The Heights of Passion

In November 1916, Lawrence Sperry, who had already made history as the inventor of the autopilot, entered the annals of aviation a second time. A prurient daredevil, he found that his new device facilitated a midair assignation with a female flight studentthereby unofficially inaugurating the Mile High Club. Things almost ended tragically that day: Sperry's boat plane went crashing into a New York bay, where two bewildered duck hunters saved the naked couple.

		THIS WEEK'S COVER STORY Mission to Mars January 26, 2004 Issue Past Covers Mind & Body Jan. 19, 2004 ----------------- Howard Dean Jan. 12, 2004 ----------------- Person of the Year Dec. 29, 2003 ----------------- Saddam Captured Dec. 22, 2003 ----------------- The Insurgents Dec. 15, 2003 ----------------- Kids and Drugs Dec. 8, 2003 ----------------- America and Bush Dec. 1, 2003 ----------------- Russell Crowe Nov. 24, 2003 ----------------- Jessica Lynch Nov. 17, 2003   ASIA  Avian Flu: Asia on High Alert  India: The BJP's New Look  Viewpoint: Moderate Victory?  Timeline: History of the BJP  Pakistan: The Monster Within ARTS  Books: India's Glorious Parasites BUSINESS  China IPOs: Get'em While They're Hot NOTEBOOK  Philippines: The Fire Next Time  Cambodia: Court Intrigue  Milestones  Verbatim  Letters GLOBAL ADVISOR  Tokyo: Hipster Hotel  Sicily: Market Research  Bangkok: Undiscovered Temples CNN.com: Top Headlines

To airlines' chagrin, this hasn't stopped passengers from following Sperry's lascivious lead. Nearly every flight attendant has had to deal with such meetings,...