Fear and Loathing fans....?

Question

In Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas... Dr. Gonzo, brilliantly played by Benicio del Toro... Steps onto a plane... He puts his hands in the air and does a kind of... 'Peace' salute... thing... I've seen this referenced in several other things: ie. Family Guy - Stewie flying to London (but actually the Middle East)

If not just from F&L, where is it originally from?

Thanks!

Answer 1

It's a spoof of Richard Nixon in a famous video from 1974.  He made this gesture as he was boarding a helicopter after resigning the US presidency.  He was also known to have made this sign on various other occasions.

Answer 2

It's Nixon . he did this a lot when he was president and now it is like a joke thing because he didn't know how stupid he looked  and kept doing it. Like Nukular instead of nuclear is George Bush's thing.