aerobatic ride in June, and the video of that flight captured the hearts of thousands. The pint-sized aerrobat's education has continued, as you can see in the video above. This mission came about, Langumier reported in an email to AOPA Online, after he introduced her to Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who has produced popular videos of his own from the International Space Station. By way of preparing Léa for the meeting, Langumier showed his daughter some of those videos, and one—about brushing teeth in space—prompted a question: How could it be possible for a toothbrush to just float in the air?

To answer that, Langumier chose a Cessna 152 Aerobat, a toothbrush, and a flight profile similar to the one used by NASA to prepare astronauts for microgravity.

Did your flight instructor teach you this trick?

Langumier said he has more unusual attitudes in store for Léa, and she certainly seems to be up for it.

Jim Moore
Jim Moore
Managing Editor-Digital Media
Digital Media Managing Editor Jim Moore joined AOPA in 2011 and is an instrument-rated private pilot, as well as a certificated remote pilot, who enjoys competition aerobatics and flying drones.

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