Kind of Quiet in Here

[AAFO_WSagar]

Kinda quiet last couple days.. cleaning up some folders that sit on my desktop... here's one from happier times!

[wolfee]

Re: Kind of Quiet in Here

Nice shot Wayne.... but it makes me sad to see it as well.

2 of those pilots are no longer with us and one of the AC is gone as well.

It floods the brain with what if questions, and makes one long for times past.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Kind of Quiet in Here

That was my feelings almost exactly! I can remember that day so clearly, I'd been hoping (not a strong enough word) to get up for an a2a session with the "cast" of the movie for a couple articles I was writing for magazines... I happened to overhear the "boys" talking about going up for some formation practice.. (really, I think I heard the term "let's go burn some fuel")

I managed to hire John Parker, before asking if they'd actually fly with us... his question "when" was not easily answered... so he and I hurried up and waited, got word they would fly with us and, drum roll... even buy the fuel for John's plane!!!

Air to Air is one of the most satisfying things a photographer can do.. it's extremely easy, and difficult as heck all at the same time, I'm afraid of heights, yet at home in the open doorway of an airplane... I guess scary is part of the fun of it all!

Odegaard was a visionary! What he, Mitch Carley and a bunch of other aviation and air race guys tried to do was admirable and *should* have become a "cult classic"... even if just to groan at the more "obvious" moments, not too many people have even attempted to do what they did, and they did have fun doing it... (other than spending all that money!)

It's important to have fun!

[supercub]

Re: Kind of Quiet in Here

Nice pic......what's am I seeing on 57 back by tailwheel area. Also, I've never noticed, but looks like the big engine Corsairs had a split rudder system........something I've never noticed before.
Brian

[Big_Jim]

Re: Kind of Quiet in Here

Nice pic......what's am I seeing on 57 back by tailwheel area. Also, I've never noticed, but looks like the big engine Corsairs had a split rudder system........something I've never noticed before.
Brian

I believe that was on the F2G-2's (five of which were delivered)...it was a split rudder system to help the torque of the '4360 on takeoff during carrier operations.

[N22252]

Re: Kind of Quiet in Here

Odegaard was a visionary! What he, Mitch Carley and a bunch of other aviation and air race guys tried to do was admirable and *should* have become a "cult classic"... even if just to groan at the more "obvious" moments, not too many people have even attempted to do what they did, and they did have fun doing it... (other than spending all that money!)

It's important to have fun![/QUOTE]

Thunder Over Reno is a "cult classic" in my book. It's just that the cult is so very small. My wife groans that I, for some reason, quote the movie at odd intervals when we are in Reno. But then again... I quote a lot of aviation movies

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Kind of Quiet in Here

.......My wife groans that I, for some reason, quote the movie at odd intervals when we are in Reno. But then again... I quote a lot of aviation movies

OMG... hilarious! BeerNazi and I manage to say "Stupid and dangerous" a lot! In fact, if one says something is dangerous, the other adds, "STUPID AND DANGEROUS" almost immediately...

I think the movie had moments.. The scene between the dad and Butch, where the dad is telling him if he goes, don't come back.. Dad actor is a Hollywood producer type, damn good actor too... Hawk has his moments... that moment with his dad was one of them, IMHO...

It's funny.. I had the script from early on and damn if it didn't read like a total blockbuster type of movie, complete with the bar brawl between the good guy and the bad guy, (completely downplayed, unfortunately, in the final product) Lots of the scenes read much better than they played, ultimately. But they hired young attractive actors who they thought could pull it off, they were all that was affordable.. Ultimately, the movie was aimed at kids. The "exit polls" were very good at test showings when a lot of kids were in the audience, with mom and dad... Our loyal group here simply decimated it with bad reviews.. thought at the time, we could have done better in supporting the guys who spent so many dollars to make an air racing movie...

I'll still never forget.. forgive, if you will, the table of yahoo's at the premier at the GSR (you know who you were) who made cat calls as my name went cross the screen during the credit roll... hey... what can I say.. Mitch and I go way back...

Also wonder if the reaction to the movie by some of the expert fans would have been any different if I'd not been involved in any way...

Still kind of a sore spot that when one of us "makes it".. some see that "success" as an alienation of some sorts... For the record, I too lost money in the making of that movie, in my case, investments made in an effort to document and promote, with hope of return if successful, were expensive and for nought... Although, I did have some very interesting and enjoyable moments during the time I spent involved!!!!!!

Anyway... now I turned a good memory into a bad one..

Sorry.....

