On October 15, when the Blue Jays needed a lift, Halifax pilot Dimitri Neonakis gave them one, literally.
As Toronto’s playoff run took flight, Neonakis took to the skies for a two-and-a-half-hour flight that traced a 354-mile flight path in the shape of the team’s iconic Blue Jay logo. The sky art, recorded by flight radar, was so precise that fans thought it had to be a graphic overlay. It wasn’t.
“Just a little support from up here,” Neonakis posted, sharing the radar screenshot that soon spread across social media faster than a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. line drive.
The detailed route covered the skies over Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, looping and banking with precision to sketch out the bird’s beak, wing, and maple leaf crest. Flight trackers lit up with likes and cheers from across the country.
Neonakis, a long-time private pilot known for using his plane to raise awareness for good causes, said the tribute was about spirit. “The Blue Jays bring people together,” he wrote. “I figured I’d bring them a little closer to the clouds.”
This isn’t his first sky masterpiece. In the past, Neonakis has drawn hearts, messages of hope, and even portraits of health-care heroes during the pandemic. But this time, it was all about baseball, and a little playoff magic.
