Canadian student pilot records himself flying backwards in a Cessna and it's seriously wild
- A Canadian student pilot filmed his Cessna plane flying backward
- The Cessna 152 was flying up against a strong headwind
- Unlike some aircraft, this one is not meant to fly in reverse
Published on May 15, 2025 at 12:20 AM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on May 14, 2025 at 1:21 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
A Canadian student pilot filmed himself flying backward in his Cessna 152 aircraft, and it looked like a wild ride.
Student pilot Greg Waters posted the wild flight on his Instagram account, with his plane stuck in the headwind that it was fighting against.
Technically, the Cessna is still flying forward, but the force of the wind is strong enough that it is equally moving backward over the ground.
But flying backwards is not what this plane is meant to be doing…
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While it might look like magic, there is a valid explanation for what was happening to the Cessna.
The video from the Canadian indicates that the headwind the aircraft was flying in was stronger than its ground speed.
This can cause the Cessna’s ground speed to become negative, meaning that while it is technically flying forward, it is equally moving backward over the ground.
That is what makes it appear the Cessna is going in reverse.
In effect, the ground speed of the aircraft is the true airspeed minus the headwind speed.
Greg’s video showed what was happening, almost like the aircraft was hovering like a Harrier jump jet or a helicopter like this Flying Banana.
Thankfully, other than flying in reverse, the Cessna appears to be stable and level.
As you probably guessed, a Cessna 152 isn’t meant to fly backward!
But while this aircraft isn’t meant to go backward, some are designed to do just that
The Hawker Siddeley Harrier was the world’s first production vertical-short takeoff or landing (V/STOL) aircraft.
It emerged as the only successful one out of a range of prototype V/STOL machines.
Various versions of the Harrier followed, with it still in service as the AV-8B Harrier II in countries such as Spain and the United States.
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II effectively replaced the Harrier in multiple countries, with it having its own V/STOL variant.
The spectacle of a full-size aircraft going backward, sideways, and vertically is still an amazing thing to witness.
Unlike the Cessna 152, however, these aircraft are all meant to fly backwards at some point!
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Henry is a content writer with nearly ten years experience, having written for various publications since 2017. Qualifying with a Sports Journalism degree from Staffordshire University, Henry loves all things automotive but has a particular soft spot for classic Japanese cars and anything Lancia. He also has a curious passion for steam locomotives.