[kiwiracefan]

Re: Kind of Quiet in Here

Being way down here in NZ i have not been able to find the movie.. i always wanted to see it, to see what everyone talked about... but looking at the pic, did anyone else notice that the A model Precious Metal is sporting race #57......

[Leo]

Re: Kind of Quiet in Here

I have found that on these aviation forums you cannot make a good film with airplanes in them. Someone always seems to cut it down from some angle, even if it the fact that the stabilizer fairing had one too many rivets in it, or the inside of an access panel is the wrong color.
I am a rivet counter and enjoy it. My wife gets her kicks out of watching EVERYTHING fo continuity. I don't expect perfection! I only really get annoyed when a historical subject is dramatized to be unrecognizable (Pearl Harbor).
TOR is on my shelf and we pull it down now and then, to laugh at some of the not-so-well acted cliche's, ooh and ahh at the filming and take it for what it is.
I am sure glad they tried.

[xmh53wrench]

Re: Kind of Quiet in Here

Wayne, thats an amazing photo!!!

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Kind of Quiet in Here

Wayne, thats an amazing photo!!!

Like my old friend Soopy Peterson always said... "ninety percent of air to air is being there"......

Smooth air, a decent camera, good pilots... I swear, it is almost as easy to get a good air to air shot as it is a pit shot.... It's a *little* more complex than that but.... conditions being right.. biggie here, smooth air and decent light, it's all about getting the opportunity!

Nowdays, it has gotten where the subject airplane, often, wants their fuel paid, as well as the photo plane needing to be hired, it's just a very expensive proposition!

Boy oh boy though is it fun!

Thanks for the compliment!

[WARPT]

Re: Kind of Quiet in Here

OMG... hilarious! BeerNazi and I manage to say "Stupid and dangerous" a lot! In fact, if one says something is dangerous, the other adds, "STUPID AND DANGEROUS" almost immediately...

I think the movie had moments.. The scene between the dad and Butch, where the dad is telling him if he goes, don't come back.. Dad actor is a Hollywood producer type, damn good actor too... Hawk has his moments... that moment with his dad was one of them, IMHO...

It's funny.. I had the script from early on and damn if it didn't read like a total blockbuster type of movie, complete with the bar brawl between the good guy and the bad guy, (completely downplayed, unfortunately, in the final product) Lots of the scenes read much better than they played, ultimately. But they hired young attractive actors who they thought could pull it off, they were all that was affordable.. Ultimately, the movie was aimed at kids. The "exit polls" were very good at test showings when a lot of kids were in the audience, with mom and dad... Our loyal group here simply decimated it with bad reviews.. thought at the time, we could have done better in supporting the guys who spent so many dollars to make an air racing movie...

I'll still never forget.. forgive, if you will, the table of yahoo's at the premier at the GSR (you know who you were) who made cat calls as my name went cross the screen during the credit roll... hey... what can I say.. Mitch and I go way back...

Also wonder if the reaction to the movie by some of the expert fans would have been any different if I'd not been involved in any way...

Still kind of a sore spot that when one of us "makes it".. some see that "success" as an alienation of some sorts... For the record, I too lost money in the making of that movie, in my case, investments made in an effort to document and promote, with hope of return if successful, were expensive and for nought... Although, I did have some very interesting and enjoyable moments during the time I spent involved!!!!!!

Anyway... now I turned a good memory into a bad one..

Sorry.....

Funny that this talk of TOR has come up. Just a few nights ago while cleaning out some stuff I came across these pics I took of some filming of TOR.
I remember walking along the flight line in the pits with my bro and he said something like what's going on with all the smoke by the Corsair? I looked and grabbed my cheapo 35mm with my long lens and took some shots, as I knew what was up. I thought how cool it was to see the making of a movie....and how funny it was using a leaf blower to create wind to blow the smoke back over the cockpit. I'll see if I can attach some of the pics here.
I have my copy of TOR autographed by Robert Odegaard.

[Leo]

Re: Kind of Quiet in Here

Is that Wayner on the ladder?

[ignomini]

Re: Kind of Quiet in Here

I really wanted to like TOR, but the acting makes me want to both claw my eyes out and run an ice pick through my ear drums. They could have just made a 30 minute Youtube of the flying scenes and had a better outcome.

For comparison purposes, I would offer up Landspeed, which traded slightly better acting for the dumbest plot in history, and really cheap special effects.

Thanks for the pic Mr. Wayne. Follow warbirds long enough and you will sadly end up with plenty of pics of pilots and planes which are no longer with us.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Kind of Quiet in Here

Is that Wayner on the ladder?

Do those shorts make my ass look big?