When I was a kid I loved this movie. It is a great story. I always wondered if they really built a plane and flew it. I found thsi video, a great behind the scenes story.

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/n82nN_lqn58&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/n82nN_lqn58&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Jimmy Stewart flew this airplaane in the movie. This plane was really built...maybe someone else can provide the details.
The stunt pilot was killed doing flybys...I do not remeber his name...but he was also the pilot who flew the Beach-18 through the billboard in It's A Mad, Mad World. A little research could tell you his name.
HC

Sorry..I should have watched the video first, but I have slow dialup.
HC

"Other than the loss the of the float, no significant damage...a tribute to the pilot's skill."

Ayup

...cool video! It reminds me of an airport in N.W. Wyoming that I landed in in 2005. Lots of neat abanded heavy iron, but it also had a muesum. If I remember right, they told me that they made a re-make of the Return of the Phoenix???

Anyway, the plane next to my scout was used in that movie. They flew it to Africa for the filming. I ws going to look for the movie, but never did. You just jogged me back into looking again. John

THat's Hawkins and Powers yard. They went out of business after the heavy air tankers were grounded.

MTV

When I was there, they were converting C130's to some sort of water bombers for the government, I think? I have some pictures of make-shift hangers they erected for that job.

Great boneyard pic. My buddy Patrick just started flying right seat in a P2V-7 for Neptune aviation air attack. I think they are based in Montana. I took a tour of it today and it really is like a big old bomber.

Paul Mantz fron Tallmantz Aviation flew the fabricated aircraft in the movie and was killed in it. There was alcohol in his bloodtest. Frank Tallman of the same company flew the 18 thru the billboard in mmmw. There was a spot painted on the back of the paper mache billboard for him to aim at. He told me that was one of the hairiest stunts he ever did. He was killed scud running in his Aztec near Saddleback mountain near El Toro, California in the late 70's. Sad losses for two exceptionally talented pilots. BTW, Tallman only had one leg, the other was severed in a go-cart accident with his kid. I am a somewhat weak authority on these two fine men as I was a nighttime lineboy/janitor at their SNA based FBO and museum in the early 70's. Used to sit in the planes and dream about flying them. Mantz did the famous gear up belly landing at the beginning of the 12 0'clock high movie with Gregory Peck. The real footage from that movie was from my Dad's WW2 base in England-Bassingbourn.

We flew over Greybull WY on our way out to Montana and Idaho. I had heard of H&P's demise and assumed all the large aircraft were gone. It looked pretty much as the picture in patrol guy's post. Was very surprised to see the big stuff still there.
HC

I have posted this before on other threads. Jim Bissell was the father of one of my high school buddies. He flew for Disney Productions as an exec pilot. He did part time worm for Tallmanz Productions.

He did the flying in the original Cinerama movie flying down in the bottom of the Grand Canyon, did the flying in Charles Lindberg Story, Flew the Beech 18 through the hanger in MMMW.

He was offered 3 grand to do the Flight of the Phoenix. He held out for 5 grand so Paul Mantz did it him self and died.

Jim's son Bill still has all his dads old log books going back to WWII. I forwarded the Ford Tri Motor post to see if his dad had time in it. He could not find any Tri Motor Time but that is about the only thing he did not have time in. He had tons of B-24 time.

Tim

dlhanst wrote: I was a nighttime lineboy/janitor at their SNA based FBO and museum in the early 70's..

Is this museum the one where the B-25 from the CBS TV Movie "Sole Survivor" ended up? A Book of movie aircraft I have lists it in "Buena Park" in a museum in the 70's.

Don't know where the airplanes dispursed to. The B-25 had a one piece plexiglass nose with a canera mouted on a curved rail that could move almost 180 degrees. They did a lot of movie and commercials with that rig.