An image shows a German pilot's flight path in the shape of a syringe.
Snopes is still fighting an 'infodemic' of rumors and misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, and you can help. Find out what we've learned and how to inoculate yourself against COVID-19 misinformation. Read the latest fact checks about the vaccines. Submit any questionable rumors and 'advice' you encounter. Become a Founding Member to help us hire more fact-checkers. And, please, follow the CDC or WHO for guidance on protecting your community from the disease. In December 2020, as distribution of the COVID-19 vaccination began, an image started circulating on social media that supposedly showed a syringe 'drawn' by a pilot over Germany: The information in this tweet is accurate. On Dec. 23, 2020, German pilot Samy Kramer took off from Friedrichshafen, Germany, and piloted a 200-kilometer flight in the shape of a syringe. But this syringe was not visible in the form of smoke in the sky. Rather, the image above was created by digitally tracking Kramer's path as he flew over Germany. FlightRadar24, a global flight-tracking service, noted that Kramer was flying a Diamond DA-20 Katana at about 5,000 feet and that the syringe in this image is about 70 kilometers long. Here's an image of the type of plane used for this flight: Kramer told Reuters that he drew the syringe to bring attention to the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. Kramer said: There are still relatively many people opposing the vaccination and my action may be a reminder for them to think about the topic, to get things moving ... Perhaps it was also a bit of a sign of joy, because the aviation industry has been hit pretty hard by the pandemic.
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