How Michigan Saved One of MythBusters’ Most Requested Experiments

Seasonal depression has had its kiss for me as winter weather turns into spring. You can only have so many gray, gloomy days before you need a burst of serotonin. This year's serotonin has come in the form of rewatching MythBusters after I discovered there are full episodes on YouTube.

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I was a big Discovery Channel kid, and this show was very impressive from an engineering standpoint and also unhinged in the best way possible. One of the series' most iconic moments took place here in Michigan, and if it hadn't been for this audacious airliner in Ypsilanti, it never would have happened.

⬇️27 TV SHOWS SET IN MICHIGAN⬇️

Supersize Jet Taxi

In a "Super-Sized Special" at the end of Season 5, Mythbusters Tory Belleci, Kari Byron, and Grant Imahara (RIP) were testing a myth that driving behind a 747 airplane that is about to take off will send your car flying through the air from the sheer power of the engines.

Two years before this episode aired in 2007, the crew had tried this "jet taxi" myth, but the airport they used at the time denied the team from doing it at the last second. It was a major blow to the team's morale at the time, as this was one of their most popular fan requests.

However, this myth got a second chance, thanks to Michigan. According to Tory, "It's taken us two years of research, but we found a freight company who are willing to let us use their plane."

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That freight company is Kallita Air, an award winning freight company based in Ypsilanti at Willow Run Airport. The company is owned by Conrad "Connie" Kalitta and has 25 planes around the world capable of "on-demand" delivery. The jet used in the episode reportedly weighed in at 700,000 pounds, 250 feet nose to tail, and cost $60 million.

Confirmed or Busted?

So, using the powerful Boeing 747, did the team find that this myth was confirmed or busted? This was a resounding "CONFIRMED", as the plane not only sent a taxi car soaring through the air, but also a school bus and small airplane.

The power of the airplane put to rest one of the MythBuster's fans' most requested myths, one that the team had all but given up hope on ever being able to do. But thanks to Kalitta Air, the MythBusters were able to get an awesome shot, even if it did accidentally tear up the runway. You can watch the entire episode below.